The morning times., 1897-03-02
"Lost. strayed or stolen"

''Oh la, la. la-Ia-lar' That was our
friend Zou-ZOu's last resource when he
couldn't find words to express it. That
would doubtless have been his comment on
Lost, Strayed or Stolen,' the pith of
jollity ana riot OF lingerie which last
night rollicked about the Columbia stage.
1t was not written for criticism. but diver
sion, though it satisfies both. 1t is stim-
uIant for those who are bIase with the sport
OF life and indifferent from Sonhistication.
The new piece, ut least new TO Wash
ington, is credited to j +. Cheever Goodwin
and Woolson Morse, who freely adapted
il from the French The liberty taken
with the original is not notable, ex cept to
put their names to the present piece as
authors. They have simply freely"
translated E Grange and V. Bernard lie
Bapteme du Petit Oscar" conden sing
the last two acts into one, and providing
new songs. But the French piece pro-
yides plenty Of fun for a foundation, and
the lyrist, composers, artist, costumer and
actors have done the rest in a manner
wholly satisfactory to the indefinite de-
mand OF the musical comedy.
There is one scene in Lost, Strayed
or Stolen which would save almost any
comedy. A brief outline OF the plot viii
lead you 70 an appreciation OF this. Hrart
sings a song in which he announces that
he is a papa" He arranges for the
baptism, and, from an army OF volunteers
has thTGst upon him three E0dfathers Paul
Dresser, L. F. Cotton and Claude Brooke
The baby, however, is lost, strayed OF
stolen" and for four acts these god
parents, the real parent, and various others
search for the blessed brat. They reach
the boudoir OF a prima donna Georgia
Caine) in the third act. Her guardian, a
Cuban (Henry Bergman) is absent. He
soon returns. however, and here we have
the situation referred to. In order not
to arouse his suspicious the girl puts
the godfathers to work. One becomes
a hair dresser another repairs the clock,
and Bldart turns mason. Their capers
in their unfamiliar occupation, while the
singer tried to avert the suspicious OF
the Cuban, were rare fun. The situ-
alton made big hit.
The piece is good for the blues 1t is
one Of the best recipes for laugh provoking
we have had this season. And all in
spite of the fact that it was a New York
success. With this blight on it. it hap
PLY survives, unfrostbitten, mirthful,
Joyous thing of frolicSome, musical, high
stepping nonsense.
The men make most of the fun. Louis
Harrison especially distinguished himself,
but Bob" Cotton equalIed his creative
days with Jane and Claude Brooke
and Paul Dresser were faeetious as the
other two godparents. Henry Bergman
made a truthful Cuban, according to the
accepted notion OF this unfamiliar type.
However, the girls were good, in forty
seven different kinds OF lingerie. Much
had been said of Georgia Gaines beauty.
She is attractive, but scarcely beauty.
Her st ylc is very fetching and chic,
Parisianesque, and she joined in several
songs to the approval OF her audience.
Fannie Bulkley, whom Joe Holland says
he is not to marry, is charming, If single,
as Honorlne Nettie Black and Rose
Beaudet distributed their charms all the
way through.
There is reproduced in Lost, Strayed
or Stolen what is seldom found in pieces
OF this frothy class There is actual at
mosphere. No one for a moment forgets
that it is Paris. Neither 'Trilby" nor
Bohemia succeeded better in making
the gay life real Activity and diablerie
are the fundamental elements. There
will be a matinee tomorrow instead OF
Thursday.