"GOOD MORNING; DEARIE"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 65, 14 September 1925, Page 7

"GOOD MORNING; DEARIE"

SPARKLING MUSICAL COMEDY

'■'. Sparkling seems- the proper word to apply to "Good Morning, Dearie.V Like so many musical comedies of its 'class, the name merely serves for fil: ing purposes. The public, does not worry about the title—it did not at the first performance at the Grand Opera House on Saturday; but it certainly liked- .the : piece: Not only was the House full, but elated, forthere was plenty for ear to hear and eye. to''see. , Pretty girls, pretty clresses, pretty scenery, and that in r . definable psychic something affecting the great audience that anticipates success and satisfaction at the cutset of good- value for the money.

"Good JVlorning, Dearie/ fromtha music point of view, is light and unsubstantial where'it is not strenuous. lii: fact, some, of-'th'o-music is frivolous, designedly so, but taken by the excellent-, orchestra; and its conductor, and the principals and chorus as the most serious thing in the world—for the moment. Then there was the, staging of the comedy Svith its thousand and one details. Tteajly. a great task, but also taken seriously, as a whole, and in ■ the minutest part. Thorough is the word and implying, expenditure of . a lot of money as well "as an infinite amount of highly-skilled work in order to ensure , the ball-bearing smoothness with■ which "Good Morning, Dearie" ran on its initial' performance, here on Saturday nighti '

' The story is fashioned oiit of American cinema material—the' artificial silk of histrionics,' in" which workgirls, crooks,' chop-suey' 'specialists, policemen, and, detectives, ;andim-" mensely - rich. people' eking out. a boresome sybaritic existence' on such fare/as New York has to offer. Everything is studiously exaggerated, and separated from reallife as. far as it is possible to do it., Kich Billy Van' Cortlandt (Mr. George.Vollaire>.' 4 falls ■ desperately in love with poor ■... little Rose Marw ; (Miss■■. Josie Melville), follows her to her workroom, andi from there to "Hell's Bells "/dance; hall, .where ,he fells a '^crook rival to the floor, dominates a 1 rough liouso scene. French njatelots rush jto X to dance and take part in the nlelee. Billy and Hose 1' Marie are .united in the end, and prospective tinkling of wedding' bells are suggested.. 1 '. All this affords "excuse: for this; introduction of much' ringing, sold, arid'; choral, which is excellent.' Mr. •Vollairo has a. useful ;voico, and;' .he knows how', to act; moreover hoiy to speak and to wear-His; clothes. . Jtfiss Melville has.'a light but niost- pleasing voice of a. daintiness; in- dancing "suggestive, of an idyllic figure ,by Boucher or Fragoriard-Mme of the. scones was -named after -the latter. The/part of a conventional .vicious crook, handyi. with fists or gun, was excellently done by MX■'; George^ Orottyj. he had a. valuable, support' in Mr.'- Percy Le Pre..'' ;Mjt. George Oeo as a private "detective had several _rblos to play, Vand" one of them was'a Chinese of the loose blue trousers and pigtail .variety. He' was purveyor of mosfof the humour of the piece, and responsible for '87i':'pfer (cent; 6t ' the laughter. " Then there Was Miss Gladys Hermes,: a': talented little comedienne and'dancer,, with vyhom the house was wildly, dfelighted oil Saturday, and justifiably, too. Miss Jean Newcombe, as Mme.; Bom'pard, bead of an ultra-fashionable .costume shop, vyaß' ,funriy : in her alternating mutilations of French and; lapses' into bi'o'ad/Irish'brogue. /Other members of'the company, acquitted; themselves well

Tho costumes'in a..parade-.of man-nequins-wore a groat treat in them-' pelves,, and .evoked long-drawn "bh's!?':. and feminine admiration. The ballets were "cither quaint or pretty, and very neatly danced.; Solo dances were given by; Miss Melville end Aleo. Macpherson. - One of the moat artistic , scenes was that of a. gardeu' at night, in which- ;all i the ladies on .the" stage were in 'black and white. In fact,' "Good Morning, Dearie" is "worth going, to! see as a spectacle !^£. nothing more, and '■ as a: brilliant examplo of the art' of the producerr-rin this .case Mr..: Gteorge Highland. ; : It was said that '.; the music was strenuous. In parts it was very much so. In the "Hell's Sells"- dancei. hall the Jazz band : on the stage not /only played; but danced ; while rplaying... / It was a band gone ".inad—reicepting the tyinpanist-f—and it; forked; the audi&a.ca vp 1 into a frenzy of delight. ;-, AH' this will' be repeated at the performance of- "Good Morning, l)earie" this and succeeding even-.-Ulgß.'-V- ■•.-'.■. ':■;"' '•'■• \' r /\ •■■'.•