The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-18

startling climaXes and reallStlc eHectS, a performance as presented Dy the Baldwin Melville Stock Company dramatic and comedy treat Tn every sense of the word
 Prices of admission for this engage ment will be as follows: "Wednesday and Saturday matinees. 15c, 25c and S5c; nights, 15c. 25c. 35c and soc.
 Seats on sale at the Grand box ofhcf for the entire weeks engagement
 Charles B. Hanford.
 No character in a play Is greater favorite with players that "Shylock in The Merchant of Venice" The character Is a strange study and ap- pears at first glance to represent one of the cases where an author failed 10 realize the greatness of his own work. There is no visible effort to invite sym pathy or respect for the vengefui money lender: and yet there Is mag nifcent pathos in his suffering that compels pity. It is this aspect or the character that Charles B. Hanferd em- phasizes; 1t Is the phase of "Shyiock that all great actors have striven 10 portray .ar Hanford's production of this play is regarded by many critics as the crowning achievement of his un- usually active and uniformly prosper ous career.
 Mir. Hanford Is now in the maturity of his artistic power. A man or splen- did physique, personal magnetism ana with the graces In reading blank verse so seldom met with on the modern stage, Is welcomed wherever he ap- pears as one of the few actors who are competent to convincingly portray characters of this class. Shakespeare Is no longer a mystery. He has been taken to the hearts of the present gen eration with affectionate enthusiasm. The feeble efforts of the modern dra- matist have only served as guide posts to direct popular intelligence to the master drama whose speeches scintll- late. whose situations always ring true and whose characters are invariably human; as human today as they were centuries ago.
 In The Merchant of Venice" occurs one of the greatest feminine characters "Portia." He never pictured women but in "Portia" he has embodied higher intellectual type than in any other heroine. Despite the mentality which enables her to confound the log ic of those most learned in the law, she is a high example of true woman hood. Miss Marie Drofnah has played the part of Portia with such dis tinguished success that her appearance in 1t has been hailed with deep inter est: She is an actress who combines great power with delicate refinement and her conquest of popular and crtti- cal approval has been as complete as it was rapid.
 Mr HaRferd's production of 'The Merchant of Venice" will be presented at The Grand, Friday, october 2s' Is the result of studious care and lavish expenditure. Nothing has been neg lected to make 1t complete in cast, cos tuning and scenery.
 Where '"The Merry Widow" Came From
 Managers Hirscher Brothers, of The Grand, announce MT. Henry W. Saw ages notable production of The Merry Widow, the record breaking Viennsse opera of this century.
 >'The Merry Widow was first pro- duced at the Theatre an der Wien, in Vienna, where 1t. had the German title, Die Lustige Witwe." This historic theatre is the house in. which Mozart produced. his 'MNagie Q FiHte." and as can realize how the place must have resounded to the plaudits of the de- lighted Viennese In 1791.- The drop cur tain shows a picture of episodes In "The Magic Flute" and one ot the char acters Is a portrait of old Schtkaneder, the shrewd manager, who wrote the execrable liberetto of the opera and InauG HIS lOElUh6 O0I OA @sAAEAAS D eNA ius.
 In the same theatre Johann Strauss of "Blue Danube fame disclosed to the world his captivating adaptations of his rythmmic dance tune, to the realm of the operetta. This theatre was in the throes of pecpniary distress when | the manager decided to try "The Merry l Widow" and found that he had struck a new vein of amusement assaytng al. most entirely pure gold. A most in l gratiating, captivating. alluring anc 1 haunting production 1t Is, full of tha golden champagne of Viennese lif' I which Is so much softer and less biting ] than the wine of Paris. And under i l lies the irresistible seduction of th' | Visnnese waltz, the dance of dances, that steals away mems souls by tn | way of their toss.
 1 It is a well known fact that notwith standing the many scenic production this fascinating operetta has had II Europe and tnIs country, MT. Savage ! American -investiture is credited b! tourists with excelling in all respect any of the splendid settings furnishe' on the continent. The scenery iron Walter Burridge's studio was mad from designs secured in Paris whil I the superb gowns and exquisite hat have all been imported direct iron France where the scene of the opera 1 laid. The artists have all won thei laurels in the New 4ork production and the special orchestra Is composei of the pick of Mir. Savage's famou Madame Butterfly orchestra.
 'The Merry Widow" comes to Tn Grand Thursday, october 29
 Majestic Theatre.
 Music and high class comedy are thu predominating haFactetistics of th' bin for next week at the local hous' of mirth, music. magic, novelty ant mtnstrelsy. Signor Joseph St Clair Is the greatest of all the straight ant trick harpists The comedy sketcl will he presented by the Four Franks and their "A Music-mixed Affair" is famous laugh producer. George Aus tin Moore Is one of the half-doze' really great monologue raconteurs am the Juggling Mathieus stand withou rival at the head of their class Jennings and Jewell are German dl | lect comedians who deliver the go)I' and little Lizzie Weller Is truly tn Child Wizard of the Piano. Thi is a very strong program and when eX ceptional motion pictures are adde' the bin then assumes gigantic pro portions. It will be tha talk of tn
 town.
 signor Joseph St. Claire. one of tn worlds best harpists. will give tn
 patrons a treat in the musical lin
 that has never been duplicated. Sig , nor St Claire can crawl over tn
 strIsgs of his instrument with his hrg : CTS in a way that s truly wonderful
 in a way that Is truly wonderful His execution is fine. his playing blind folded being simply immense an brought down the house. Harp must