The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-03-31
LaughabIe, Full Of Jingle,
Comparatively Without
Substance and Free From
Ragtime- It IS Brilliantly
Mounted.

ENIA5 AtitfS Il , - 90 '-N'-N4g
Mounted.
Blow trumpets, Sound cymbaIs. Roll
drums, For the voice Of Thanksgiving
IS heard in the land, a musical comedy
has been performed in washington with
out sound or note Of ragtime. Rejoice,
o ye hills Of Georgetown Let the val
ley OF HE Potomac rejoice.
This outburst is an expression in part
OF the glowing pleasure excited by The
Silver slipper al the National TheateT
last night. As scene after scene pro
Kressed. as ballad followed ballad,
through innumerable changes of ces-
tune. by the Light o. rortuous and
vague story. sat the audience. waJchful
suspicious. apprehenEive. But the coon
song and the ragtime did not appear At
the feast. 50 II was that a musical
comedy recommended only by brisk
music. fairly humorous and light COM
edy, and the simulst ion of uonChalance
and gayety. vas given the enthusiastic
approval Of much handclapping. inces-
SAM laughter. and numberless encores.
Where CommerciaIism Is Art.
Apparently the chief element of in
terest in the Silver Slipper" lay in
its authorship. which is the same as
that of "Florodora the book by owen
Hall. most Of the choral numbers by
Leslie Stuart. and what have OF late
been known as the lyrics" by y. H
Risque. The early work typifed the
sUperfciality Of certain modern tenden-
eies CT the stage Hurrah was substi-
tuted for spirit. Brilliant costumes did
service for beauty. Grace was lost in
eentortfon Jingle supplanted music
And the manager who presented" the
entertainment ranked all the putative
artists who contributed to give the work
It's character.
In the silver Slipper this expert
epce Is repeated. There Is barely a line
OF dialogue and there is assuredIy no
single strain Of music worth FIVE min
ates of serious attention. If there are
artists engaged for the presentation
they are those who design the drills.
arrange the color pictures, provide the
caIeiums and allot the opportunities.
There the art ceases. Indeed. this pro
duction bears about the same relation
TO dramatic art "a do imitation Christ
mas trees TO landscape painting In
ali this. however, IT must not be for
gotten thar the maddening rhythm OF
ragtime plays 10 part
The Proof Of Hasty Pudding
The comedy depends upon the exer-
tions of Sam Bernard. for many years
associated with Weber & Fields in
New York. This is a severer condemna-
tion than he deserves. He is at times
funny. On one or two occasions he ap-
proache5 humor. But his merit exists
and extends only so far as hs is able tC
parallel Louis Mann Near him in almost
every scene was Edna Wallace Hop
per. Of whom It is charitable TO sag
that she seemed to give a great deal 0.
pleasure One voice susceptible o.
some expression and marked by some
element Of sweetness was heard. It be
longed TO Stanley Hawkins, and was ex-
hibited in two OF three of the Lyrics.
others who were prominent we're CyTi
Scott, snitz Edwards. Eva Davenport
and Helen Royton.
The most notable comPonents, as ad
yertised. are re-rendition Of The over
estimated "FIorodora sextet" and al
exhibition Of contoTtion called a cham
payne dance. The first Of these is spec
taculaF, and 10 the eve beautiful. Thf
second serves TO display six dancers il
costumes OF yellow. Of whom only on
could have attracted the least attention
accompanied by an equal number 0
young men costumed as walters, 70
whom il deserves 10 be said that the.
do not pretend 10 dance. Drill, romp
violent coutorron OF the body set Il
infectious music constitute this dance.
But the proof Of the pudding is in III
eating. The exertion was given the ap
provaI Of FIVE recalls.
A Ray Of Sunlight
These five recalls are the key to tn
situation. They indicate that howeve
poor its quality. however cheap 1t
merits. The silver Slipper" ranks hig
in its own class. That this class IS IN
worthy, that It represents nothing bu
the lighter and weaker elements C
stage enter. ainment, Is due not to man
agement or performers. but 10 she con-
pIacent inclination or the insistenJ wi
OF these who paronize the modern
stage,
There have always been ana there al
ways wifi be forms O. popular enter
tainneul little worthy of those VIA
support them. OF this character Is mod
era musical comedy II Is neither mu
sic nor. comedy. But in this instance
Is not disagreeabie, il is manifesriy
source OF advertisement for many taous
anGs OF persons. ii is pure and decor
IN tone. and II eliminates ragtime. FC
these many favors much thanks
4 y. =.
Colurn bia-'The Burg0master."
The Columbia TheateT is enjoying
season Of musical comedy. Last nigh