▁the ater ' s ▁man agers , ▁Cl iff ▁Gordon ▁and ▁Robert ▁North , ▁decided ▁to ▁put ▁on ▁an ▁adaptation ▁of ▁The ▁Mer ry ▁Wh irl ▁for ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁The ▁show ▁had ▁been ▁on ▁the ▁road ▁for ▁several ▁months . ▁The ▁Broadway ▁version ▁had ▁" six teen ▁ch orus ▁girls , ▁eight ▁' pon ies ' ▁and ▁four ▁' show ' ▁girls , ▁also ▁six ▁ch orus ▁men ▁to ▁give ▁them ▁strength ." ▁All ▁wore ▁elaborate ▁cost umes . ▁Alexander ' s ▁R ag time ▁Band ▁by ▁Ir ving ▁Berlin , ▁s ung ▁by ▁James ▁C . ▁Mort on ▁and ▁Frank ▁F . ▁Moore , ▁was ▁the ▁hit ▁song ▁of ▁the ▁show . ▁ ▁Will ▁Rog ers ▁appeared ▁at ▁the ▁theatre , ▁performing ▁his ▁ro pe ▁tr icks . ▁Joe ▁E . ▁Brown , ▁a ▁com ed ian , ▁was ▁playing ▁in ▁the ▁Columbia ▁Theatre ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁sp otted ▁by ▁Henry ▁Cort ▁and ▁offered ▁a ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁successful ▁Broadway ▁show ▁List en , ▁L ester . ▁This ▁launched ▁Brown ' s ▁career ▁on ▁the ▁legit imate ▁stage . ▁Clark ▁and ▁McC ull ough , ▁former ▁v au dev ille ▁players , ▁opened ▁as ▁bur les que ▁stars ▁in ▁P uss ▁P uss ▁at ▁the ▁Columbia ▁on ▁ 9 ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁James ▁E . ▁Cooper ▁produced ▁Fol ly ▁Town , ▁a ▁bur les que ▁show ▁that ▁was ▁one