The Washington herald., 1907-05-05

w.
vt HAS not been a dun week in Wash
ington theatFieals. the week just
past. but il has not been an attrac-
tive week from the point of view Of
serious dramatic effort. Indeed, those of
us who believe in the higher function for
the drama and nobler use for the stage
than the furnishing of a means of relaxa-
tion and discretion of audiences. are in
clined to deprecate the heavy incursions
that are being made by the glittering
comic operas and musical comedies. New
serious plays seem hard 20 find. Year by
year the ranks of our hrst-class actora
of serious drama are being depleted by
the auurements OF higher salaries and
Fighter work in vaudeville. or even by
attractive positions in these same musi-
cal comedies. And the sad part about it
is that there is very seldom any return.
It is bard to think of many notable
recruits to the legitimate stage from the
ranks of comic opera Only two. as
matter Of fact. come readily 90 mind
Henry Dixey. who graduated i'm serious
drama from the ranks of "Evangeline.
and Francis Wilson. who, never having
much of voice. gave up his rather
painful efforts at singing TO become a
fairly good legitimate comedian.
ON the other hand we are constantly
bearing of men and women who have
made high marks in the legitimate drama
descending into vaudeville, and now that
the theaterical syndicate promises 10 enter
abe vaudeville field we hear that Mr.
GusJaVe Frohman has already secured
contracts with many of the leading actors
and actresses of America 10 do short
sketches in vaudeville More and more
We are leaving the solid things Of the
drama behind us and supporting too ar
IDENTIFY the mere froth and glitter In
doubtedly the tendency is an evil one
and greatly 10 Dee deprecated, bar if there
is any remedy for it. outside of common
sense Of theater-goers themselves. il is
not apparent ON the surface.
The most attractive musical show
durins the past week, perhaps, was
"Noah's Ark. Ey Miss Clare Hummer.
which drew large audiences TO the New
National Theatsr When Washington saw
this piece on Monday night last. it saw
The sixth performance that had ever
been given of it. Naturally there were
a number OF crudi-ies; the dialogue halt
cd in piacesi there were gapS in the
action; and il was very evident that the
Piece needed .'buckng up." This process
bcsan on Tuesday when thc wcll-knoWn
New York stage manager Mr. Julian
Mitchell, came over and took charge of
The piece and kept the company working
hard at rehearsaIs an during The week.
But in spite of the Obvious faults Of
'-Noahs Ark IL is easy 10 be seen mat
here is "a strikingly original theme for
musical comedy, and. along It's main lines. /
admirably worked out. IL is fortunate i'm
having so clever a comedian as Mir
Harry Bulser i'm the principal role. and
his supporting company was an that
could Doe desired. The central idea of
tile piece Is SO good, its possibilities So
great. that there is small doubt that|
this piece viii be improved "a hundred Der
cent before it closes It's present season /
aud it is likely next year 10 be one of
the big hits la the musical comedy line
At the Columbia the musical Offering
was THE Gingerbread Man" play /
that has attracted "a great deal of atten-
ton in Jhe Middle West and made a /
good deaf of money there. Since then.
however. il has passed through several /
managerial hands and Washington +
theater-goers certainly did not see it at
its best. For ITS long run in Chicago (
II had Helen Bertram for prima donna:
Almyra Forrest played the part of The .
Prince, and the only other prominent
feminine part was played by tuneful and /
pretty Harriet Burt, who is now herself {
d star. About the only clever member Of /
the company who has been with it from (
the beginning, and TO whose brilliant
work much of it's success has been due.
who is retained. is Eddie Redway. whose /
song John Dough has long since at
tanned 90 the popularity of the barrel
organ The piece Is tuneful, contains (
some quaint conceits, is backed up BIZ an
adequate chorus. But if Washington
theater-goers really wanted to see il. it is
fortunate they took advantage Of the on
poUunity last week, as it is pretty Ger
tain II VIII be relegated TO One-nigbt
stands next year.
De Wolf Hopper's return TO the BeIssco
Theater attracted large audiences all the
week He gave the old favorite Wang"
for the first five nights of the week
and whether it was the Typical Tune
of Zanzibar or De Wolf Hopper's elop-
gated and magnetic personality itself
that was the drawing card, does not
much matter-the audiences came. They
came. they liked Wang" and they liked
Hopper in the part which through long
years he has made distinctly his own.
The last two nights Of the week he nut
on his latest success, "Happyland," one
of the most tuneful and pretentious comic
operas of recent years. The engagement
was much enjoyed and heartily applaud
ed and no feature of ID took better
perhaps, than Hopper's famous recita-
tton. Casey at the Bat" which insistent
requests from the baseball loving public
have caused him 20 revive
There seems TO be no doubt now of the
general fact-some Of the details are Yet