Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-13
new TYPE OF SHOW
OPENS THE WALNUT
Morosco's Love Dreams Called
a Melody Drama Pleases
Friendly First-Nighters

Walnut Strect-There is one thins
about Morosco's melody drama" idea
either you'll like It very much or you'll
dislike II very much. 1t isn't the kind
Of thing that will be just pleasantly
acceptable to the majority of theatre
goers. If 1t happens that you are one
who dislikcs il YOU will say that II
hasn't enough music to be a good musi
cal comedy or il has too much music
to be good comedy or both.
II the Judgment of an obviously
Saturday night Is to be taken ms a
fact. many will be quite enthusiastic
about il. The idea itself should not be
allowed to fall fiat because of this one
vehicle. for, unfortunately, the story
takes an odd and unnecessary twist
that gives II an ending unsatisfactory
to most people, and this ending rather
mars what starts out to be almost n
triumph. II the author had taken the
trouble to allow the plot to run
smoothly along pleasing lines to q
happy ending, there would not be much
doubt Of the success of the piece.
Werner Janssen's musical score in
dicates that he is distinct "fnd.' He
has an amazing gift Of melody. Re-
mnrkably enough, though. while every
thing he has included in Love
Dreams is decidedly lifting and sing
able, there Is nothing that sticks to the
memory to haunt you aftcrward. You
enjoy 1t thoroughly-bu you forget It
Immediately. The audience on Satur-
day night noticed the evident inex-
pcrience of the man who awkwardly
waved the baton over the orchestra, and
those who knew the art Of conducting
probably wondered how he ever got to
be a musical director. The program
gave his name as Claude Macarthur,
and those who watched the halting
baton didn't think Claude was so good.
Then it became known that Claude had
suddenly become sick and that his place
had been taken at the last moment by
no less person than Werner Jansen
himself. As a conductor Werner is an
excellent composer.
Love Dreams is full of really ex-
cellent comedy; il starts out brightly
and it continues brightly with spots
every here and there that are almost
improved upon. Everybody in it seems
" w uDlN w SiIs' NuuCV' u'b hiN
clorute (if there is such a world, and
that's combination hard to find.
Morosco found it and the result is fine
entertainment.
Paul Burns rather ran away with
the honors in his comedy press agent
role. but, however fast he ran. Maude
Ebourne, in her grotesQuc maids part,
was always close enough to touch him.
Maudc is n genuine Comedienne and
nobody would have objected if she had
lad twice as much to do.
Elsa Alder. the leading woman. has
a most pleasing personality and evil
IDENTITY an excellent voice, but the music
assigned TO her does not give her the
chances she deserves. Marion Green. so
pleasantly remembered as Monsieur
Reaucaire, still has his silver voice,
The present vehicle does not offer him
anything like the scope he had in the
McHsagcr opcretta, either musically or
histriorically. but he scores in what he
has TO do despite the shock of seeing
him in modern clothes. Tom Powers,
Maurice Holland and Edna Bates are
all excellent.
There is n miniature chorus Of eight
pretty girls who wear beautiful cos.
tunes in the first act and not much OF
anything afterward. thereby appearing
more beautiful. In one Of the songs
there is n line, "Thcy will show more
next season. II they do there'll be
riot. And the present reviewer hopes
to be in the front row.