The Washington times., 1904-04-03
By MATTHEW WHITE, JR.


the plays the thing" Its
return to the Majestic. after
holding forth there continuously for
nine months last season, has drawn
audiences limited only by the capacity
OF the house. and yet a second view
Of the piece has in nowise altered my
opinion that II is of decidedly inferior
merit 10 numerous others of its type
that have been nowhere near so popu-
lar.
rms Is case where most decidedly
the actor is the thing. Montgomery and
stone. and the very attractive girl prin-
cipals. are to be credited with me mag
netic qualities this particular musical
extravaganza exercises upon the public
purse. Nor should I forget ID add to
these drawing qualities the work OF
Joseph Schrode as the COW. Imogene
and that Of Arthur Hill in the skin
Of the cOwardly lion
Nir. Hill is an English actor who WAS
playing the cat in ''Puss in Boots over
there when ne was summoned 20 chi
eago TO do an animal part IN The
Wizard" He did not know what ami
NAL IL was until after he rad arrived.
and when he found it was to be a lion.
declared that this was a beast ne had
never enacted before.
Where's my part?'' he asked Mr..
Mitchell.
There isn't any. was the reply.
Developing the Lions Part.
So it was up to Mr. Hill to do as he
saw fit after he learned when he was
TO come on and go or He went 10 the
Chicago zoo and studied lion traits at
first hand, but after that was Obliged
to accustOm himself IN the hide, which
weighs nearly eighty pounds. All the
business Of the role he made up him
self. He began life as a circus aero
bat and after he developed into an ami
NAL impersonator in pantomimes he
made a speciality OF monkeys and
poodles.
Fred Stone. the inimitable Scarecrow
of the Wizard Of o." also started his
career in circus. and remained with
ring show for six years. When he left
the business he was with the sens-Ren-
frew outfit, doing the high-wire ascen-
sion act over the tent before each per
formance. Both he and Montgomery are
still under thirty. Stone is from Denver.
and Montgomery from Sacramento.
They met in st. 10. No. where they
went into partnership for song and
dance work, procuring their first en-
gaBement with Haverlys Minstrels
After another term in the minstrel
field with Billy Rice. they entered van
deville. Julian Mitchell suggested ~
Charles Frohman thar he engage tba
team for The Girl from Up There" the
musical comedy IN which Edna Nav
starred rather disastrousIy at the Her
aid Square. They were cast as two &C.
centric pirates. wore striking black and
white striped costumes, and made a de-
cided hit both in New York and London
whittier the show was afterward trans
ferred. King Edward witnessed their
performance three times. and while they
were appearing In a Christmas pauto-
mime IN Liverpool Mr.. Mitchell engaged
them BY cable to create the Scarecrovy
and the Tin WoOdman In THE Wizard
OF o. on its original production al the
Chicago Opera House in 1902
New Songs il the "Wizard.
There are several new songs In this
so-called second edition Of the show
one Of these. a particularly catchy duet
by=Bryant and Mullen. Down on the
Brandywine." is sung by Lolita Faust
and owen Westford (Pastoria II. The
Ao4iDHS sammy song. 100, mas a sue
cessor, Johnnie. I'll Take You" IN the
course OF which Miss Faust addresses
herself to the upper right hand stage
box as Of yore. But she is always
obliged TO sing Sammy as an encore
A new topical dltty for Montgomery ana
Stone has for its refrain I'd like 10
Go Halves on That"
Speaking OF topical songs, at this rate
somebody viii be taking Henry w. Saw
age for the hero of a ballad apostrophiz-
ing him as 1.-The Man Who Hits the
Bullseye Every Time"
Beginning Easter Monday his Prince
of Pilsen" comes 10 Days for an en-
gagCment preceding its trip across the
Atlantic to inaugurate a Savage season
at the London Shaftesbury, the theater