Putnam patriot., 1929-11-21

nothing, certainly to the old-timers, was as gratifying as the reappear- anee of delightful Fritzi Schef in her famous triumph of a quarter of a century past, the Victor Herbert oper atta. Mile. Modiste.r This happy oc- sasion took place six or seven weeks ago at the Jolson Theatre, where un- der the banner of the brothers Shub- srt. Victor Herbert's famous hits are being displayed at fortnightly inter vals. The season opened with one of 4he late composers minor successes Then there flashed on the billboards inc announcement of the return of ssMlle. Modiste" with Madame Scheff ;n the title role. Great was the spe- r1Iation thereof. When the opening night arrived the big theatre was damned from the doors to the top- most gallery. In the audience were critics quite ready to say of Madame Scheff as they did year CT so ago of Mrs. Patrick Campbell, that the time had come for her ''to retire to the country and read her scrapbook. :" There were others who came to hear one of the most delightful of all of the Herbert scores. There were newcom- CTS of the postwar period of revues and musical comedies. prepared to be bored with a musical form that they regarded quite as antiquated as the oratorio is to concert music.
 And What Was The Result7
 It was one of the memorable tri- umphs of the American theatre. First of all, the revival was not in the least like So many revivals, shoddy, ill-rehearsed, badly trained and sketehily drilled. On the contrary 8 company of excellent singers and actresses sang, danced and acted 2 a score and book that musically was as lovely as of yore and fl the story seemed bit naive here and there and if the machinery creaked in the man ner of the early century theatre, then at least the producers did not make the mistake of resorting to what might have been unfortunate and deseerating innovation.
 But best of all was Madame Schetf. The years had treated her most kindly. The lovely lifting voice was not the voice of the Metropolitan 8 most thrilling Bird" in "Siegfried,' nor was the sauciness and youth of the same opera company's best "Musetta" ali that 1t was in the early nineteen hundreds but Madame Seheff still sang the score with de- lightful ease and if she placed q bit of restrained dignity where in olden times she had resorted to saueiness, then her common sense won the respect of her audience, The hour glass" figure has gone with the long skirted costumes of the early pro duetion, but Fritzi Schetf remains with her charm, her excellent acting, her lovely voice and her famous Kiss Me Again."
 And so it was that the first night audience roared and shouted with de- light, tossed flowers at the returned favorite. made her make TWO curtain speeches and only left the theatre when the lights went out.
 Other Theatre Activities
 Windham County is always inter- ested in the activities of Vinton Freedley of Pomfret of the firm of Aarons & Freedley, owners of the Al win Theatre and lessees of the Broadhurst. Last season Mir. treedley and his partner produced a meet un- fortunate affair entitled Treasure Carl" and starring Miss Gertrude Lawrence, aw on view at the Empire an a strailAs comedy called By Candlelight. The show in the pari- ance of the theatre was flop. But undeterred tho two young managers produced Hold Everything which ran through the summer and Is now enjoying an era of prosperity in Chicago. Then the spring and mila success in another musical play cat ed Spring is Here" But only last week. Messrs. Aarons X Freedley dld 1t again and this time in the face of a season replete with excellent musi- cal productions. Almost m the same week as the almost overwhelm- ingly successful Bitter Sweet of which we shall say more later, the veung men produced Heads Up whose book has it's local in our own New London. The critics to man at once placed "Heads Up" near the top of the list and there in their opinion, lt is likely to stay for many months
 Of "Ritter Sweet little can be said except that from the box office comes the report that 1t is breaking all theatrical records of the season to date. Noel Coward, by turns compos- CT and high-powered dramatist, has in his so-ealled "operette written here a tender story which reaches hack into the late eighteen hundreds. MT Coward in this case is his own composer. librettist and lyricist- He IS everything to the show excepting the star and concerning Miss Evelyn Lave in the leading role, every critic in town lost his head in his shouts oi isv Seldom have superlatlve adJec- tiyes been scattered so prodlgaliy ever the dramatic pages of the daliles as they were the morning and alter noon following Miss Laye's hrst ap- pearance.
 We went. the other night, to .s see the outstanding comedy mt or thg {, season. Strictly Dishonoraoie, which is .rowding the Avon Theatre 10 the doors. We had had an excel, lent dinner. We were with deiightiui friends. We were prepared Tor swell evening at the Play. We cannot aav that we were bored. We cannot ~ay that we were not amused but .o as "Strictly Dishonorable' did not py