The New York herald., 1921-05-11

7 iteu ArFuHNhld Adapted for the American
stage py Harold Attendgc and Edward
Delaney Dunn
General Krasian. .......... Clarence Harvey
66ountess corpulinski Miss Florence Morrison
Daughters OF Countess corpuiinsk-
sMfsses hieanor Painter. Beatrice Swanson,
Marcela Swanson, Gladys Walton and
Eleanor Griffith.
Prince Paul ........... Harrison Brockbank
Mat Maltby ................Ja James Barton
vWuaf,e.le -........-......... Miss Ruth Mills
An aHd,,,,..,.,,......' .'...,........r Timothy Daily
Duke OF subensich. .. Timothy DaIy
| me production by Lee and j. ]. Shu-
oert OF Oscar Strauss operetta The
Last Waltz" which drenched the
Century Theatre with soaring harmony
and brilliant effects last night. was SO
superb that even the flowers showered
upon Miss Eleanor Painter the star.
were splendid. Down to the last detail
IL Is swiftly moving riotous with color,
oVerfiowing with splendor-any one at
tempting to describe 1t suffers a rush
of adjectives to the head II is the
zenith OF musical comedies, artistically
as well as geographically
i A large part of the resoundng wh!r
that II makes among the senses is due
to the frequently dashing. sometimes
tender and always dazzling score pro-
vided by the Viennese composer OF THE
Chocolate Soldier" who left the audience
last night swimming in melodies and
willing TO sink for the third time at .he
end Of the third act He Is one Teuton
whom the allied nations don't have 10
be melted 70 save from starving In
this era OF scientific management a
ratio chart might be made out for this
glamorous production somewhat as fol-
| lows.
Straus score 80 per cent Eleanor
Painter, 20 per cen; ; James Barton. 25
per cent; sumptuous mounting. 10 per
cent. rest Of company. 5 per cent. : sum
total, the end Of perfect musical COM
edy IL doesn't matter so much whether
the Giants win the pennant now--one
has The Last Waltz" as means OF
drowning ones sorrows
scenes Laid In the Balkans.
The book and lyrics by Harold AT.
teridge and Edward Delaney Dunn. which
may or may not have run true to form
and run away from the Continental
original. is the least of it's worries. The
production is laid In one of those semi
mythical kingdoms-Vandalia or VAN
lila or some such name--in the Balkans.
where most things come to pass and even
a musical comedy seems plausible An
American naval lieutenant seemingly has
| no business in the country except to in
terfere when the Russian Regent, Prince
Paul, tries to force his unwelcome atten-
tions on the Countess Vera Lfsdpeta and
Is imprisoned with the prospect OF being
| tried by court-martial and shot in the
/ best Russian manner
| The rest Of the maneuverings of the
| handsome cast-it runs more good looks
to the square inch than any company
In town-relate to the efforts OF the
Countess and her faithful orderly. Mat
Mdtby, to save Lieut.. Merrinoton in the
best Dick Merriwell de luxe fashion, and
his earnest but boneheaded refusal to be
saved because he fears his honor will
be shredded somehow. Mixed up with
this Is the conviction of the lieutenant
that he must dance at the ball--natu-
/ rally there Is ball--to show that Amer
lean sailors, as he explains with both
| fists pounding the air, "can not only
sail. fight and swear, but also dance"
In the next musical comedy dealing with
the war 1t will probably be explained
how necessary 1t Is for Col Somebody to
play the slide trombone in order to save
the day at Chateau Thierry.
Miss Painters Success.
4 This gives scope for him to dance Sc
ductively with the Countess at the grand
ball in a magnificent room in which Wat
son Barratt, who designed the settings.
had chance to get In his fine work and
put the historic Field of the Cloth of
Gold" to shame.
And Miss Painter rises 70 her peak
along with the scenery. She is alluring.
with the best voice on the musical COM
edy stage. some OF the best looks and
acting ability, and altogether with a
personality that makes her the ideal
prima donna at rough estimate.
At first she was nervous showing Ii
by dropping things and by singing a
little huskily. but presently her voice
rose to its unforced sweet timbre. and
sho poured out The Last Waltz" and
Fading Golden Love Dream" two Of
the most fetching numbers. as though
nothing could stop her. She sang of
how her lover had escaped on the train,
and as this production followed "In the
Night Watch" 1t was but natural that
on the majestic back drop the audience
should be treated to a mechanical effect
OF a train moving at what passes for full
speed In the Balkans.
| I'm his lissome eccentric dancing, his
singing and his ability to deliver dia-
logue James Barton stamped himself
as one of the leading Ave musical
comedians, far removed from his bur-
iesque days and with power TO make
even prohibition Jokes amusing. Miss
Florence Morrison rose above the name
of Countess Aferdndrownn CoTpuliusky
rose mountainously. Walter Woolf
| held his baritoning well under control
as the Lieutenant and always did justice
to his uniform. Harry Fender. Harrison
Brockbank and the dancers. Giuran and
| Marguerite, were others who earned
their keep. Miss Eleanor Griffith sang
"A Baby in Love winsomely. but II
would seem that the positive furore she
created at Yale was due to her wearing
a blue gown.
As evidence of the vim that J. G.
Huffman and Frank Smithson have in
jected into the staging, Misses Beatrice
and Marcella Swanson were no longer
lifeless. as In THE Rose Girl" but
actually seemed TO take JOY in their
work And Strauss score Is 50 mel
lifuous go sure of It's musical detectives
and 30 haunting that the public will
probably seize sheet copies that are sold
In the lobby. For their 200th production
the Shuberts have reached the 20Oth de-
gree of musical comedy, or twice boiling
point.