The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-07
neWS 81 the Stage

living and of simple, unalloyed right
eousness
The production of The Old Home
stead this season is promised to be
complete In every detail. and the sup
porting company, including the famous
double auartette, of exceptional merit
me Old Homestead comes to the
montgomery Theatre Wednesday night
"The Gingerbread Man."
The Gingerbread Man." which will
be seen at the Montgomery Theatre
thursday night. is the only one of all
the big musical extravaganzas on tour
| that carries five established comedi-
ans, like Ben Grinneil, who was prln-'
cipai comedian at the New York Hip
podrome; Ross Snow. who was the
original Fairy Queen in the notable
production of Jack and the Bean
stalk; Eddie Redway, who starred in
Smiling Island; w. II. Mack. who
starred for number of seasons under
his own management in farce come
dies, and VIII Donnelly, the latter one
OF the few comedians on the stage to-
day who possess tenor voice of quail
ity.
1t Is to the efforts of this quintette
of laugh producers that the great need
of success achieved by The Ginger
bread Man" is due Just as surely as
the day of the drama with "one part"
steal comedy with a single comedian a
thing of the past.
There are very few individuals on
the stage today who can amuse an au-
dience for two hours and a half. The
playgoing public Is moved by a desire
Tor entertainment nowadays. This has
been proved over and over again dur
ing the past few seasons by the ava
lanche of failures. The attractions
literally patronfzed by the public to-
day are not those which exploit sim
gle footlight parsonage, but those which
appeal on the ground of genuine merit.
The Gingerbread Man" with its big
roster of comedians and singers, pos
sesses one of the strongest all-around
casts that has left New York this sea-
son; for in addition to Messrs. Grin
nell, Snow, Roadway, Mack and DON
nelly, 1t contains Homer Lind, the bar
itone who season before last sang with
the Savage English Opera Company.
Grace Belmont, who was prima donna
with the Nixon and Zimmerman Opera
Company; Mae Phelps, who was espe-
cially engaged to sing the prima donna
role with The Prince of Pilsen" dur
ing the New York run of this piece,
and Nellie Lynch. who scored so de-
cidedly in the original cast of THE
Tenderfoot."
In addition to its splendid cast of
principals. The Gingerbread Man" car
ries an ensemble of sixty-five chorus
girls.
Mrs. Leslie Carter in "DuBarry."
Scarcely an event of the season will
begin to attract such attention among
theatregoers as the appearance of the
famous star, Mrs. Leslie Carter at the
Montgomery Theatre on Friday night, in
her most successful play, "DuBarry,"
by David Belasco, which closes the
ie cd
easily first among the English speak,
ing artists and in emotional roles is
without a peer. 'DuBarry," her most
successful play, tells a most fascinat-
ing story of the days of Louis XIV. of
France, and as a production it has new
err. in scenic investment, been equalled.
Briefly. this is the story of 'DuBar-
ry." In the first act DuBarry is re-
vealed as jeanette Vaubernier,
charming little milliner IN a fashion
able Paris shop at the time of Louis
XIV. A young officer of the Kings
guard, Cosse- Brissac, has fallen in love
with her and would make her his WIFE
at the very hour when she has made
an appointment to meet Cosse- Brissac
she is lured to the famous gambling
establishment of the Marquis de Cues
noy through the Establishments of Jean
du Barry. who Is in league with the
notorious Marquis. Her beauty attracts
the King and he schemes to make her
his mistress. but through a series of
trying experiences which are intensely
thrilling. jeanette remains true to her
soldier lover and before n great as
semblage she makes the King the COM
mon laughing stock. In the end, how
ever. she Is shorn of her power by the
revolutions and condemned to death
because of her association with the
Royalists.
1t is conceded that Mrs. Leslie-Car-
ter has never been seen to better adj
vantage than as Madame duBarry, and
the play Is one of the most notable of
the past decade. Her supporting COM
pany Is one of exceptional merit.