They Sing and Caper Gayly in the Black and White Roles of Topsy and Eva

  COLONIAL THEATRE—"Topsy and Eva," musical comedy, book by Catherine Chisholm Cushing, based on story of "Uncle Tom's Cabin": music by the Duncan Sisters. First time here. The cast:

  Rosetta and Vivian Duncan, erstwhile favorites of vaudeville and Fred Stone shows, came to the Colonial last evening as the black and white stars and pretty nearly the whole works of "Topsy and Eva," a musical comedy with a plot that is more or less intimately related to Harriet Beecher Stowe's immortal story of "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

  Credit for stringing the "Uncle Tom" episodes together has been given Catherine Chisholm Cushing, but it was the Duncan Sisters who gave them life and humor, and it was the clever Duncan pair who wrote all the music of the piece that was not appropriated from Foster and various less clearly identified composers. It may be recorded at once that last evening's audience expressed hearty enjoyment of everything in the performance with which the sisters in black and white were directly concerned.

  Every American has, of course, heard a lot about "Uncle Tom's Cabin" but it is unlikely that more than a small percentage of the present younger generation of theatregoers in the larger cities of the country have ever witnessed a performance of the play. Yet it is a fact that the play has been acted more than 200,000 times since Civil War days! There are a lot of small towns in America.

  Unfamiliarity with the original need occasion no hesitancy, however, in going to see "Topsy and Eva." The less you know about the real "Uncle Tom" the more you are likely to enjoy his present reflection in a musical setting. You won't regret that there is no ice for Liza to jump across while chased by angry bloodhounds, and you won't be surprised that Little Eva, the "heavenly child," does not die to the accompaniment of slow music and celestial visions.

  In a recent interview the adapter, after confessing that the writing of "Topsy and Eva" had taken her just four days, explained that "People don't die in musical plays. So I have invented an episode that will merely foreshadow her death and doesn't introduce tragedy. It doesn't really happen in the book, but it might have happened." True enough, so no more need be said about the plot of the present piece than that it contains a lot that might have happened in the original.

  Poor Uncle Tom could never have dreamed of such an entrancing vision of grace, agility and beauty as floated across the stage last evening in the lovely person of Harriet Hoctor, nor could he have imagined such precision in ensemble dancing as that displayed by the 10 London Palace "pickaninies," but that's no reason why we should not be happy in seeing them.

  Nor is there any reason why we should not laugh at the antics and "wisecracks" of the present Topsy merely because her coarse impertinence would not have been tolerated in an older day. Rosetta Duncan's Topsy is distinctly an up-to-date characterization. Her only resemblance to the original is found in the scantiness of her clothing and the blackness of her skin. But last night's audience fairly howled with glee over her reckless clowning and her extravagant make-up as a wild-eyed little imp of Satan.

  In sharp contrast was Vivian's angelic demureness as Eva. She looked like a big, golden-haired doll and ever delighted the audience as she wandered through the performance hand in hand with her "patent leather" Topsy, singing and dancing in well remembered ways. There was ample reason for the thunderous applause that rewarded their duets, for as "harmonized" singers these sisters surely are unique.

  The settings of Southern scenes were sufficiently illusive for travesty and while there was not much real "darkey atmosphere" the costumes of the ladies were charmingly faithful to the period. The music was always pleasing and there were several really delightful numbers.

  Nydia D'Arnell sang what may be called the prima donna role very agreeably, and as Uncle Tom Basil Ruysdael's mellow voice was heard with pleasure. The other members of the cast acquitted themselves creditably, especially the dancers, who were numerous and excellent.