The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-21
NAT WILLS A SUPRISE
MADE GREAT HIT WITH MONT.
 GoMERY AUDIENCE.
His Musical Comedy "A Son of Rest Was Filled With Good Things-A Large
 Company.

No musical comedy star has ever been accorded just such a reception in Mont gomery as Nat M. Wills received last night at the Montgomery Theatre in "A Son of Rest,"
 1t was his first appearance here. He was unknown to his audience. But they took to him at once. Wills had only to speak some of his lines, do his wonder full facial trick of lifting his eyebrows and dropping his mouth, a simple thing, but ridiculously funny as he did 1t ,and he had his audience with him to the fin- ish. Laugh after laugh chased each other around the Theatre when Wills held the center of the stage. The audience sat in hilarious enjoyment until some particu- larly clever thing transformed laughter into enthusiasm. G~4 a
 The curtain at the end of the first act when Wills had just finished singing General Four Flush," shut off the stage from a noisy applauding and enthusiastic crowd. The curtain was raised and low cred several times. Wills came out ana bowed his thanks, but the audience re- fused to be satisfied. Finally, after they had dragged a speech from Wills. the crowd settled down to quietness.
 A similar ovation awaited the stage tramp when he did his speciality in the second act. The audience could not get
  encores the count was lost.
 Just wherein Wills has such power over the rfsibles of his audience is hard to determine. His tramp Is In the main the conventional stage tramp, but he does this conventional tramp better than any one else. He has some sort of magnetism that draws laughs easily and continu- ously. He does it with an aggressive, self-reliant air that makes his work 1-A- kI.A1 1anss He has apparently but little of hne sub- tie comedy, but his comedy Is assuredly effective.
 As to his singing, there can be no two opinions. It's good. In his singing, as in his making. he carried the audience right along with him. Wills scores his success because when either singing or fun making his spirit gets beyond the footlights.
 The cleverness and briIliancy of "A Son of Rest" Is cause for wonder, as It was manifestly a one part piece written around Wills's gifts and talents. The actor has won success in vaudeville In his sensational presentation of the tramp. It is easy to see that George Weston was commissioned to write musical comedy around the tramp. tramp of the Nat. M. Wills brand.
 The bright 1ines the wittiness of the thing, some parts of 1t scintillated, are under the circumstances. sources for wonder and surprise. Wills is deeply in the debt of George Weston, the author.
 Weston did the unusual thing or mtro- ducing a new idea into musical comedy. The robbery of a temple in the Philip pines of a sacred cat by. an American officer is made the basis of the piece. The officer brings the cat to America to present it to his rich father-in-law, who is on the eve of starting on an archeo- logical expedition. and who proposes to give to his son-in-law two million dollars if the cat Is brought to him before he leaves.
 The officers is unexpectedly detained and his wife persuades Normadic tramp to assume the role of her husband to de- ceive her father who has never seen the officer. The tramp produces a fictitious cat in the person of diminutive brother of the road, and the complications fol- low.
 Wills has with him a talented midget billed as Gabriel. He was small enough to almost look the part when disguised as a cat. The little fellow had enough ability to ape the sensuous motion of a feline and he mewed most naturally.
 But Gabriel could do more than play the cat. He worked off the specialties
 
 plause Gabriel was in fact one of the features of the show.
 Al Lamar, as young America, in love, was good enough. He has a clear musi- cal voice and he used it to good advant- age.
 Thomas Grady and Edward Hayes pre- scented two character parts with ability and with good effect.
 Miss Susanne Rocamora was the best of the women. She is brunette beauty with a liquid voice and then she has that essential of a good actress, grace.
 Aline Colin, in one song won approval and applause.
 Mona Wynne did an attractive piece of work as a seminary girl A dancing spe- cialty of hers with Edward Hayes was one of the best features in an evening of good things
 1 In the matter of chorus. "A Son of I Rest'' is well supplied. In the chorus. as the press agent puts 1t, the essential of pulchritudinous femininity was attain | ed"
 The costumes were handsome and there were many of them. A military scene with the girls in hussar costumes was decidedly the prettiest ensemble. The