The Washington herald., 1908-01-14

Mr and Mrs Arthur Lee ana the ldtter I
guest. Miss Miriam Crosby. who came up (
from her country home In Warrenton,
Va for the Bachelors Cotillion.
Mrs. Calderon Carlisle also was among
the box-holders, as were Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas NJ. Cha,ard, Mrs Tucker, and
Mrs John A. Logan.
The Peruvian Minister and Nine. Pardo
were In the audience. as were Mr.. Gurgel
DO Amaral of the Brazilian Embassy;
Mrs. Julian James. the secretary to the
President and Mrs Loeb. DT. Alberto
Costa, the new first secretary Of the
Argentine legation. who accompanied
Senor Portela, the Argentine Minister
son; Senor Salinas, Of the Chilean lega-
ton: Mr.. Jerome Bonaparte. Mr. Regi-
nald Huidekoper, and Mr.. stoddard Tay-
lor.
Among those entertaining box parties
were NJ. Szent-Ivany OF the Austro-
Hungarian Embassy who is leaving to-
morrow en- route to his new post in Eu
rope. and his colleague, Baron Haymerle,
the party being In the nature Of fare
well
Their guests were Mr. and Mrs Hugh
LegaTe. Miss Julia Meyer, Miss OelTichs
OF New York. guest at the Austro-
Hungarian Embassy; Miss Cameron, Miss
Norris. Miss HOyt Miss Cecilia May.
Baron AmbrOzy. counselor Of the Austro-
Hungarian Embassy; Herr Won Schubert
of the German Embassy. and Signor Mon
tagna, Of the Italian Embassy
The NatIonaI-sThe Red MIL"
!
Stone, was presented for the first time in
Washington at the National Theater last
night. before an audience equaling in
briliancy any one Of the present season.
Any detailed critical analysis &C this
famous production at this time would be
superauous. The long runs in New York
and other great cities were fully justified,
inasmuch as in this play the acme OF the
modern musical burlesQue Is reached. The
music is tuneful above the ordinary, the
action lively. and the comedy is supplied
in the main by a pair Of funny men.
whose originality OF burlesque conception
and method OF exploiting the same seem
TO be bound by no ordinary limitations.
The contagien Of the merriment is
irresistible, the excess Of the humor so
abouRding that the surrounding o. music,
I spectacle and picturesque environment
seem side issues. although in this instance
they are far beyond passing good.
It is Montgomery and Stone who fur
nsh the chief cornerstone OF the whole
fabric. They are veritable princes Of
entertainment appearing at the start as
pair OF stranded Americans on the
banks Of the Zuderzee, the plot enabling
/ them 10 change characters frequently,
and 10 offer in profuse quantity that
branch Of burles4ue imitation and eccen-
! tric Characterization which IS their forte.
/ Passing over the funny stunts performed
while officiating as enforced walters at
/ a Dutch inn, the first poignant effect
we feel is when they appear in the guise
/ Of Inherent entertainers from Italy. sir.
/ Montgomery officiating as the organ
/ grinder. and Stone doing the side stunt
of tambourins artist. The parody evoked
tumultuous hiiarity. and eliminated in
/ ''Old New York" with comedy lights on
the characters Of that expansive burg.
The next and greatest creator Of mer-
riment shows Fred stone as Sherlock
/ Holmes. and Dave Montgomery as the
onnIpreseut Dr. Watson. The buriesque
portrayal OF the imaginary detective OF
! Dr. Doyle and his pr0saic companion IS
pre-eminently clever. Mr.. Stone especially
shining with effulgence. 1t is no common
horseplay caTicature, but involves close
study Of some OF the details OF the
characters. As a matter Of fact, the tell
ing quality OF the comedy OF both these
performers comes primarily from their
intelligence. There is no mere rehash OF
well known Things but an exploitation
OF things not seen before, or at least, II
the conception Of character. episode, and
dialogue is not original it certainly q,
( served up with such an original method
as completely 20 disguise the autotype
Al any rate the whole thing, from char
acter burlesque to eccentric dancing Is
intensely~ enjoyable, and the opportunity
To imbihe Of such wholesome comedy 5:
offered but "a few times during an ordl
nary theatrical season.
After this wholesale cOmmendatiOn o.
the principals IL Is but fair 10 say tha
there are other entertainers Of merit or
the programme. even though their abili
ties be overshadowed by the head.iners
Plenty OF subsidiary comedy is puTveyet
bv David l. Dow. es Willem, Nea
McCay. as the governor. Edward Beglel
as the burgmaster. and several others.
The musical features of the play hav'
become so well known beforehand as no
10 require undue dilatiOn. All the cat'hl
airs were well rendered, both by soloist
and chorus Miss Edna Fassett display
ing fine power and a dispenser rof TIT
sentimental. and Ethel Johnson as Tina
filing the soubrette role with gTea
pfeuancy. One number Of pre-eminen
distinction was Because You're YOU,
by Neal McCay and Miss Allene Crater
which called forth tremendous enthusiasm
| especially when the singers were aug
mented by the appearance Of a beVy 0
juvenile Hollanders. who acted out IN
spirit OF the song in the picturesque cos
tunes Of the low countries
Many spectacular features are intr0
duced. and the settings are pretty, wit
the orchestration and management ab0v
par. Taken altogether the Red MilT'
great musical show, and It is not likel
, that we will soon look upon its like again
CoIumbia-sThe Chorus Lady"
In THE Chorus Lady" which Wa
presented for the first time locally a
the Columbia TheateT last night. Wash
ington has one Of the genuine noveltie
Of the season. The mere statement tha
a years run in New York City pre-
cedes a plays tour has gotten to be
meaningless phrase "on the road, bu
, sight OF 1.-THE Chorus Lady Is al
that Is necessary to make one qnderstan
why it is the success that It is. 1t (
doubtful if any play Of recent vintage
except "The Music Master" which