The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-13

But whether it will get by long enough to pay off is another thing. The show is in the higher Broad- way bracket, around $200 900, and if there has been @ more beautiful one as to costumes and decor in recent seasons I do not recall it. You can practically see where the money went. The sets and lighting are by J. Mielzinez recently out of the Army where he was amajor engaged in camouflage work, and the gorgeous costumes are the creations of Raoul Pene Dubois.
 Mayer has done fairly faithful paraphrase of his original work in providing the book for this show. That first artisan, duellist and lover of Florence, Benvenuto Gel lina, is the hero and the role is well sung by Earl Wrightson, playing his first leading role in new Broad way show. He was in a revival last summer. That Wrightson@s in need of more acting experience is ob- vious and nothing to be surprised at.
 41l10 NOOHCI 10 611AOb1ACA oOA OA egg. He can't sing but he can act. He has timing that would make an observatory clock snap a main- spring for envy and a properly lumpy countenance to put him in the comic mould. Cooper has the role of Duke Alessandro the Wise, ruler of Florence, who has an iron Willed Duchess, a yen for the girls and 8 capriciouS mind that always leaves him uncertain whether he has hanged or pardoned the brawl- ing Cellini. Cooper is delight.
 The role of Angela. the pretty model of Cellini, is played engage ingly and in good voice by 8 new conner to Broadway, Beverly Tyler. She is very young and has more than her share of good looks. With more experience she should be one of the best.
 One of the unfortunate things about the show is the work of Lotte Lenya as the Duchess. She is the wife of Composer Weill. She is woe- fully deficient both as actress and singer in surefire role and it hurts the production.
 Jean Guelis, young French refugee, is outstanding for his bal let work, dancing with Norma Gentner, who also is good. Guellis' exciting stuff tied the show up in knots twice on opening night.
 Now for the score. AS far as I am concerned it is one of Weill'S best. You may never hear any of the songs on The Hit Parade, but some of them will find their way into that honorable library of show tunes that are played and sung year after year. Outstanding is "Sing Me Not a Ballad" and some of the others are: There Was Life, There Was Love, There Was Laugh ter" You're Far Too Near Me-" T Know There's Cozy Nook" and 'The Little Naked Boy" The lyrics are by Ira Gershwin and they will do, although GershwinS record shows more felicitous results on other occasions. He seems to strain in this.
 1.-THE BARRETTS OF VIM POLE STREET" wears well. This famous play of the late Rudolf Reiser about the romance of poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning which Katherine Cornell has made her own is now being presented by the actress-manager on Broadway for the third time in little more than IA years.
 Miss Cornell again is a brilliant Elizabeth and while the cast as 8 whole may not be of quite the same quality as that original one back in February, 1881, it is a good workmanlike aggregation for the most part. Brian Aherne again has the role of Browning, playing him bit too famboyantly now perhaps, and the wonderful Brenda Probes is, as ever, the maid, Wilson. These three are the only ones from the original production. Most of the others, including Mackay Morris, Betty Brewer, Roger Stearns and Flush, Miss Barrett's dog, were in the cast that played 140 perfor- mances in Italy and France for the troops, late last year and early this year.
 'The Barretts" reamains one of those things that's not to be missed whether you've never seen 1t or have seen if A dozen times.