New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-10-16
Cszrsst Offerings
On Stage Reviewed
PRODUCING CO., INC.
present
"NOBoDY's GIRL"
(1y the Herald Rsyiewerl

Butter ueOESt
(ay the Herald Rsvieverl
An ornate, pretentious operetta
modestly billed as = musical ro-
nance 70 thick with stars that they
trod on each others toes was pre-
scented ut Parsons thea.er. Hartford.
last evening under the title NO
body's Girl" 1t has beauty. SPLEEN
dor. fascinating music, q splendid
male and female ensemble-every-
thing That an entertainment of its
type shoutA have-but it lacks the
great ESSENTIAL punch.
The names in the cast start off
like the who's Who" OF the musical
comedy field. There is Ilse Marvenga
the "Kathie" OF the original New
York company playing the student
Prince" then there is Roy Chopper,
who played the role of Prince Karl
in the same production: add Joe
Mende!son, who played. and sang in
the role OF franz Schubert in
blossom Time;" stir In Tom Nor
gan and Eveiyl Darville, put them
on the same stage and you have an
aggregation lof principals worth
herring. Give them. for support, a
large ensemble Of trained singers,
attractive setting. plot that pro-
vides an interesting although inn
probable story, few songs that hit
you in the ear and the mind and the
heart and you should have the big
gest hit in years. For the time be-
ing its progress toward the ranks
of the big hits-they call them
smash ,s'' in New York where hit"
is altogether too mild-is retarded
by the fact. as mentioned previously.
that it lacks punch. A show, like
man or woman. either has 'it''
or hasn't ut" Just what lit" Is
isn't known. Before many weeks,
| play doctors should be able to de-
termine what Is lacking. When they
| find that and add II to the play.
watch 1t burn up the world Of the
stage.
"Nobody's Girl is the daughter
Of a Czechoslovlkia municipal Off
cial who has disappeared under the
cloud of suspected embezzlement.
Her mother has social aspirations
and tries to marry her to dessicat-
ed old roue with a title but no
morals. Her father reappears and.
with the assistance OF several friends
hides her away for three months.
Now 1t Seems that Johnnie Grow.
an American boy, who crawled into
German airplAne at Mineola, l.. l.,
to see what made the wheels go
round. accidentally turned on the ig-
milton and flew to Czechoslovakia.
He knew the girls father in America
and, like all Yankees in musical
comedies. is ready and anxious to
defy all the laws of Czechoslovakia.
just a. he deRed the law of gravita-
ton. to rescue the maiden in dis
tress. Which he succeeds in doing
with Yankee perspicacity and dis
patch. "Nobody's Girl falls in love
with Roy Elvon, an art student and
their romance forms another inter-
esting thread of the story. The play
has ono Of those happy endinss.
Songs which are remembered in
clude when Love is Near" "1nsa
Little While" wishing Song" and
This Is My Dance" The male
chorus excels in q drinking song in
the second act In which the volume
and harmony are quite the equal Of
anything heard in these parts for
several years. The girls Of the en-
semble have excellent voices; 1t Is
obvious that they were chosen for
their talent.
The score was written by William
Ortman. who has personal direction
OF the orchestra; the book is by
John f. Young, and the lyrics by
Gus Kahn and Ray Egan. The mu-
steal numbers are staged by Bushby
Bergeley. The show is produced
under the direction of John A. Reed.
"Nobody's Girl" il booked for the
] first half Of the week. with a mat
inee on Wednesday.