The Washington times., 1905-02-26
Find Right Place
theatrical Offerings Soon
Reach Their Proper Level.
Woodland" High Merit.
Inauguration Offerings.

5 marvellous how quickly sham and |
ness find their ri~ht places ON the |
Things seem to be otherwise for i
months or a few years, but ul- |
ely they adjust themselves With |
d.
ieaI eonedy-as exenplified this
week in Washing a fine illus
of this a few years back any
old musical comedy that Included few
drills. coon soag and an hour or two
of vile ..knock-aboutt' could crowd the
theaters. Now the musical comedy must
be both musical ard laugnable like Mr..
ssvagess production OF Woodland or
it fails like The Rosers Brothers i'll
Paris "
..Noodland' is built or an ingenious
use Of sound principitssIn the first place
1t Is highly original. The picture OF
birds moving back and forth. mas
queraaIRg as comic opera tenors and
Italian sopranos. was t1iyerting in the
sztrenne. Moreover, much eleverness was
shown IN the costuming. the music was
melodic. and even the comedy. inappro-
pirate as it was. made some in the audi
ence laugh.
Ne wonder, then. that it played nearly
2 year in three citiesi No wonder that
Monday nights audience al the Column
yertising! No wonder that every MAJ!
who has heard It has been whistiing
THE Tale OF the Turtle Dover This
was musical comedy on the basis of
genuine merit.
Stretching It" Little.
1.-The Rogers Brothers IN Paris" was
musical comedy on the basis of over
exploited personality-partly the per
sonality OF the two Rogers brothers
and partly the literary personality of
one John J. McNailcy. Many Washing
ton theatergoers viii remember the glee
with which they heard the Rogers
brothers in "A Reign of Error" 1t was
the old advertising managers dream
come 10 life-"SiXty laughs to the
minute Not q dry line to the piece. :"
OF course. everyone knew II was just a
vaudeville turn drawn out over three
acts. but II was Il good vaudeville turn,
and it stood the strain on its ductility
we'll
II any man stopped TO consider the
outlook at thar time he must have
known that this same vaudeville turn
could not be drawn out over ten or
twelve years without stretching right
thin II, ON the other hand the men
who had originated this vaudeville turn
were half artists they might originate
Il new vaudeville turn for next year,
spread that out over three acts. and SO
keep on year after year providing a
pleasant ort OF diversion. no matter Il
il I have any other value.
gers brothers had only done
rouie have found any fault
sement is too rare. Bu1
.5se, instead. merely TO re-vamI
-.r old turn for each new farce Il
this years jokes We're about a cottage
ION the blur next years were about
some millionaire's mansion by tht
..sefze" About forty such Jokes. witt
half a dozen parodies strung together
into two or three numbers. and dozei
comedy turns, make up the Roger.
brothers contribution TO one OF these
''musical comedies. .
As for Mr.. neutrality-suspicious. be ha1
done the best he could He seems t
find favor Ia New York. and so, In IN
theatrical view, he ought 10 .mak
good elsewhere. But he has never ye
..ryade good IN Washington. If he con
tinues Ia do work like THE Roger
Brothers In Paris he never viii.
The Academy's Good Fortune.
Excepting for woodland. TO wi1icl
Il was an admirable foil. the best per
forfnanee Of the week was that Q
Texas" at the Academy. 1t was
play of the plains. written by on
thoroughly familiar with that eountr
and life. and given fine dramatic form
Ile acting WAS admirable Ropef