Omaha daily bee., 1920-10-31
American Jazz
Makes Big Hit In
London Theaters
Our Musical Comedies Bettsr
Than Anything Produced
On Other Side Since
War,
BY FRANK E. MASON.
International News Service Staff Core-
spondent.

International News Service Staff Corre-
spondcnt.
Berlin, Oct. 30.-Ten years ago
America paid fancy prices for stand
ing room to see imported European
musical comedies; today Europe
turns eagerly to America for the
latest jazz hit. An American musi-
cal comedy will back European
show off the boards.
The war taught New York pro-
ducers that American composers and
playwrights can write better musi-
cal comedies than we can bring oyer
from Europe" declaxes Gustave Am
berg of New York, who is purchas-
ing European plays and operettas
for the Shubert theatrical interests.
Mr.. Amberg should know; for he
has been importing European shows
into the United States for the past
rs years. 1--WE learned that the war
substitute made in America. is bet
ter than the imported article"
New York Succeeds Vienna.
Vienna was the worlds capital of
operetta before the war. There is
every indication that New York has
succeeded to the title. Negotiations
are under way which will remove
Vienna's last claims, for Americans
are arranging to bake Lehar Oscar
Strauss, Leo Fan and Kalmann to
the United States.
Vienna musical comedies were given
are arranging to take Lehear. Oscar
en- the acid test during the war. and
they showed up anything but well
Some Of the big Austrian hits were
smuggled to New York and pro-
duced as American compositions.
-Shorn of the glamour of their for
eign titles and of the names of their
famous foreign composers the pro-
ductions failed.
Kalmann's latest piece, "The Hol-
land Maiden" (which is playing to
standing room in the big Metropol
theater, Berlin, and, promises to be
the seasons hit, is striking exam
pie OF the reason why Vienna oper-
eta cant compete with New York.
AS to originality the story of Hol-
land Maiden is the worlds oldest.
most venerable bewhiskered, musical
comedy plot. 1t is the story of the
opera Martha. Waltz Dream. Count
OF Luxemburg and a dozen others;
royalty, forced marriage, rebellious
prince and princess, runaway, prince
and princess disguise themselves as
ordinary folks and fall in love any
way.
American jazz has captured allied
countries and has thorough foot
hold in neutral lands. In Copenha-
gen and The Hague you will hear
the latest American ragtime. Jazz
IS making its way among our recent
enemies as rapidly as their cheap
ened money will permit them to pay
for it.
Old Chestnuts Popular.
In Berlin you will pay whole
pocketful of marks or about SIS in
real money to dance to "Moonlight
Bay" or II Want TO Be in Dixie" I"
The European has not yet been
trained up to the point of the Amer
leans disgust for last months hit,
which is this months aggravation.
A good one-step, especially when, it
it is genuine American ragtime, re-
mains a good one-step even if it is
entitled wait Till the Sun Shines
Nellie" Z
Until her death Gaby Deslys, in
Marseilles and Paris made you pay
prices that would make a Broadway
scalper blush and hold his breath to
listen to French words sung to
American music, none of which was
newer than four or FIVE years old.
Much of the European attempt to
render American ragtime reminds
one of the highbrow music teacher
who never played anything less
than Liszt in her life, but who will
gingerly attempt a piece of the
: despised l0-cent-store music just to
please the company present. Your
American jazz soul recognizes the
music, but you squirm at having
your favorite set Of Mississippi or
Missouri Rlues daintily tricked of
the piano like a delicate minuet.
Europe will not have recall jazz
however, until it introduces the saxo.
phone, unknown here, and the slide
trombone player, with the palsied
hand. 1t is making progress, how
even for the trap drummer is get
ting more resourceful and he scrapes
and pounds and foots in quite the
approved fashion.