STORY OF THE PLAY
The new musical play which Mr. Hicks has concocted with the assistance of Mr. Herbert E. Haines, has a suggestion of farce of the "Pink Dominoes" days, with one touch of sentiment which makes quite an effective appeal to the more unsophisticated section of the audience.
The story of these pieces matters so very little that it is scarcely worth the telling. What there is of it in "My Darling" may be told in a few words. Sir Henry Heldon is the owner of a newspaper, called the "Daily Butterfly," and Sir Henry is a gay old gentleman with a love of adventure. His wife also has a romantic turn of mind, and as each steals from home to take part in certain festive functions in Paris we have the beginnings of an amusing imbroglio. Then there is the tenor singer who dines too well, and in consequence is unable to appear at the opera, his place being taken by a well-meaning friend, whose debut leads to results not altogether pleasing or satisfactory to the management.
A love story must find its way into the plot as a matter of course, and so pretty Joy Blossom, fresh from her convent life, is affianced to the Hon. Jack Hylton, who would be perfectly happy but for the fact that a certain notorious lady, a popular favourite at the Folies Bergeres, is in possession of a number of compromising letters, which she does not intend to surrender except at a heavy price. It is these letters which bring about the little pathetic episode to which we have referred. Joy, fresh and innocent, pleads to the demi-mondaine and offers untold gold, and the blase woman of the world gives them to her for the sake of a pure kiss from the girl who knows nothing of the life led by the smart section of Parisian society.
The story would not carry the piece far on the road to success, but the incidental numbers and the "business" make ample amends. Every device that can appeal to the eye is employed; there are beautiful scenery, gorgeous costumes, pretty faces, shapely figures, and taking musical numbers, and with the assistance of these "My Darling" goes merrily on her way, and fully satisfies the requirements of those in front.
Miss Marie Studholme more than justified the title which had been given the piece. She was daintiness itself, and she sang her songs with a charm that was quite irresistible. Mr. Henry A. Lytton, whose absence from the Savoy is unexplainable, brings his finished art to bear on the part of the lover, and the tenor, whose non-appearance at the opera was so productive of mischief had an admirable representative in Mr. Armand Kalisz, a singer and an actor who will prove a formidable rival to Mr. Maurice Farkoa.
Mr. J. F. McArdle is a comedian who made a reputation for himself in "The Girl Behind the Counter," and his worth being recognised he finds himself in possession of a part which gives him an excellent opportunity for displaying his esspecial bent. Miss Beryll Faber is an accomplished actress and it is not often that one sees a really accomplished actress in musical comedy, and she gives a vast amount of dramatic significance to the role of Sylvaine, the Folies Bergeres artiste. Miss Barbara Deane sang the vocal numbers entrusted to her with admirable art, indeed she is one of the best of our lyric artists.
The bulk of the music is by Mr. Herbert E. Haines, and he has lost no chance of introducing bright and attractive melodies. The lyrics are from the practised pen of Mr. Charles H. Taylor, and Mr. Seymour Hicks is responsible for the production, which, it may be tersely said, was as good as Mr. Hicks could possibly make it; that means, it could not be better.
"THE GLOWWORM"
In the wilds of Ep-ping For-est, once a lit-tle glow-worm glowed,
And he want-ed to see Lon-don, but he did-n't know the road;
So he asked a friend-ly Bun-ny, who said "Right a-head! but note.
My fa-ther went there once, and some one stole his o-ver coat."
And to Par-lia-ment he went, and from the Strang-ers' Gal-le-ry.
He strained his lit-tle eyes, for there were lots of things to see.
The Mem-bers sat be-neath in rows; and some of them were boys.
And sev-'ral of the rest had on, cloth caps and cor-du-roys.
Up-on the Thames Em-bank-ment, next the glow-worm cast an eye.
He stopped and watched the steam-boats, and the trams go roll-ing by.
And he no-ticed with as-ton-ish-ment, that ev-'ry one that passed.
Had al-ways few-er pas-sen-gers, on board it than the last.
SCENES FROM THE PLAY
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