The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-30


able good ear in music be swers with
Satuous and unctuous vanity; let us have
the tongs and the bones,' In tho name OF
truth and fun. why not let us have themf
The bones are tho very instrument Of
delight subsequently, exploited by u
negro minstrel. What their sister instru-
ment. the tongs, was may be found by
following the reference OF the commenta-
tors TO the British Museum. As q dramatist
Sha kespeare has here given us one OF the
most exquisitely comic touches in his por-
trait Of the weaver. As purveyor OF musi-
cal spectacle he called for a clownish tune
doubtless also a clownish dance-in fine
contrast with what had preceded. Could
anything be more deliCiously fitting than
TO introduce here 9 chorus OF COLLINS dane
ing to the strains OF the jewsharp and the
clappersp Artistically it would be worth
a wilderness Of property owls and bats,
Of electrical flowers, electrical glowworms
and i~nterpolated business.
Il was a hazardous experiment for Fred
Stone to appear before the public which
had taken TO its heart Of hearts his StrdD
Man in q new part which reveals his I'M
upholstered lace and form. But In The
Red MIL by the aid Of the book Of Henry
Blossom and tho music OF Victor Herbert
be has done Il not only without disaster
but with positive triumph. 1t is a long
time since American lbrettists n COM
poeers have given US a piece as evenly
admirable as this. The scenery Ia as rich
and Quaint as It Il beautiful. In the second
oct, which takes place in the hall OF a Dutch
burgomaster, the key Of color IL struck
by the delft thing Of wall and fireplace
and Is carried out In the costumes into a
symphony OF harmonious blues. There
IL enough Of a plot and moi too much. The
comedy business is fresh and the lines
many Of them genuinely witty. The songs
are sparkling and the music. II not Of any
signal originality, Is in charming good
taste.
IL In Mr.. Stone, however, who, now as
always, IL the centre OF the fun. In figure
and face he is as erect and handsome as his
StrdV Man was g~rotesquely unhinged'
but he is scarcely less amusing. At times
he Iapses into his old homeless dancing, to
! the delight Of an audience still hungry fol
his creature Of straw. One OF his funniest
new scenes is that in which, having boosted
Of linguistic accomplishments which he
did not possess, he Is obliged to take the
post Of guide and explain in seven Ian
guages to parties Of tourists the legend o.
the red mill. II is a bit Of business worthy
Of Lou Fields at his best. Later he and
Montgomery disguise themselves as SheT'
lock Holmes and Doctor WGtson, and give 9
parody Of Mr.. Gillette's play which re-
mains funny even in the shadow OF its
many predecessors. An actor more httec
by nature to travesty the lanky SheTtoc'
has never come down the pike.
Il is when the two appear as a pair oil
Bowery boys In -istio- conflict over theii
ladies' that Mr.. Stone is at his best. A more
hilarious bit Of acrpbatic clowning hal
not been seen since Slivers portrayed In
his own person a game Of professional ball
Mr.. Stones rendering OF the effects OF th'
blow which knoc.Is him out Of time 50 con
vulsed the audience thatit roared to have th'
scene again, and was hardly dissuaded by
the comedians pitiful protest in dumt
show and his manifest lack Of wind.
Clever this actor is in the highest degree
but il is not his cleverness that endears'
1t ~ the sheer joy and vitality Of his spirits
the rarest gift Of the comedian. His fac
is evidence in itself OF the happiness Of al
living, and every attitude OF his eXtraordi
nary limbs is an embodied delight. IL u
much that he is with us again, and NOR
that he has proved himself versatile al
he is funny. JOHN CoRBIN.