Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-04
.CHU CHIN CHOW FAIRLY
STARTLES IN BR|LL|ANCY
Oriental Scenes Portrayed
Perfectly by Capable Ac-
tors at the Academy

1t Is hard to believe that ouo n,,
could have n run OF five vc.r. !,
wy nut mats just what tho London
company of Chu Chin Chow did And
when an American productIop MAS
formed three years ago its pheno,n-
eha' popularity WAS transferred In
.miS Sioe or the water. Chu Chin
ono" came TO Richmond last night
'or weeks stay. and by tho size
ana enthusiasm Of tho opcninr-nIyht
crowd 1t could stay hero for a much
longer time than that
inc advance notices emphattcalf,,
insisted that Chu would be presented
exactly rs in New York, down 10 tho
ia"t Spangle," and II was Tbny
didn't Say the New York cast yo,,
notice, and those players wore All.
sent But the present company is
moro ,han able To give tho piece In
IN" manner intended and not only
compares faVorably with tho original
p'hycrs. but in one or two cases I,
even better cast To onc WIN ,,.,,,
Gnu chm Chow In New York scvcn
times IL came AZ n surprise that n
'ouid be taken on the road without
'h'heeS ana without losing through
"iS'rchccS In the east or by "a smaller
stage However. IL is so nearly like
IN" metropolitan presentation that
one can tfuthfully Say IL "a az good
Ana when one sccs IL for tho eighth
time one ought TO be able To make
comparisons
chm chin Chow is a gorgeous rnus,
cal extravaganza of the Orient so
coloffui ana lavish in it's many sccnc.;
anu rainbow colOrs as To inspirc only
Il string OF supcriativc :idJcctivcs II
~ 'hc story from the Thousand
ana One Nights OF Ala Iiaba and IN.
Forty Thieves clcvcrly added 10 and
woven together with ripping melo-
GIGS and dances OF the orient. There
ar" SO many scenes that ones head
ihirly whirlF. each ono Socm!ngly
more beautiful than the last Cor
tainly the road seldom has tho on
portunity to SO" such beauty Az is TO
be found in Chu Chin Chow
The costumes have evidently been
replaced from time to time for.
though they are the original models.
no three years run could leave them
the least bit fresh. while thcrc are
as rorG""u6 as ever. Tho scenery
has not sumcrcd--thcrc ar. no make
shirts OF road presentation at all
Henry Iatimor has tho role OF Gnu
chin Chow. or Abu IiaHan. az no
really is Tho Florence Reed part.
that OF Iahrat- Al Kulub. the slave. is
srlond'dly taken by Virginia Howell.
who iA 80 excellent az Ia" icry desert
woman as tn make on. forget all
about tho wonderful Miss Reed That
is quite :, feat. for Il Ia hard enough
to follow In Il role made famous hv
another without vaiuly Initiating.
Miss Howell has the fire. and viror
necessary for this role and has plenty
~ indivihuaiity enjoyed her FOR
her own snk"--shc was rplcndId
All liaha is tn" irrcrrcSsinlc vine
bihhcr. and supplies some very real
numor. aided aud abe,tcd 10y Al
duilah. Eugene Cowles. Joan Rem
vile, John Jcndr!ck and Adcla lido
Mcsmcr distinguished themselves In
III" many lovely songs sprinklcd
lavishly throughout the piece. but
then almost everyone o.! the ire
rn"ndous cast Is letter perfect In their
different parts, which makes il hard
TO pick the hctit. The ballet is quite
in evidence. especially as the wild
girls Of the desert. and Viola Bclasco
is 1.-the and Oriental in her several
dances.
Gnu Chin Chow Is tho most salts
Tying thing imaginable. IL hae beauty,
romance. humor music and the dance
all in just the right amounts. They
are generous with IL ali. FOR the show
starts at s o'clock and ends after II,
but We love every minute Of IL and
many VIII want to go again. II is n
chance that should not he missed. for
ChU chin elbows do not happen very
often. and almost never outside oc
New York or Chicago. So don't miss
Chu-for three hours you will 1.-Two
In the land OF adventure and romance.
ID III O.