Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-29

the scene in washington this
week 1t was the Columbia The
~ alter that got the Miss Hook of
Holland" 1t proved to be a
very honest hardworking little musical
comedy; cheerful under adversely and
hoping for the best. 1t was presented, SO
the program (Which is one of the best
things in the show relates, by Mr.
Charles Frohman. Mr.. Frohman is sort
of theatrical mystery. Untiring in initia
tive and prodigious in results, he Grapes
his own personality in dense obscurity A
photograph of Charles Frohman is as
rare as one of the twenty-dollar coins
without In God We Trust" on them
and would doubtless command any sort
of premium among collectors. Every
now and then he hovers over Washington
like an influence rather than an earthly
and tangible creature. The announce
ment. therefore. that he would come to
Washington and supervise the production
of Miss Hook of Holland awakened in
terest. But the earnest-looking man who
sat in the directors chair proved to be
Mr.. w. T. Francis, the musician, and not
Mr.. Frohman.
For the most part, Mr.. Frohman's pres
entations deal with people who act with
out singing. But every now and then he
loves to burst into song. When he does
this he carols with all his heart. THE
Girl From Up There" north pole fan
tasy, by q. NJ. S. McClelland was one of
his earliest productions. 1t did not last,
but 1t introduced more stars to musical
comedy than any other production known
to the American stage. A number of
musical and comic celebrities who got
their start with that magnificent but
frosty enterprise are now established IA
vorites. Undisheartened he perSevered,
and has presented numerous musical
shows with a good average of success.
Mr.. Frohmans liking for music Is nat
ural. In his early experience he was con-
nected with Haverly's minstrels as he
frankly avows in his personally edited
biography of who's Who"
This biography reveals a trait in Mr..
Frohman's personality which is as admir-
able as it IS exceptional. He is not afraid
of the word failure" He bluntly recites
that after a tour with Haverlys Masto-
don Minstrels in America and Europe he
went on the road with Lady Clare and
Victor Durand,' in 1881, but that tour
failure. Imagine any ordinary man
ager setting it down in cold black and
white for the world and posterity to be-
hold that anything he was ever associated
with was a failure!
1t is not to be inferred that Mr.. Froh-
man likes occasional failures just for the
sake of varying the monotony. Not bit
of it. Early in the week an ambulance
call was sent to New York and ]. ]. Nc
Nally appeared on the scene with the, book
of prescriptions and the case of instru-
ments with which he used to relieve any
symptoms of melancholia in THE Rogers
Brothers" After consultation it appears
to have been decided that a fat man is
funnier than thin one, so Thomas Wise
was put in the role that AL Leech had on
the opening night Changes will be made
in the piece and they will all doubtless be
for the best The week in Washington
was purely a preparatory and experiment
tai affair. Some of the New York papers
father supercilipusly announced the pres
Hsttstion of this show at the Criterion
heater tomorrow night as its first per
fSSqance. This seemed a slight, but. as
evelIs have materialized, it proves to be
subs antiallyl correct.
may seem a little sordid to note the
fact that the good people of Washington
who assemble to admittedly made
quate performances get no rain checks
The future of Miss Hook of Holland
is as much in doubt it was week
= ago. Perhaps Mr.. Frohman's foresight
and determination may conquer as they
Nave before, and he will have the salts
faction of bringing a success back to the
place where it was originally accounted
a failure. But Monday night it had all the
marks of one of those events which in
wife anathema in New York. 1t looks like
case of sic EN-. Tige"'
Mary Mannering, who was as irresistible
as ever. appeared in her old play, "Glori-
Gus Betsy" and departed amid the usual
shower of compliments. William Faver-
sham, TOO, had familiar vehicle. but his
popularity as an actor won him the Gus
tomary welcome,
The burlesque on THE Squaw Man"
given Christmas night just for fun by the
members of the company playing at the
National was not only amusing, but in
structive 1t constituted a reminder of
the closeness with which the sublime oft
presses the ridiculous, and impressed,
along with its robust humor, the i'm
portance of individual traits in an actor.
The word 'mannerism" long since lost
it's terror. Well subordnated to art, man.
nerism Is an asset and a trademark.
Mr. Faversham's method has been so
even, so distinguished by judicious quie-
tude that 1t remained for the close &C
sociates of many weeks to discover that
he has his own little tricks of gesture and
tone which make the role he assumes
peculiar to himself. But they are there,
and once seen under the magnifying.
power of travesty cannot be forgotten.
PHILANDER JOHNSON.
FIFTY-SIX CHRISTMASES SPENT
ON STAGE.-Last Christmas day K. vi.
Holland celebrated the fifty-sixth ami