The New York herald., 1921-05-10

"Phoebe of Quality Street." which Lee
and j. j. Shubert put IN motion at the
Shubert Theatre last night. follows the
current formula for a successful musical
comedy. even to having sextet. II
has catchy music with considerable dash
10 1t, red cotted British officers with
even more sash to them. ball with
pretty girls flirting. cute children.
heroine with curls that are still more
cute and an Irish comedian who falls
down on a. collapsible chair. After that
the rest is easy.
And. of course. still following the
standard which appears to be set by so
many musical shows. 1t has book that
has been cut to the bona 1t may seem
unusual to bring the charge OF being
mercy staid against work OF Sir
James NJ. Barrie, for this piece IS his
comedy. Quality Street." orchestrated.
In the determined search of producers
for material for musical comedies
George Bernard Shaw or may be Eurip-
ides seems next in line.
The process of adapting pursued by
Edward Delaney Dunn seems to have
heen carefully To exercise most Of Bar
ries delicate hurlor-for that merely
made hit ten years ago--and improve
It with some modern verbal jazz. appar-
entity on the assumption that you can
not make a good operetta out Of finely
sparkling dialogue merely by waving
baton. So he has added an up-to-date
joke about a man acquiring experience
for the Napoeonic wars by being half
shot" And he has allowed his comic
Irish sergeant an opportunity to fiatten
out a chair with a plump damsel, which
helps Barrie considerably.
But Ii would take a very smart man
TO suppress the innate appeal and ro-
nance of Barrie play. In one way this
version, condensed into prologue and
two acts. has distinct advantage
much Of the sentlmentality surrounding
the pathetic figure OF the young woman
who had to teach a children's school
when her lover failed TO declare himself
& nd enlisted in the Napoleonic wars. has
been pruncd down to the point where
the average spectator no longer feels
some one is about to kiss him in public.
The result Is a simple but fragrant
love story that would be much more
winsome II Miss Dorothy Ward, the
English actress who plays Phoebe of the
ringlets. didn't work so hard to project
her personality into the spectators
faces She appears to have learned that
Barrie women are replete with charm,
and she scarcely gives hers moments
rest. At the ball, when she masquerades
as her own sprightly niece in order to
win back the regard OF her returned
sweetheart, who has found her too mega
tive after Ave years, her work did not
suggest the brilliant variety OF Miss
Maude Adams In the original role and
she became hoydenish to the point OF
being almost giddy.
with a voice that II only fair she has
face that Is far more than fair, and
IL is to be hoped that an actress OF such
strikingly handsome appearance and
much real effectiveness can be Induced
by the musical conductor or somebody
to adopt more OF a piani9simo. Her
hair Ia Of a remarkable auburn, and so
far as appearance goes, Bouguereau
couldn't have wanted a better model.
Shaun Glenville, another Importation
specially made for this production, puts
considerable vitality in the proceedings
as Sergt O'Toole, mainly by comic busi-
ness, and has a scene with one OF the
school children whom he attempts TO en-
tighten about George Washington that
every newly nedged father--and even an
old stager with six youngsters-can
enjoy.
Warren Proctor sings nassably as the
timid lover, and Gertrude Nudge circu-
lates about the stage freely. while every
one else seemed 10 concentrate on wear
Ing wigs In preference 70 their own hair.
The big pull Of the production is In the
music by Walter Kollo. which has that
v!ennese swing that sweeps over one Ike
a cooling ocean breeze. Aside from cos
tunes and settings that were sometimes
OF 100 candlepower IN their effulgence,
It Is the robustly tuneful melodies that
will draw the crowds 70 this house ana
send them swaying on their way.