The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-11
WOODY WEST OF sTOPEKER'
AS s'The Stranger in New York"People
Pronounce It, Got Off All Right

A man with a contagious smile,
more contagious laugh, an adamantine
nerve and versatile face-that was "A
Stranger in New York" individually.
A piece well acted, with lines well
spoken, songs and dances well rem
dered, attractive costumes, catchy
music, and appropriate Staging-that
was "A Stranger in New York collec-
lively, the farce in which Mr. Hoyt has
attempted to show the possible adven-
lures of a stranger in the metropolis.
Both individually and collectively "A
Stranger in New York was enjoyed by
the great audience that saw 1T at the
Crawford theater last night. The en-
joyment was due in part to the fact
that it is one. of the lveliest of Mr..
HOytS productions, and contains prop
ably as many bright lines as any of
his farces that preceded 1T. And then
not little enjoyment was due to the
fact that Harry Conor is given the OPP
pOrtunity of entertaining and that he
was surrounded by the company which
practically created the farce in New
York city. There are three A Stranger
in New York" companies on the road,
and Topeka was fortunate in securing
the original cast.
1t isn't often that Mr.. Hoyt features
anyone, but he is now featuring Harry
Conor. He is the only man An the cast
whose Iikenesses adorn store windows
and whose history is written in the
advance notices. But Mr.. Conor de-
serves the exception, and really fea-
evidences of the original comedian
about him and he is given happy op-
portunity of bringing these evidences
into clear view as the Stranger His
stranger" is drol, cheeky fellow,
bent on enjoyment. and this demon
strated, his name, residence and place
of business are wholly unimportant.
In the main Mr.. HOyt has no excuses
to offer for his original company. Harry
Gilfoil, George Bean and Anna Boyd
have been with Hoyt's productions for
years, and are always successful in the
parts they are cast. GllfOI probably
did no better work in the past than he
is doing at present as Baron Sands,''
one of the old guard of Delmonico's.
His creation of the gayest old SPORT
as neat bit OF character acting Even
the conventional characters in the farce
are satisfactory and successfully aid in
rounding out the performance.
From a standpoint of entertainment
Mr. Hoyt has certainly scored another
success In the construction of "A
Stranger in New York" From the
standpoint of good taste and the "eIe-
the piece might be harsh without being
unreasonable. But a dramatic comment
is not supposed to be a dissertation on
right and wrong. "A Stranger in New
York" amuses. 1t makes an audience
laugh; its witty lines and ridiculous
circumstances and situations receive
applause In creating such lines and
circumstances and situations a play
the theater goer can take at or leave
at
Kansas people, as evidenced by the
audience last night, like Mr.. Hoyt, but
apparently Mr.. HOyt has no great af-
lection for those of the SunfloWer state
In his "A Temperance Town" he took
occasion to burlesque Kansas, and he
has done 1t again in "A Stranger in
New York" There was not a generous
outburst of applause when the Chicago
wit was introduced last night as
WOODY West of Topeka" a man who
never comes to New York. There was
no laughter at all when the company
turned their backs upon the unfortun-
ate fellow and disdainfully sneered
kansas" On the contrary, there were
several subdued misses from somewhere
an the upper part of the house. This
frightened the performers somewhat
and when it came time to aIlude to the
particular individual again as "a typi-
cal society man of Topeka Topeka
was dropped and Omaha substituted
but there was no occasion for alarm
Topeka realizes that Hoyt had to pick
Qua some western town for his western
man, and it might well be Topeka
as Terre Haute or Sioux City or Boise
We, out west, take cognizance of our
right to make fun of New York, where