Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-28
ADJUSTMENTS.

u0naire is a DOunttOuS display Oh ihSi
and femininity. There is no gainsayfng the
claims of the promoters for liberality, and
so far as gowns and scenery are concerned
the production fully realizes the effulgent
promise of the title Messrs Klaw and
Erlanger have starred their bank account
in manner which makes authors, mu-
sicians. actors and the rest of the people
upon whom responsibilities were formerly
regarded as chiefly resting. subordinate
considerations. The coryphee is queen and
her sway is becoming a trihe tyrannical,
for, not content with meeting competition
she assumes to crush it. Comedians are
overshadowed by the circling maZes OF her
draperies; musicians must allow their
choicest effects to be drowned by her clam
orous glee and the author finds his nicely
turned fancies forgotten in the contempla-
ton of her ana tomical curves. She has, TO
large extent, earned her precedence, for
she has saved many a show; but she has
so powerfully impressed the theory that
the words and music do not count that the
box office has become more and more in
different to them The Bllionaire'' is the
logical result of such a condition. 1t repre-
sents this general tendency of the times.
individuality is suppressed. 1t is the de-
partment store style of theatrical entertain
ment.
Jerome Sykes, whom playgoers have fol-
lowed with so much interest through his
checkered but prosperous career as Foxy
CUTLER" is announced as the star. He
makes an abrupt departure from the line
of work to which he has hitherto devoted
himself. and undertakes to play in an en-
tlrely legitimate manner an essentially far
cical character. The part of John Doe,
whose very name, by the way, suggests
poverty of invention which the possible
pun on dough does not relieve is color
less personality with little to do, and with
absolutely no situations comic or grotesque
to focus attention upon him. Mr.. Sykes
he Sta off W in hn
which are allotted to him, but he does SO
as an individual entertainer, and not be
cause Of any especial interest which at
taches to the adventures of the Millionaire
whom he represents. The songs which fall
to his share are rather phlegmatic in quail
ity. Yet the popularity of the comedian
was never In moments doubt, the call for
a speech, to which he responded in hui
morous strain, being the obvious express
sion of sincere regard. The curtain speech
should be regular portion of the perfor-
nance, for Mr.. Sykes is seen all too little as
an essential figure in the play.
The subject presents a magnificent oppor-
tunity for satire, but it's treatment makes
the production series of specialties. Miss
May Robson, who is one of the few really
funny women on the stage, has the part of
a rich but scantily educated person, and
pays her respects to Mrs. Malaprop with
mirth-provoking assiduity. Harry Kelley
and John P. Kennedy do some expert dane
ing, and Eleanor Kent has a soprano solo
which impresses pleasantly. Julius Steger
sings with his usual rhapsodic earnestness
and contributes a liberal share to the en-
joyment. Hans Robert makes the most of
his chances in a juvenile role.
The second act offers a brilliant novelty.
The scene is the entire interior of theater.
There is real entertainment in observing
audience and stage full of entertainers
simultaneously and the big theater hat
and the man who insists in going out be-
tween acts are employed to gleeful purpose.
The first act represents Nice during the
carnival season, and the third the race
track at Longchamps. The Millionaire goes
to these places, spends a great deal of
money, repentantly discovers that he is on
the verge of being broke and recoups by
winning a race at 600 to 1. And that is
the plot. The music is in some instances
very attractive and the stage pictures are,
without exception, multitudinously gor-
geous.
COLUMBIA THEATER.-For several
seasons heretofore The Four Cohans have
been annual visitors to this city, appearing
in vaudeville. Their sketches, always writ
ten by George M. Cohan, were of q most
eccentric type, and the unquestioned sue
cess of each of the offerings was due as
much perhaps to their novelty as to the
cleverness Of those presenting them. The
family of Cohans have gradually expanded,
so to speak, and have changed their vehicle
from a vaudeville performance" of twenty
minutes duration to a full-fedged musical
farce of three acts, with large company
and a complete chorus. THE Governors
Son. Is the title of the farce. 1t Is the work
of George Conan, and his style of humor
prevails throughout. The plot-the term is
used hesitatingly and with extreme eau
tton-deals principally with the troubles of
two married couples. each wife imagining
that her husband has another better half,
and each husband also having reason to
believe that his wife is a bigamist The
governor of the state figures only Incl
dentally in the farce. but his son, imparson-
ated by George COhan has a great deal to
do in adding to the misunderstanding all
around Each Of the three acts is crowded
with songs, dances and vaudeville special
ties. The scenery is up to date and the
costumes and mountings are all that could
be desired. Each of the Cohans,
OF course, has prominent part. The place
of Josephine Cohan, who is Ill, is filled very
acceptably by Elizabeth Woodson. The
other important roles are well handled by
VIM. Keough, VIII H. Sloan, James H.
Manning, Ethel Levey and Gertrude Rut-
ledge. The chorus is perfectly trained and
pleasing to the eye. To all appearances the
performance thoroughly pleased an eXcep-
tionally large audience.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
Like a page from a book of the past is
Bolossy kiralfy's production of Around
the World in Eighty Days" at the Lafayette
Square this week Ballet girls go merrily
tripping about, with waving arms and
swing bodies, doing the dance steps that
were familiar to the mothers and fathers of
the present generation Of playgoers. From
the viewpoint of reminder of days gone
by, and enjoyable days they were, too, this
performance has a distinct place in the
amusements of the period and is we'll worth
The name of Kiralfy is so we'll
known that it brought to the Lafayette
large audience last night, when a small
gathering would ordinarily have been a
credit on such a stormy evening. The evo-
luton of dancing as 1t has appealed to more
modern instructors has made no impress on
Mr.. kiralfy. He has remained steadfast to
his own ideas and has brought back remi-
niscences that are really very interesting
and entertaining. The present Around the
World is rather mixed-up affair, as 1t
has every right to be. 1t leads the auditor
through all chimes and countries, and there
seemingly homogeneous songs and incidents
in 1t than in many of the productions built
upon supposedly modern lines. The dances
and the ballet girls, with their blonde wigs
their little turns and old-fashioned man
nerisms Of the stage, are the features of the
production. The rest Is merely prattle and
simply suggests the backgrounds for the
of the dances. Some of the
actors in the cast who double" and even
triple" in various characters are killed off
occasionally only to be met with in some
new disguise at another point in the jour-
ney. The, audience was deeply dismayed
that some of these should continue the re-
incarnation process. AS type of the spec