The Theater: New Musical in Manhattan, Oct. 8, 1945

Carib Song (book & lyrics by William Archibald; music by Baldwin Bergersen; produced by George Stanton) is an all-Negro folk-fandango laid in the West Indies. A “musical play,” Carib Song unfolds a triangle story so lethargic and sedate that it virtually libels the reputation of the tropics. The love story, moreover, is pretty much buried in native dialect (e.g., “I ain’t know”) and local customs, ranging from God-fearing church-going to god-fearing voodoo. All this is now & again picturesque but never dramatic. Carib Song owes its best moments to the dancing of Katherine Dunham—the show’s choreographer as well as star.