The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-11
co,umbin-"rhe Belle Of Bohemia"

COlumbin-.The Belle Of Bob mia :"
of Bohemia" which was first seen in
Washington at the Columbia last evening.
that is unusual in that much abused class
of performance termed musical comedy
Add to this merit large chorus of pretty
women, a scenic investiture the equal of
any sent out of the Casino in recent years.
corps Of good comedians. and several
catchy bits of music and innumeraole
witticisms of at least this decade, and
popular. performance is the result. This
is the verdict of the large audience gath
cred in the Columbia las. evening.
Harry b. Smith. who has confessed to
the charge of writing the book Of farce,
has again sought the work of the Bard
to secure the framework upon which TO
hang the tattered snatches of dialogue
and this time has chosen THE Comedy
Of Errors" as his particular favorites
The twentieth century dromios are q
Coney Island photographer and a wealthy
brewer, who resemble each other SO much
that their wives are unable to distinguish
between them. One falls heir to for
tune and the other strives to disposssss
him of it and SO on ad finitum, or almost
that far. There is some Semblance of a
| counter plot and. all in ell, the book is
UP to Mr.. Smiths peculiar standard.
The music used to exploit the lyrics are
those of Ludwig Englander, and some of it
is very bright and catchy. suitable. in
| deed, for full-feiged opera rather than
a musical farce. Irene Bentley, local
young woman. is we'll suited with her
! Mother Goose ditty. assisted by several
capable children, while Miss Sadie Kirby
has little more than she can carry in the
vocal score granted her as the protean
Belle" Little Anna ,Laughlin is exceed
ingly clever in a tiny part, as is Trixie
FriganZi. The hit of the piece among the
feminine section is that of Marie Dainton.
recent English importa tion. Miss Dain-
ton would not come under the provisions
Of the contract immigration law. for she is
q real artistic, one of the few London has
sent America recently. She is not hand
some to gaze upon. nor are her lines par
ticuiarly curved, but she possesses that
indescrbable something known as charm,
and pleases even the most hardened the
atregoer Moreover she knows the value
Of look and an action. and she may he
considered one Of the finds Of the season.
Her dancing is exceedingly graceful, and
her articulation remarkable.
The masculine portion of the Casino
force is very Bernardish, Dick and Sam
impersonatfng relatively the brewer and
the photographer. 1t keeps one guessing
pretty lively to tell which is the other.
and however the decision is made. one is
not far wrong. Their parts are the main
ones OF the piece and suit the English
murderers TO a dot. Sam Bernard is es-
pecially good in "He Was Married Man."
a bright topical ditty. D. l.. Don. as an
Irish contractor is close upon the heels
of the brothers in race of merit. and
might outstrip them did they not have the
advantage Of the generous handicap the
book gives them. Sol and Fred Solomon.
John Hyans. Paul Nicholson. Charles May
nard, and Fred Titus are among the most
worthy of the rather large male contin-
gent There will be two matinees.