The San Francisco call., 1908-04-09
1.-THE HAM TREE"
| DRAWS BIG HOUSES
Mcintyre and Heath's Produc-
ton Promises to Break
All Records
Clever Pieces Billed for Local
Theaters During Comingx
Week

Last night witnessed another inn
mense audience at the Van Ness thea
ter Mcintyre and Heath in The
Ham Tree" are the biggest drawing
attractions which have come to the big
avenue playhouse this season, and the
company backing the stars is easily
the best which has visited San Franciso
In many months. 1.-The Ham Tree" is
certain to break all records, and will
balance of this and all of next week
Francis Wilson, in When knights
Were Bold" will follow.
PRINCESS
Another evidence of the determina-
tlon or the Princess management to
secure the best attractions for its
house that money can buy will be af-
Ioroed next week when the double
Dill. Little Christopher" and The
Sonsbirds." will be presented. Helen
bertram VIII appear as Little Christie
pher, and VIII Burress will be seen
as oscar Hammershine in THE Song
olrds. He was brought out from the
east by the Princess management ex-
pressiy for this production. The piece
is travesty on the musical war which
mas waged in New York between Ham
merstein and Conried of the Manhat-
tan and Metropolitan opera houses, and
was first produced at one of the Lambs
gambols in New York. The musical
comedy is said to be one of the great
est hlts ever produced in New York.
and contains impersonations of all the
great artists who furnished the fight
ing forces of the belligerent opera
companies.
AMERICAN
The attraction for next week at the
American theater, beginning with the
matinee Sunday, will be the laughable
farce comedy. Browns in Town pre-
sented by Gerald r. Lumley's company
OF players. headed by Mae Keane and
Frank e. Montgomery. Cupid al Vas
sar, the musical comedy depicting life
at girls college. with Florence Gear
as the star, is attracting large au-
diences this week. There will be a
matinee next Saturday.
ALCAZAR
Secret Service" Is demonstrating the
admirable team work of the Alcazar
players. No "trickier'' play was ever
attempted by stock company, but the
Alcazar folk appear as If they had
given it month instead OF a week of
rehearsal, SO smoothly are its rapid ac-
Ing night 1t has attracted large au-
diences, and from the box office has
been issued report that the advance
sale for the remaining performances is
unusually heavy.
I'm Mizzoura.' the Nat c. Goodwin
success. written by Augustus Thomas,
is announced for next week, with Bert
ram Lyteli in the role of the little
sheriff
oRPHEUM
The Orpheum's seating capacity is
being taxed at nearly every perform
ance this week For next week the
new attractions announced promise to
keep the audiences as large and as
enthusiastic. There will be the EN-
pire City quartet; the three Leightons,
in a one act skit; Frank Orth and
Harry Fern, in Sign That Book" and
James F. Macdonald, a singing and
talking comedian. Ida O'Day will re-
sisted by Billy Taylor; Press Eldridge
and the Dunedin troupe will remain
another week.
CENTRAL
why Girls Leave Home" IL draw
ing full houses at the Central this
week. The play is logical, coherent
and well constructed. 1t abounds in
startling scenes and is relieved by de-
licious comedy situations. Pearl Sher-
wood, the leading character, is played
by Laura Hudson; Herman Cripps as
sumes the role of Dan Sherwood, her
brother. One of the tensest scenes
in melodrama occurs when Pearl cap
lures the villain, and makes her escape
through window. The play is care
fully and elaborately mounted.