The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-05
An1usen1ents
sThe Umpire,s Al the Montgomery

"The Umpfre,S At the Montgomery The musical comedy that was on the boards at the Montgomery Theatre last evening appeals to only two classes Of citizens--those. who love baseball, and those who do not The Umpire" is a edy for the lack of better designation. but there is action enough for a wild west show. noise enough for a Fourth of July picnic, people enough for a New York ballet, baseball enough for college course, music. enough for a concert, features enough fors vaudez vile entertainment and fun enough for burlesque show; probably musical comedy" is the only phrase that would fit the ensemble.
 Joe Whitehead, the comedian, was the show. Of course. he had assistance. and the support that was rendered him was good, almost uniformly, but EThe Umpire without Whitehead would have been worSe than 'Hamret'' without the melancholy Dane for the title role. He vas on the stage almost continuously from the rising of the curtain until the setting thereof, and from the moment that the large audience. which almost filled the auditorium, had located" him. he was the center of attraction.
 Whitehead ia energetic enough and funny enough for the comedians part in any of the pieces that have paid a visit to this section of late, and the
 
 starred before. He is before the foot lights almost continually, though never obtrusiyely. and he is always busy sl some new idea for fun-making. And his jokes and his stunts are most of them new, not the done-over variety that make one weary and. foot-sore, even he is laughing, but the entirely new and unexpected things. that pro- duce the spontaneous laughter that helps the digestion.
 lie has m voice--more's- tha nftv. or rather, he has the fog horn voice of "an umpire" He can call balls and strikes in the final baseball scene. but he Is not at home singing low ditties. He has all the usual accomplishments of the stock comedian, but over and be- yond these he is able to think up new stunts to kee the audience in @ pleased state of mind.
 members have decidedly the best of ft. Probably Harry Hanlon, as J Stanley Lewton, the summonS-avoiding head Of the beef trust, and the rather oI twL pretty young daughters, Is the strong est member of the cast, aside from Whitehead himself. while John E. Hynes, as "Shifty' Goode. was ais~ good.-
 Dorothy Webb, as Maribel Lewton. won the applause of the auditors on on of the femals support Helen Wilton, as her sister. was fair, but Virginia Ainsworth, as Lady FitZhugh, could hardly have been intemued to have been taken seriously.
 The Sun that Shines on Dixie Land as it was ssung by Carleton and the male chorus of a dozen voices, struck responsive chord in the breast 3t a large proportion of the audience, and the melodious-voiced youths were com pelled to respond to encore after en- core. Gross Your Heart" a pretty little duet by Whitehead and Miss Webb, was excellently done, and oeserv- ed the numerous plaudits 1t received. There were numerous other vocal se- lections that were well received
 The chorus was well drilled, and com prised some neatly arranged packages of beauty, which seemed to be appre- ciated by the audience.
 All in all, while there were some minor defects, The UmpireP went off exceedingly well, and the large number