The Washington times., 1922-09-10
With Alan Dale
At N. Y.TheaterS
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way every night when some popu.
lar voice Is announced.
You may think-and some do
that people only like good voices
when they are heard In a foreign
language-Italian, French or Ger
man. But there has been many a
rumor to the effect that a wonder.
ful singing voice may possibly be
tolerated In English. don't know
how true this sensational rumor
may be. Perhaps It Is merely
false report, due to some ubiquitous
press agent. Some really wonder
full artists have sung in English.
II is not at all the correct thing
to admire them. A language that
can produce such poetic gem as
-er-"Hot Lips" cannot hope to
be popular with the disciples OF
genuine music. No. you do not say
to. your neighbor at dinner that
you have enjoyed the singing of
an English singing artist. Italian
yes. French-yes. ] wonder
how Hot Lips" would sound in
French. I suppose that they'd call
II "Levres Chaudes."
Go I modestly suggest as a SEN
sational novelty somebody who
can sing without giving you
toothache or making your eyes
water. There was somebody in
George Whites "Scandals"-I
won't mention names-who made
my eyes water every time she sang.
She sang like a jelly that wouldn't
jell. Her voice wobbled in the
breeze. and you longed to put
paperweight on It and make 1t
keep steady. Honestly. a tremolo
makes me shudder. i can't under
stand why people don't iron their
voices out and get them smooth
and eliminate all the wrinkles.
They are so particular about wrin-
kles on their faces. What about
those that disfigure the voice?
What the musical show needs
and needs badly and intensely Is a
few voices that one can enthuse
over. The effect of good voices Is
wen known. 1t Is quite irresistible.
One can't quite explain the won
derful hold that good singing has
upon an audience. Fireworks?
II you like. I am not at all par
tial to fireworks. I am not en-
thusiastic about a voice that Is
mediocre and uninteresting until
the final bars. when It shrieks out
a few blatant notes and brings
down the house. I'd omit the few
high notes and pin my faith to
the less sensational low ones. But
I'm not a music critic--thank good
nessi / know a good voice when I
hear one, and all the music criti-
cism In the world couldn't make
me believe that the voice that
gets" me isn't a good voice whilst
the wobbly. jelly-like equipment
that loathe Is q good voice. Oh.
no.
THE producers Of musical shows
seem to know pretty faces
when they see them, and they
"glorify the American girl" by TAX
ing her clothes off and revealing
her wonderful curves. But what
about glorifying the American
voice, which all musical experts
will tell you is a beautiful voice?
What about II? The owner Of the
glorifiable voice may not be strict
" beautiful, and may be incompe-
tent to pose for 'the perfect WON.
an" but IL she can sing-and when
say sing I don't mean bleat, or
chirrup. or gargle-she will elec-
trify you as no mere leg could pos
sibly do. I firmly believe-though
for goodness sake don't quote me.
please-oh, I beseech you, don't
quote me-remember, refuse to
be quoted, as don't want to get
in bad, or badder-that a legless
girl who could sing would be
cherished and loved even in one OF
the revues that make a speciality
Of legs. You see, she'd be such
complete novelty. Oh, don't mis-
take me. I love a leg. but for a
change I'd like a voice, one that
could be heard without watering
/ eyes-one Of those limpid, velvety.
exquisitely modulated voices that
all the world-except perhaps the
patrons of the musical show
adores. often wonder why a
musical show is called musical.
l--A l,,Ax, a.