The Play
Skinner, R. Dana
August i 1, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 349 THE...
...The other is just plainly vulgar...
...But she does bemoan her poverty to such lish reviews and translated them into American idiom...
...seems to have succeeded notably in selecting numbers that fairly Robert Amory is the lawyer-poor because honest...
...She creates his orchestrations'-if for no other reason than the lack of no illusion of character...
...Follows a self, we might as well go on to a sincere appreciation of the third degree scene, the unexpected clearing of both Amory and good things he has done...
...More's the pity...
...August i 1, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 349 THE PLAY By R. DANA SKINNER Americana vast amount to do with the pleasure one gets from the Americana music...
...And Ruskin Golding, might have been a good play-that is, its certainly no one sketch can be held responsible for the success theme offered excellent opportunities for indicating what a or failure of the review as a whole...
...Waldron's of careful selection stands out victoriously...
...One hinges with astonishing with the audience which gives the informal review its special frankness on perversions...
...There is generally very little continuity...
...One sketch tainly illuminate a heavily overcast sky...
...Pyramids, by Samuel has practically no connection with any of the others...
...Roy Atwell and Lew Brice .(brother of the illustrious Neither has a place in this or any other show...
...His sparkle with wit, satire, and enlivening brevity...
...Hans Spialek deserves a special word for extent that she never gets byond acting a part...
...nearly eleven-thirty o'clock-it is quite impossible to recommend Americana, the book and lyrics of which have been Pyramids written by J. P. McEvoy, much as its general features deserve I F the old saw-"rain before seven, shine by eleven"-holds it...
...Four composers king, in the modern Hamlet, was one of the few very strikhave contributed to it, chief among them being Con Conrad and ing performances of the last season...
...In fact, the whole play is quite satirical effect is worth a chapter of praise...
...R ICHARD HERNDON has succeeded at one and the same time in producing the most interesting and lively The principals, as well as the little specialty chorus, in summer review of many seasons and in including in its other- Americana have achieved something quite noteworthy...
...Then why, in all seriousness, has he This mild awakening does not deter her, however, from injected the other material which-in contrast--sinks even selling herself to Van Cott on the promise that he will get lower than the notorious filth of this year's Broadway shows...
...It has a will repeat sadly, "Adieu, Roxanne 1...
...Until they Fanny) carry the heaviest burden, but one Charles Butterworth are removed-an easy process in a review that lasts until and a solemn individual named Tom Burton share it eagerly...
...paper notices, and also the benefit of two well-known artists, In the music, perhaps more than anywhere else...
...Amory escapes from prison and is As no one can answer this question but Mr...
...The mostage settings of the production, and what he has accomplished tives are all curiously naive, and the situations just as curiously in economy of material and design and in the heightening of sophisticated and unlikely...
...All of it is tuneful, brisk and individual, She does not even take advantage of the few good opportuniand excellently played by a small orchestra under the direction ties presented...
...Miss McComas fares less well...
...though quite unoriginal statements, and a seemingly endless Herndon's taste runs along these lines...
...This means that the restless and excessively foolish wife can do to blast the career insertion of objectionable numbers becomes a more or less of a storm-weary young lawyer...
...He has done wife, Joan, still loves him after many years of marriage and as well, if not better, than famous past editions of the Grand refuses to accept the attentions of Van Cott, a politician, rich Street Follies...
...Those who remember her in Cyrano recognition which expert scoring generally receives...
...But somewhere in the long deliberate matter-reflecting seriously upon the taste and good chain from idea to final production, the theme was converted sense of the producer...
...In fact, apparently admires his embezzlement-which Amory confesses one could go on indefinitely detailing the ways in which he to her quite frankly in the first act but is enough disturbed has brought new vitality and interest and delight to this form when it is discovered, to admit that she is really the one to of entertainment, not the least being the superlative freshness blame...
...the v suit Charles Waldron and Miss Carroll McComas...
...and Philip Charig...
...By an extent that Amory finally gambles in Wall Street with eliminating the conventional chorus and substituting a group money that does not belong to him, and makes a paper forof six specialty dancers, each with distinct personal ability, he tune, only to learn that his broker was a "bucketeer...
...good, we may look forward with some hope to the mid-day And it is a great pity...
...His the Broadway playmakers begin to see possibilities of "jazzing sets become a series of provoking cartoons, stimulating and alive, it up...
...He has captured the best elements of the Eng- because dishonest...
...Herndon him- present in a dark room when Van Cott is shot...
...John Held, Jr., has designed all the Joan, and a final reconciliation in which Joan seems vaguely to realize that she has only pyramided her mistakes...
...In the present instance there is no in- into a mere excuse for melodramatic hokum, a few startling, dication-other than the two numbers themselves-that Mr...
...On the contrary, he chain of confused motivations...
...delight...
...One and wise witty numbers two of the most objectionable sketches yet all, they establish from the first moment that pleasant rapport devised in this land of daring...
...The first streaks of light cerplastic...
...Joan has brought informality to its best professional point...
...The unnatural dialogue baffles her to such an of Gene Salzer...
...and quite as distinct a contribution to the evening as the music Strangely enough, this omelette received fairly good newsor Mr...
...As Van Cott in this play Henry Souvaine, with special numbers by George Gershwin he wastes considerable skill...
...McEvoy's book and lyrics...
...Reviews, by their very nature, are period of the dawning season...
...of the musical numbers...
...Most of his dean excellent example-because of its glaringly obvious exagsigns are frankly eccentric, with all that delicious topsygerations-of just what happens to an interesting idea when turvydom which gives metropolitan life its briny tang...
...Amory pardoned early...
Vol. 4 • August 1926 • No. 14
