Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-09-22
A GREAT LAUGHING SUCCESS
Mr.. Grapewin Scores Another Hit
Here At The Colonial
Theatre.
THE AUDIENCE KEPT IN CON
TINUOUS UPROAR.
'It's Up To You, John Henry
Is a Comedy Done
To Music.

All The world loves a lover, and all
the world loves to laugh. Life is too
short for anyone to go around with q
long face and prepared TO weep besides
laughter is healthful The laughing
success of the season was produced at
the Colonial Theatre last night, when
Charley Grape win. the we'll known
comedian, made his second bow TO the
Annapolis public in the popular farce
comedy in three acts It's Up to You,
John Henry.
Last year Mr.. Grapewin appeared
here in The Awakening of Mr.. Pipp'
and 30 we'll pleased large and fash
ionRble audience that his return this
season was greeted with delight. An
napolis audiences are very critical
and inclined to be apathetic. 1t takes
great deal to arouse one TO any de.
gree of enthusiasm, and unlike Balti.
more, where curtain calls are demanded
at every performance, Annapolis is
never known to give a curtain call.
Mr.. Grapewin, therefore. should feel
highly honored that his first appear
ance ON the stage last night was the
impetus for such prolonged applause,
which applause was accorded him
throughout the performance and pune.
tuated all of his funny sayings and
ludicrious stunts.
Its Up to You, John Henry is a
conglomeration of mirth and melod 2,
and is really comedy done to music.
Unlike most musical comedies it real
ly has a plot--a clever, tangible, well
defined plot, that holds the attention
of the audience throughout the per-
formnnoe. Mr.. Grapewin has the
titular role, and is surrounded by a
we'll balanced and carefully selected
company, including Miss Anna
Chance. and a chorus of girls known
as the "Cecelia Chorus. The girls
have beautiful voices and several of
their quartets were highly pleasing
features of the program. Miss Emma
Marcy. cast as Jubilee Diggs' with
social aspirations, is the soprano in
the quartet Her voice is clear and
bell-like and sweetly musical. She
sings with pleasing effect. All of the
songs are catchy and there are a mum
ber of musical hits, which promise to
be heard more of this season.
The scenery is good and the cast
wears some very smart gowns, which
are particularly fetching. The char
acter of John Henry, the gentleman
ly slangster. seems to fit Mr..
Grapewin even better than the char
aeter of Mr.. Pipp, in which he was
seen here last year. Mr. Grapewin
interprets the role faultlessly, and it
is not so mcuh in the lines he saws
that the success of the play lies, but
in the manner of Interpretation. He
is certainly one Of the best light COM
edians on the stage. He looks funny,
acts funny, is funny He carries the
comedy through from start to finish,
weaving through the woof of the plot,
more or less tangible, threads of humor,
with catchy lines, pithy sayings and
ludicrous episodes. Mr.. Grapewin
never loses sight of his role for an in
stant, and possesses all the talents
that go to make up succe ssful COM
edian.
The entire performance was clean
and wholesome. The scenery was very
attractive and the electrical effects
pleasing, especially during the scene
where burglars enter the house of John
Henry's friend. In this scene each
room was lighted separately as the
burglar entered with his lantern.
Mr.. Grapewin's entire support is good,
but especially worthy of mention is
Mr.. Orandall, the Harmony Diggs or
Sherlock Holmes of Ruraldene. Mr..
Gillespie rs Bunch is clever, and
Mr.. Kolb of vaudeville fame" is ex-
ceedingly we'll cast Besides being
possessed of fiue voice, Miss Marcy
acts we'll, and as posse she clever
ly assumed a rather thankless role.
Miss Blanche Howard. as the countess
and real owner of Doves Nest Villa,
deserves praise. Any woman who can
Ierambulate with a dagger foot long
in her stocking, as did Miss Howard,
is worthy of admiration.
Indeed the company is so good it is
invidious to particularize and Mr..
Grapewin. who plays the principal
comedy part, proved by making the
spectators laugh that his play is one
of the attractions that may be classed
an artistic success.