The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-28
Amusenenfs
aThe Ham Treer nt The Grand.

of his life at The Grand Thursday night, where athe Ham Tree" flour ished. blossomed and bore fruit. The musical comedy Is said to he the tired mans own. It is built according to It's admirers and apologies for the benefit of the tired man of business who goes to the theatre to laugh and forget who would infinitely rather laugh than arouse his brain to the task of fol- lowing something sensible.
 But he had the time of his life at the theatre last night. "The Ham Tree" Is the king of laugh makers and care chasers. Mcintyre and Heath who grew 1t have been at work in the business thirty-four years. They have that long been together fin the minstrel business and in sketch and comedy work. The product of those thirty-four years of fun making IS seen in the finished production that set a Montgomery audience to laugh ing and kept it laughing over two hours.
 David warfieid's famous and most successful play, "The Auctioneer." grew out of a modest vaudeville sketch. EThe Ham Tree" had no prouder an cestry. The sketch has been anplified, enlarged and polished until 1t has been moulded into what has been called the best of all musical comedies.
 If the success of a musical comedy is measured by the number of iaushs produced-why, "The Ham Tree" leads all the rest. It is an inconsequential thing hut how it was enjoyed! There were people there. plenty of them, who actually grew weary of laughter and wished for something solemn-that their might have chance to stop aching. The backbone of the entertainment is of course the old minstrel or Vauas- vile sketch wherein the two famous partners, Mcintyre and Heath, go through their paces as fun makers They are excellent foils Tor eacn otheE Mcintyre. perhaps, is the more versa tile comedian. He certainly has got fen closer to the true negro dialect and when he played Alexander Ham bIetoniau he knew enough about the soothe+n negro to make up like him and not like the Northern idea Of what negro should be in costume ana voice and action. he was the ignorant stable boy and irresistible funny with it all.
 Heath's gifts were of different character and after all it might only he a matter of opinion to say that MIG Intyre was more the successful lauRh bringer Heath was different but ne was mighty effective in his own line or fun making He had rather solemn air and his use and misuse of the biz words was screamingly funny. Ana there was nothing more comic Tn night of comedy than his idea of his own dignity and his assumption or the inportance of a negro minstrel.
 The two performers are said 10 draw are among the highest paid men in that line of work. They are playing under Kiaw and Erlanger and the big firm has spent lots of money in stae- ing their greav entertainment. The layishness with which the piece Is put on is evidence not only of the conIi- dence of Klaw and Erlanger that II is one of the best things they nave on the road. but 1t also indicates that inc people who are playing in such stage sittings are drawing big money.
 Naturally Mcintyre and Heath are tbe big show. but to put on the must cal comedy the mana cement mas hire" son,e other peopIe of the first degree oT cleverness. Frank OBrien, who IS cast in what might be considered a n1fnor role is as fine comedian as one would care to see and there IS no req son why he should not head his own comnanv. He played an eccentric role in which the fun was fast and in which he came out with an astonishinS numher of remarkable mechanical de- vices to raise laughs. He got them' too. L.S
 The music was by no means bad' Phil w. Smith. who did juvenile role scored heavily in some catchy dittles Tho audience had him back seVerai time. He was a neat actor. too
 Miss Jeanne Fowler. who appeared as Mrs. Nickelbacker. was statu- esoue brunette of unusual beauty: While she was on the stage her good looks took the eye of the audience Ana in her own way Carolyn Gordon, nlaving the daughter, was equally handsome. As actresses the two were clever enough. ,s T
 s.The Ham Tree" carries lively ana actIve chorus The. chorus,is is not un usually beautiful. but 1t is fair enouSn and th ere was no room to complain of a lack of willingness Ca any part or 1t. ,..4 ov.rava gant n..t, z Ia the nevt attraction at The Grand.