The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-24
Cbe CbeatreS
"The RoIlicksng Girl"

i Whenever Charles Frohman pays the | freight, the public patronizes the thea
 Ire because the public knows that ar And The Rollicking Girl" presenting Sam Bernard and Hattie Williams as twin stars. is a whole train load of 1 kaleidoscope of harmonious coloring, landslipe of genuine fun, a dreamland | of bewildering beauty and a veritable
 volume Of harmony.
 one who likes this modern enter
 tainment, called musical comedy for
 want of a better name. if he stayed
 away from the. theatre last night be- cause The Rollicking Girl'' is the best
 thing in this class that Montgomery has ever seen. In continuity of story,
 of costuming, in the dazzling beauty of its half a hundred and more women. in legitimate acting of the parts assigned
 to the principals, in novelty of stage
 ty. The Rollicking Girl" would seem
 to have reached the limit of stage ex- travagance.
 But this is the Frohman way The Theatre-goers know this. and therc was not man or woman in the large
 and fashionable audience last night who failed to appreciate the diVerting entertainment. Indeed the play pro- gressed throughout enthusiastic ap- plause. and at the close of the third act MT. Bernard responded to an insistent demand and expressed appreciation of the cordial reception which himself and the large company had been accorded In Montgomery.
 Sydney Rosenfeld told strong and novel story when he wrote "The Rol- ! licking Girl" It opens in a Hungarian village with 1lona (Hattie WilliamsD in quarrel with her lover. Through
 pique she runs away to Vienna where she is engaged by chance as tn" load ing woman at the Royal Theatre. Sh" becomes the prctege of Schmalz. wig
 maker, and his wife, Lena; she fights
 a duel with Fanchette, the actress whom she. has supnlanted, passes | through other interesting experiences
 and finally goes back to the village | where she Is happily welded to her first | love.
 The story gives rich opportunity for l stage pictures and MT. Frohman, with | his customary prodigality, has seized l it. There are three acts and seven | gomery Theatre stage was used. The I first scene was fine view of a Hun
 sarian courtyard at the home of Ilona | with it's massive gates back stage 1 opened, revealing meadow, chapel and l rural houses in the distance. Then 1 there was the Vienna gardens. with | their brilliant illuminations and the | palace in the background; the novel | picture of the stage of the Royal The l atre, Vienna. with a rehearsal in pro 1 gress. giving opportunity for some of
 
 | marches and funny acts we have had
 here. Schmal2's wig emporium, Ilona's | boudoir, the fencing scene in the woods, with its realistic waterfall and running 1 water; all of these were so realistic l that the audience was aroused to the | highest enthusiasm by their many de- l lightful surprises.
 sam Bernard and Hattie Williams
 are all of the good things that have
 ever been said of them. As Schmalz, Mir. Bernard was deliciouslv funny be- | cause he was never vulgar. It was | legitimate character acting because he | was subtle and intelligent. His meth ! ods are so much higher than those of | Mir. Weber. MT. Fields, Mir, Cawthorn l the Rogers and other German come 1 dians that MT. Bernard stands alone. He 1 realizes more clearly the part of 1 Schmalz than he did that of Hoggen- l heiner because Schmalz is nearer to l life than the vulgar person shown ln l The Girl From Rays" There will De
 a warm greeting for Mr. Bernard when | he comes this way again.
 | We knew of course. that Miss Wil- | Hams was a handsome woman, but It remained for her to show real ability
 as an actor woman when she portrayed | Ilona It is n fine conceDtion and Miss | Williams grasps every bit of 1t. She 1 Is happy comedian. too. and her au-
 csence of last night laughed many times with her, while revelling in the 1 glorious gowns which showed off her l brunette beauty and stately figure.
 One felt glad to see Vinie Daly in such good COmDanv. She Is in a class Of stage women which is too few, wo- | men with the ability to sing well, dance well, make wry faces and say things in d naturally funny way. Her imitations of the old time songs and dances was highly entertaining. Miss Da!y. playing Lena. Schmalz's wife,
 and MT. Simms. as Pangal, a Niennese patron of art, d sort Of stage Johnny boy. were next to MT Bernard and Miss Williams in popular favor and they an 1 swcred every demand. MT. Sims's imi- tations of music hall singers were SO l funny that they will do to remember when one Is threatened with pcssim- 1 ism.
 The music of The Rollicking Girl" especially the ensembles was rendered 1 in a manner befittiuG such a glitter | ing entertainment. The large chorus, | the graceful balelts. the picturesque | costumes and the vast number of them made the entertainment a revelation notwithstanding much had been cx- i pcctcd.
 After all has been said it is perhaps 1 the genius of Ben Teal that makes l The Rollicking Girl" great. The play | was staged by MT. Teal. who is a mas l ter in the art of harmoniZing colors | and of pleasing the eyes and ears. These arc the chief aims of modern i musical comedy. In The RollickinG Girl" these aims have been realized 10 ! while NJ Frohman furnished the | money it was the fine hand of NIT. Teal ! that drew the pictures. The pictures
 will live the longest in our memory.
 Checkers is at the Theatre tonight.