Evening star., 1900-12-11

| NOR of the piece was provided by Harry
Davenport, who gave most entertaining
picture of an innocuouS young man In
state of perpetual jag. His performance
was q revelation of first-class comic aplll-
| ties hitherto unsuspected by most people.
| Farren Soutar as the lover looked his part
manfully and sang with musical eff1ciency.
ALI Whelan had little to do as a farmer,
| but did that little we'll. Harry Kelly and
| Nat NJ Wills ably maintained large snare
| of the responsibility as the quarrelsome
| pair of kings.
| There was an irresistible whimsicality
| in the squabbles of these polar monarchs,
| and possibly just dash of satire, although
1t is to be questioned whether anythins SO
| serious satire would be tolerated IN the
! production IL it's presence were detect
! ed These two made the mistake OF repeat
| ing dance III response to an encore, when
what was wanted was more OF the wildly
| absurd ditty in which lobster salad and
various other inanimate things communl-
cate their inmost thoughts in tune to ker-
ker's beguieful cadences. 1t was truly
| fascinating bit of literature OF the SAINT
Elizabethan school 1t was topped off with
dance. and when more was demanded the
performers with vaudeville-esque compla,
cency responded with their own pnyslcai
exertions instead of with another stanza
Probably they did not know any more
stanzas. and did not care to remember one
of those just sung. All of which goes to
show that 1T is easier to wiggle ones feet
with good comic opportunities-that OF the
disagreeable man. And there are others
too numerous to mention.
The piece Is mounted with the usual ex-
travagapza costumes. Those of the arctic
regions although trimmed with fur, are alb
solutey guaranteed against being any pro-
lection from the weather AS the company
moves further south, it puts on more
clothes, and a view o. a Partisan square,
which presents an exquisite study in
stage perspective, finds the assemblage in
stunning gowns and sedate masculine at
tire.
AS produced yesterday the piece was a
seething, iridescent, heterogeneous mass
AS it coos down and settles into shape, 1t
will no doubt satisfy even more than 1t did
last night.-Mr Kerker has composed rhyth-
mic. and in some cases ather pretent1ouS
numbers, which do credit to his reputation
in this field.
COLUMBIA THEATER-Served up with
typical Casino favor-tabasco ad libitum-
the Belle of Bohemia at the Columbia
last night proved right merry oHerlng OF
three hours Of nonsense. calcium, girls ana
glamor, not to mention liberal dash OF
music. True the latter ingredient was of
the tinkly frivolous, careless sort, hut ex-
actly suited to the humor of the audience
Ambitious themes in such place would
have broken the charm that complete and
unadulterated nonsense had woven. And
the audience was of proportions calculated
to make the managerial heart beat fast
with joy. 1t sat convulsed throughout the
evening, too, and went home happy and
gay. The main 'nonsensicaller,' as he
would call himself was Sam Bernard, who
does the best work he has ever attempted.
His comedy dances about on a German dia-
lect and by it's sheer disregard of anything
that might be expected it catches the audi
ence in an Irresistible way and would make
a solemn visaged owl burst its side feathers
with laughter. Before the close of the first
act one is willing to declare that the scin-
tillating S3 mupl has the gamut of fool
ishness from A fiat to G sharp; it seems
impossible that any more funny business
can be evolved, but during the three scenes
of the second act, the nonsense proceeds
with una bated fury, and is different from
any that has gone before. Hackneyed lines
have no part in Sam Bernard's comedy. He
works situation or an incident in his own
way and a number of times during the per-
formance brought irrepressible laughs from
his associates on the stage. His resources
are seemingly limitless, and he always has
something new up his sleeve. Happy and
smiling himself, he infuSeS all who stand
or sit before him with the same light vein.
Sans nonsense is aided and abetted by
Dick Bernards work along the same lines.
The two make up to look almost precisely
alike, one millionaire brewer with villa
al Newport the other a tntyper with a
stand at Coney. OF course, they get all
mixed up in family relations and otherwise,
and thus, inadvertently surely, plot has
been woven into Casino production. How
careless! The audience itself is ofttimes be-
wldered to the identity Of the particular
Bernard who is furnishing the laugh ma
terial. Later In the evening, however, 1t
was less difficult to spot them, for Richard
is a wee bit thinner of voice and stature
than his brother THE Belle Of Bohemia"
a whole, is one of the usual midsummer
New York productions. If this humor and
general qualities please with the thermome-
ter at 100 degrees they are more than di-
verting at this season. The audience last
evening was inclined TO emulate the wealth
and prove cold, but it was soon warmed
up and could not have resisted, if it would,
the glow and rush of the entertainment
provided. The types in the opening scene
are familiar to New Workers and to all
summer visitors in that locality. The riot
career of the Belle leads her from
Coney Island to Newport, and thence to
Switzerland, giving ample opportunity for
pretty scenes and dazzling costumes-oppor-
tunities, by the way, which have not been
overlooked by the Casino management.
The music is provided by Ludwig Englan-
der. Just to demonstrate its ability, how
ever, the company rendered a closing chorus
in the first act which by it's vigor and
rhythm called out half a dozen encores.
Irene bentley, Sadie Kirby and Marie Dain-
ton divide the feminine honors among them-
selves, and each was pleasing. The chorus
girls are decidedly good to look upon. D. l..
Don, remembered for his work in The
French Maid and the Belle of New
York. appeared strange and uncanny in
the brogue of an 1rishman, but, of course,
every one IN lne snow could not make
their conversationing in Dutch, already"
II an exact idea of the fun at the Columbia
is wanted 1t may be obtained from the fact
that the house fairly shook with laughter
when Sam Bernard, at his Newport villa,
grew terribly worried because he had for
gotten to kiss the horses good night.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
Miss Percy Haswell renewed her acquant-
ance with few of her Washington friends
at the Lafayette Square Theater last night,
and as Dorothy Cruikshank, the refresh
ingly innocent and altogether charming he
roine of Rosemary" carried away the
honors of the performance. There is
nothing involved about the plot of
Rosemary" and while it might have been
made replete with striking situations, the
authors refrained from taking advantage
of these possibilities. lovely young girl
falls in love with very young ensign, who
has never met her parents and is afraid to
do so. They elope, and their chaise breaks
down. Sir Jasper who has become absent
minded from long seclusion in his country
place discovers them and gives them shel-s
ter Dorothys father, retired sea captain,
whose choer bellies his warm old heart, and
his wife pursue the elopers and also get
stranded. Sir Jasper opportunely appears
as their savior and shelters them also All
are under the same roof Morning breaks,