The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-17
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The Heir to inc Hoorah.

Like Bud Young's predicament there comes a lump in the throat when one reflects on The Heir to the Hoerah.' It is caused by a bigness of the heart, a tenderer feeling for humanity, re- joicfng that such people as Joe Lacy and Geraldine Lacy. and Dave Lacy, and Hal Kelly and Kate Brandon. Madge Casey. Bill Ferguson Lew Perry, Gus Ferris and all the rest of them have lived about us; that their deeds, their loves and their sorrows have been the deeds, the loves and the sorrows of our neighbors and ourselves.
 A baby--the first baby--arouses the womanliness of Geraldine Lacy and awakens In her the love for her hus- hand, baby's father. It is nnelo. dranic situation, but 1t Is human. and it is so true All melodrama is not bad The main theme is the Astrugg1e between mother-love and husband love. The baby, the heir to the great mine that Is in itself fortune, de- cides for Geraldine Lacey and she yields al to the husband, casting aside the mother, who had scoffed at baby s father because he was uncouth.
 .yThe Heir to the Hoorah" is not the greatest comedy ever written. But as presented last night at the MoRt- gomery Theatre by the notable cast it was the most satisfying entertain 0sGnL or the SGdSOus 4b " dcs fWAbhCSS~ ed by a large and fashionable audi ence, who gave the excellent company of actors unstinted approval. So all- consuming was the interest in the play that one left the theatre reluctantly, left with a keen desire to follow the lives of Joe Lacey and his wife, who were last seen in a heart to heart en- brace full of love for each other and the heir" who had made their lives complete
 Paul Armstrong wrote The Heir to the Hoorah' and 1t was rewritten by tho late Kirk LaShelle.t who was a genius in drawing ineisive American characters especially those of the West ern country The action takes place in a Western mining town Joe Lacy, his brother, Dave Lacy and Bud Young. are equal owners of The Hoorah." a mine that is yielding millions. A for tune-hunting mother. Mrs. Kent Is willing to accept Joe's money for the hand Of her daughter. Geraldine. Mrs Kent is drawn viciousIy narrow and she soon thrusts her disagreeable per- sonality between wife and husband. the latter of whom she denounces as vulgarian and an impossible son-in- law. ai r 2 adi separation is forced and Joe, full of love for his wife, is driven from his home. He travels eight months in Europe and goes back home with some of the polish that Europe is reputed to give to Western miners. Then The Hefr to the Hoorah," IS born. The deli cate but momeutous occasion is com municated over the telephone to Joe Lacy and his friends. inteIfupting q dinner party given in honor of his return. Loves awakening comes to Geraldine Lacy with the birth of the baby boy and mother-fn-law Kent Is shipped East in Joe Lacy's private car. Joe and Geraldine hug each oth- CT as the audience passes out of the theatre and muttering maledictions on the poor moth r-in-law who is really the william of the play.
 Again we say this sounds very much like an ordinary melodrama, but the oounterplots are so cleverly and nat urally interwoven into the comedy, the characters are so sharply drawn and there is such q nice treatment of the lights and shadows of human life that the play is full of charm and the pictures are convincing from beginning to end. The contrasts, the incongeni- ties border close upon the farcical ana one must not stop to analyze too close ly if he would fully enjoy the play. The comedy is broad and direct and the love, hate and sorrow are eenu- inely depicted.
 After all, one is bound to conclude that the company presenting me Heir to the Hoorah" is greater in us whole than the comedy If the comndy is to be viewed as a literary prOduc- tion. The brilliant coterie of acters did nout permit jar, not single note of discord In the four acts af the play. Every one of them was so finished that we will want to remember them. Here Is the full cast;
 Morris, an imported but1er-Harry Rich.
 Hush. a Japanese vaIet--T. Tama- mote.
 Mrs. H. J. K. Kent. mother-in-law Maud Ream Stover.
 Mrs. Joe Lacy. her daughter--Nora O'Brien.
 Joe Lacy, of the, Hoorah Mine-Guy Bates F osE
 Mrs. Kate Brandon. of the Katydid Mine-Jane Peyton.
 Dave Lacy, Joe's brother and part ner-Ernest Lamson.
 Bud Young, Joe's freind and partner -Wilfred Lucas. H. Van Rensselaer, Gelly, foreman of | the Hoorah--Frank Monroe. Livingston Winthrop, an Eastern cap | italist-Brinsley Shaw.
 | Bill Ferguson and Lon Perry, own | ers of the Killbear Mine-C. c, Quinby
 
 and Charlie M. Seay.
 Gus Ferris, owners of the Dixie l Ranch-Ben S. Higgins.
 Madge Casey. maiden aunt of Joe and
 Dave Lacy-Louise Rutter.
 De. Whipple, physician-GeorgS 1 Barr.
 Miss Johnson. a trained nurse-F1or' | ence Coventry.
 Now here are at least six players whC have headed their own companies. MT Post. who gave vivid. manly portraya
 of Joe. was the Steve" of The Vir
 ginian" Company MT. Shaw. who wa
 the one despicable character in thu
 play, was two years leading man fo Adelaide Thurston; Mr. Monroe gav us 2 delicious portrayal of ''rhe Ear of Pawtucket" two years ago; Mis-
 O'Brien has played leads here witt Viola Allen. and Miss Peyton is one O the most intelligent leading women ol
 the American stage.
 It goes without saving that thes pla&ers were so near perfect as [
 chakul the great audience, More can
 not be said at late hour in the nigh