The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-16
THE COHANS ARE GREAT
NEW MUSICAL COMEDY AT MAT
 INEE YESTERDAY.
"The Governors Son. Made a Big Hit With Cultivated Audience Young Author of Book and
 Music Talks.

slip of boy, 9 years old, but in hi sh )rt life he has accomplished more thai tical world. He is a writer, a musician. dancer and an actor. In each of taes fields he has achieved success.
 His newest play, ''The Governors 8 Son, was witnessed at a Montgoemry Theatre matinee yesterday to cultivated au' dience which had no doubt heard in g vague sort of way that George Conan his father, his mother and his sister formed Quartette of entertainers thal was hard to beat. If the audience had not disappointed. Three hours the audi ence laughed and left the theatre with q feeling of regret that there was not more of 1t. It Is almost inconceiYable full music and such an altogether attract i've and satisfactory entertainment could have been put together by so young @ man. musical comedy. Every line of the book and every line of the music was written by young Conan and he seems to take a keen delight in forcing the audience to enjoy every bit of 1t. The story is more Aigy WheeIock, son of the Governor. dis tributes certain information among guests at a summer hotel This informa- ton has to do with the number of hus- bands and wives which other persons
 
 kept busy throughout the play locating themselves and Algy Wheelock, typi- cal young American boy played breezily by young Conan himself, stirs and stews the situations until they become hilari- ously ridiculous. One of the husbands, disguised as German detective, hires himself to his wife to locate himself and so the fun goes on to the end when, oi course, everybody Is discovered.
 This appears to be simple but Conan has hond1pA fhe anhiArf in most tistic manner and the result Is de- lightful entertainment full of wholesome bright. brisk and sparkling fun.
 The comedy by itself would afford sui. does nothing half-heartedly, interrupts its steady flow of wit and humor by some of the best musical numbers that have been heard in Montgomery this season cipais but they are assisted by a chorus of some twenty-five pretty girls who wear beautiful costumes and are excellently trained. The song Lucy" which closes ernor's m Son. aoh. MT. Moon" and Never Breathe a Word of This to Mother"
 The play was presented by company of thirty-six persons and all of them were good. Jerry Conan, father of young Conan. is veteran actor well known written part which Is we'll suited te him. The mother, Mrs. Helen Conan, is a remarkably handsome woman and finished actress. One could almost read the mother love in her eyes when she had lively passages with her talented son as she recited the lines he had put into her mouth. The real hit of the play was made by Josephine Conan, the beau- tful sister of young Conan. When she first came on the stage, demure and dainty as a Dresden vase, one did not suspect that she was a remarkable dancer. She soon gave evidence of hel theatrical training, under a successful father and mother, when she did a dance with her brother which for abandon and grace has never been equalled in Mont gomery. Miss Conan is the wife of Fred Niblo, a successful New York theatrica manager.
 The four Cohans are great but there are others in the company. MT. Sloar as Dangerous Dicl1ie Dickson" the run. away husband disguised as a German detective. is as good as the polite luna tic in "The Belle of New York; and that Is to say he Is funny enough. Gracefu Ethel Levy, who Is so clever herself that the public Is entitled to know tha she is the wife of young Conan, contrib uted largely to the performance. She i' a marvellous dancer; her musical mum bers were rendered with charming mai vete and when she was required to dt some acting. she acted. '"The fact that I write plays and music should not cause comment" said young
  been writing songs and vaudeville sketches since I was F years old. My father and mother have been on the stage all of their lives. My sister and myself have been on the stage all of our lives We are Irish but that Is another mat ter"
 This piece is the only three-act play I ever wrote" continued MT Conan, "bu I have written so many songs ant sketches which have been presented or the stage that I cannot enumerate them It may interest you to know that an the first person who ever had vaudeville sketches copyrighted. No one Is permit ted to use my work without my permis sion.'
 Where did I go to school? Neve went to school in my life" went on MT Conan. Never wrote for newspapers either. My folks have been on the stag' all the time, it seems. They say l mad my first appearance when l was ten day! old"
 Then young Conan swelled his chest.
 My baby has been on the stage him self and he is not many days older thai ten."
 Then you are married?
 "Oh, yes," he replied. Just at this tim Miss Levy of the company entered th' dressing room to urge her young bus band to be careful that he did not catcl cold in the heavy draughts of the theatr' stage.
 Yes we take our baby along witt us" continued Mir. Conan. We have ; fine home in Providence, R. l.. and ia ther and mother have a comfortable homo in New York City. We expect to conn South next year and as we have triet to make friends in this section we hop to do better business.
 The four Cohans and their big com pany left last night for New Orleans where they begin tonight to play weeks engagement. They will go iron New Orleans to Cincinnati, Pittsburg Boston and other large cities.