The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-20
"The Maid andthe Num-
my" aPopular Success.
Needs JudiciOuS Trim
ming.
Eternal City" Well Act
ed---"King Dodo" a
Hit - Vaudeville and
Other Bills.

A large audience laughing almost in
cessantly. and applauding whenever it
could make opportunity. testified last
night at the National Theater to the
popular favor of The Maid and the
Mummy" The critic looked on the Of
fering with just the indulgence he has
extended 10 a dozen other musical com
edies and no more. But his associates
in the theater. from the whistling boys
In the gallery TO the less demonstrative
auditors in the front row of the orches-
ira chairs, were manifestly delighted.
Title and substance are not closely re-
lated in this work. There is much maid
and little mummy. But the constituents
OF musical comedy, as they have evolved
from about ten years development, are
all offered in Rbundance-a chorus OF
really beautiful young women, artisti
cally and richly costumed; attractive
scenery, illuminated by a dozen calci-
ums; long series OF jokes, many Of
them new, an unusual number OF them
good, and nearly all of them subject to
court Jokes and poker jokes" and a
cast Of half a dozen comedians and two
or three charming women
Local Gags and Good Music.
Book and lyrics are by Richard Carrie,
whose appearance In Washington last
season as THE Tenderfoot' led local
playgOers 10 anticipate very much what
they are to receive. The dialogue is
that of man who has tried audiences
and knows them well. II is interlarded
with gags. Everything local to the
District Of Columbia, from the new fill
tratiOn plant TO the theoretical somnam-
bulance Of Alexandria is levied upon for
speech or song. And the audience likes
II out OF perhaps nifty such gags
last night not one missed fire, and the
jokes which had intrinsic Wit or humOr
were received with comparative indiffer-
earle himself cd
that the work is neither q light or a
comic opera. musical or farcical COM
edy. burlesque or eXtraVa ganZa." and so
IL is not fair to look deeply into his plot
There is one hut il does not interfere
with any Of the local gags" Mr. earle
also appears as the composer Of three
songs, none Of them being In the least
noteworthy.
The real music OF the work is by Rob
ert Hood Bowers, from whom discrim-
mating theatergoers may anticipate
much pleasure. Held down to the line
Of characteristic musical comedy by the
hbrettist he has been able nevertheless
10 offer half a dozen ingenious and
happy melodies, several admirable chO-
ruses. and whole evening OF splendid
orchestration. 1t ought TO be said that
even AIr. Carries three compositions are
beautifully arranged. Whatever young
Mr. Bowers does in the future-unless
lis limitations are sharper than even
those OF The Maid and the Mummy
viii give pleasure to musician and
annuserhent-seelSer alike.
Two Washington Girls Shine.
IN the cast two Washington girls are
ccnspicuOus-May Boley and Adele Row
land The former supplies most Of the
feminine cleVerness and the latter most
% the beauty. Miss Boley's song. 1.-THE
Saleslady." is worth the price Of adj
mission alone Ii is sixty laughs q
the minute" Miss Rowland has rather
2 a subjective role wherein she wears
pretty frocks, dances gracefully and
sings sweetly. Both these Washington
ians were warmly greeted and heartily
upplauded.
The others iu the cast are Richard f
Carroll. cast a. an impecunious curiC
dealer: Edward CARVE. the pseudo
mummy. George Beane. Louis Wesly
Edward GrOh. Jesse Caine. old Mrs
Neanans. and Janet Priest. The tive
last-named appear as a. firtatiOus old
maid and on aspiring street urchin. and
both are admirable.
THE Maid and the Mummy" should
not be dismissed without these sug-
gestions for its Improvement. that IL b
shortened one-third; that half the encore
stauzas be cXCisCd. that the number d
men in the chorus be doubled. 50 tina
the bass can be heard moro than once
that the performers be restricted 20 thu
stage. and the whistlers ia the gallery
be excluded Without this repair WOrl
Fl Il seems to have succeeded In New York
and IL may continue in favor I'm thu
provinces" But Mr.. Carries next ven
ture will pay the toll.