The Theater: New Monkeyshines in Manhattan

Laffing Room Only (book by Olsen & Johnson and Eugene Conrad; music & lyrics by Burton Lane; produced by the Messrs. Shubert and Olsen & Johnson), considering that its father was Sons o' Fun and its grandfather Hellzapoppin, is a little on the rational side. It has the family tic—love of firearms and mania for practical jokes; it casually flips a sausage in your lap, starts an uproar in the aisles, and sports a big, live brown bear. But either Laffing Room Only lacks the old lunacy, or the old lunacy lacks the lure it once had.

In any case, though dutifully...

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