“LADY, BE GOOD!”

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 84, 3 January 1930, Page 6

“LADY, BE GOOD!”

MUSICAL COMEDY AT HIS

MAJESTY’S

“Lady, Be Good,” a musical comedy by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson; lyrics by Ira Gershwin; music by George Gershwin. Cast: —

Dick Trevor Fred Webber ludy Trevor Catherine Stewart Jack Robinson Charles Perrin Josephine Vauderwater .... Aster Fairc Daisy Parke a Vera St. John Bertie Bassett Ernest Arnley J. Waterson Watkins .... Freddie Forbes Shirley Vernon Betty Lambert Jeff White Victor Arnley Manuel Estrada Jack Phillips Rufus Parke Cliff O'Keefe

Jlfiisical comedy at popular revue prices is proving to be no end of a draw at His Majesty’s Theatre. The new company introduced by the Fuller management is headed by that snappy, Volatile and dressy English comedian, Mr. Freddie Forbes, who not only plays the. leading comedy role in a riotously comic manner. but personally produces each of the musical comedies in the company’s extensive repertoire. The first change of bill for the season, presented to a very large holiday house last evening, was a bright and coloursome revival of the American comedy, “Lady, Be Good,” a title that means nothing, and tor that reason is just as good as any other, as it pretends to be nothing more than the most arrant nonsense set to a score oi music by George Gershwin, a composer of talent, who has the ability to unbend to the popular clamour for melody, and yet can be as “futuristic” as any of the ‘‘advanced moderns” when the urge is upon him. .... . • “Lady, Be Good,” is a pot-pourri of musical comedy opportunities, rather than a coherent story. Ali we are permitted to know is that one Jack Robinson—presumably the one as soon as you could say—the heir to a magnificent estate, has disappeared into the wilds ot Mexico from whence his death has been reported to J. W. Watkins, a crooked lawyer of the London “Johnny type, Rufus Park, the trustee, and sundry other folk. It is also reported that Jack has been smart enough to marry in Mexico, and leave a young widow in sorrow and tears, but she, alas, cannot travel East to claim the family fortune as she is detained in “Canto Canto” (Mexican for Sing Sing) for accidentally chewing up a gringo’s ear. In this predicament Watkins is unable to deliver to Mexican Pete (the widow’s greasy brother) the money he is seeking, but in order that theMexicano ladv shall not prove he arranges with the lively Judy Trevor to personate her, and so claim the money. But the ruse does not work, for Jack Robinson himself turns up to say that he was never mafried in Mexico or elsewhere, and as he is in love with Judy, all is well. This lets Watkins out also, but not until he has almost prevented a honeym'oon by becoming handicapped to a prospective bridegroom. Mr. Forbes is the life and soul of the performance as the fluent Watkins, who lies himself through life, and, when luck favours his wrongdoing, declares that he always did believe in fairy tales. He was concerned lu such captivating numbers as “Teach Me How to Love,” “Oh, Lady be Good,” “Stuck,” and was very funny in his scenes witli Miss Catherine Stewart and Mr. Ernest Arnley. Miss Stewart as Judy shared the honours in nonsensical comedy, with Mr. Forbes, showing a ripe talent. for ’ the broadest burlesque through a winsome persoualAston Fairo sang sweetly as Josephine Vandermater, and Miss Betty Lambert was capitally suited as Shirley Vernon, who has a love affair with Dick Trevor, a role rather mechanically played by Mr. Fred Webber. Mr. Jack Phillips was Manuel Ostrada and Mr. . Clill: O’Keefe was Rufus Park. Mr. Ernest Ariilev was humorous as Bertie Bassett, and incidentally the eccentric dance of the Arnley brothers was unusually arresting. Once more the vocal feature of the bill was tho harmonised singing of the Big . Four, a talented male quartet, of whom the auilience could not get enough. Iney ragged “Oh, Lady be Good,” sang The Garden of Mv Heart,” and went riotously Irish in “Muldoon’s Christening. tlie musical comedy will be played for the ensuing, week,lt is well worth the money.