The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-06
BLOOMER GIRL'
 OPENS IN N, Y,
New Musical Comedy Gets TOniest Crowd of Broad.
 way Season
By JACK oAvER

' ANfAAAN&NA
 New York, Oct, 6,--(up)-After looking into the bloomsr situation for Q couple Of hours I have come to the conclusion ,that the hoop skirt may have been . global nuls- ance but it certainly was Q darn sight prettler, When even Celeste Holm can't make Q bloomer outfit attractive, then you definitely re- allEe that Amelia Jonks bloomer lived in vain.
 This matter of baggy pants for women was brought to Broadway's attention last night, some 90 years after the original furore over the fad, by Q new musical comedy called bloomer girl" that brought out the toniest crowd of the season, The evening gown and dinner jacket are definitely back in the theater after pretty general neglect during three wartime seasons, The first-nighters were really sharp.
 The belated recognition rendered Mrs, Bloomer by the American the- ater is on the apocryphal side but that need not bother anyone. For purposes of the story Mrs, Bloomer is presented as the sister-in-law of Q wealthy manufacturer of hoop skirts who has five married daugh- terS and one single one, the latter tMiss Holm) being pro-bloomer, The girl falls In love with Q handsome visiting Kentukian whose runaway slave reaches the Bloomer station on the underground railway, The slavery issue sort of takes over things from the bloomer theme in the second act and after fragments of q performance of Uncle Toms Cabin" the Civil War gets started Just before the finale. Mrs. Bloom- CT triumphs over her brother. in-law when the government commissions her to make those baggy red briteh- es the zouaves wore and gives her the hoop skirt factory in which to make them.
 Miles White, and outstanding dc. signer for the theater, did the costumes for this show ard conse- quently he Is the man to talk to about bleomerS, He said he had fun But it wasn't an easy Job, All he had to 90 by were old prints; he couldn't find anyone with a bloomer outfit stuck away in the attic. His hloomers, ankle length and pelated ct top and bottom, are authentic reproductions for the most part but he said he had to tamper Q bit With the originals in the case Of Joan McCrOcken and e few others because they couldn't have danced in the genuine article, He used cotton and pique for the most part.
 The first-nighters found the pro. eeedines nightly to their liking even though tho show did not quite measure up to some of the eestatic out.of-town reports, They espe. eially liked the score of Harold Arlen, lyrics by D. Y. (Yip) Hap. burg, which included such tunes as "The Eagle and Me-" sung by Dooley Wilson, tho Negro who populariEed "As Times Goes By" in the movie "Casablanea," Sunday in Cicero Falls" and T Got Q song". The latter ,as sung by Richard Huey, is something of e wonderful thing and contains this eouplet that demands to Do recorded:
 ''T'he dawn comes up like Q cin.
 namon bun,
 You sink your teeth In the
 rising sun, ."
 Actress Margaret Douglas plays the role of Mrs. Bloomer, called Dolly" in the show. Matt Briggs Is the hoop skirt manufacturer.
 For Mss Holm, c toast of the town c year ago aS Ado Annie in 'Oklahomal" (which need not look to It's laurels on account of the new arrivaD, the show marked her first appearance in the so-oAlled prima donna role of 0 musical com. ody. Heretofore Q comedienne or q serious actress of fine talent she seemS to Do largely wasted in Q part that could have been done equally well by any of Q dozen good singers with Q fraction of her all-round ability.
 For the little MeCracken, c lovely gamin. the original "dirl Who Falls Down" in the "okiahomal" ballet, the show Is exactly what she needs, She branches out as Q singer and comic in Q juicy part and from now on it will Do Katy-Bar-the- Door as far as her career iS concerned. If she doesn't pull c bloomer,