Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-31
At the Theaters

''The Music MASTER ut the BurwOOd.
David warfield and company IN The
Music Master a comedy In three
acts by Charles Klein; under the al
Herr Anton Won Bsrwig. David Warfield
signor Tagllafico. "Fico' Of Milan,
Mons nir'i Louis SiGi'h Pinac Of PARIS nf90S viola Are"'"'
Herr August Poems Of LeiPzig; eeilS.
tMusicians Of the Liberty rafe3
Henry A tanton.'..... Oscar Eagis
RReeT%epTTiTy cc&rruGsser. his son. .w MHnn Ei nRSf
Mr.. Schwarz, secretary Amalgamated.
Musical association. stephen Malcy
union. ............... Tony Bevan
Al Costello .......... George woodward
DHIitson. Mr.. stanton's secretary
Danny 49,. Master Richard Kessler
Mrs. Andrew cruger -. Isabel waldron
Miss Houston of Houston street
Jenny Antoinette Walker
Charlotte ............ .Veda McEvers
Octavie. ....... Ruth Gates
(Mrs. Cruger's nieces.)
It is rather grateful to turn from the
unpleasant atmosphere of "The Devil' to
the more wholesome and satisfying air that
one breathes with THE Music Master
The play of Klein lacks the polish Of the
Molnar play, but It has the human touch,
the fine quality that grips the heart and
starts the tear, and proves zone touch of
nature makes the whole world kin" And,
by that same token. he shows that all the
world loves to laugh a little. too, and that
humor knows neither geographical nor
racial distinctions. The story OF the play
is a trite and even hackneyed one, and its
handling by the dramatist is not such as
would excite special wonder. But II has
the elements that please. and staged by
David Bolasco and enacted by David War
field, It has proven one of the greatest OF
modern successes. 1t is hardly necessary
to stop here to award special praise to
either Of these gentlemen. They know they
are artists, and they know they have
achieved something In The Music Master"
and they also know that it is still drawing
nightly as many people as may be crowded
into the theaters where the play is shown,
and that these people alternately laugh and
cry as Mr.. Warfield sways them.
Omaha had this experience last night at
the Burwood theater, where one of the
most representative audiences ever assem-
bled spent an evening under the spell OF
the actor and the stage manager combined.
For Mr.. Belasco's atmosphere" has as
much to do with the result as Mr.. War
fields Temperament" Maybe more, for
almost any good actor could get pronounced
effects from the lines and situations pro-
vided for the star. but only one stage
manager before the people today knows
how to produce exactly the results at
tanned by Mr.. Belasco, the unchallenged
Wizard. But the combination is irresistible.
The tribute Of tears, honest and heartfelt,
Is paid to them, and also the tribute Of UNI
forced laughter.
But Belasco and Warfield are not all of
"The Music Master IN the company one
sees the same careful attention to detail
that is shown in the preparation OF scenery
and the acting of the star. Each member
of the cast Ia as careful with his or her
part as IL it were the leading role, and
each is as relatively good. so that the
whole comes very close to perfection. Miss
Perry is so pretty. so graceful. and SC
naturally girlish that she is wonderfully
charming as the young woman who turns
out to be the baby the old music master
sought, Miss Walker, as the maid of ali
work at the Houston street rooming house
is as effective IN her role; she, too, Is
pretty and plquant, but in a different way
and yet natural. For the rest. let them be
content with the general summing up thai
all are worthy of praise.
The reception accorded the company last
night was as much as Omaha can do fol
"strolling players" 1t is very rare that
an Omaha audience will sit still after the
finai curtain and call the star back twice
to bow his thanks, but this was done last
night. The engagement continues the rest
of the week. with a matinee on Saturday.