Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-25
SCOTT STRONG IN
BEAU BRUMMEL'
BELASCO COMPANY SCORES A
GRATIFYING SUCCESS
cRlcoLATIs AND MISS LILLIAN
MORTIMER AT ORPHEuM
Miss cain-Brown's Illness Necessl-
tates Sudden Change in "Circus
Girl" Cast-Grand Rumor
Denied
by w. HERBERT BLAKE

The prince OF wales, helr apparent TO
.............. Frank Richardson
Beau Brummel ............ Howard scOtU
Richard Brinsley sheridan ,,.,.,.,,,
Reginald Courtenay, nephew to the
Beau ............. Charles Ruggles
mortimer '"ie' ~ Richard vivian
Mr.. oliver Vincent, father of Mariana
.................. De Witt I. Jennings
Lord Manly, fOp....... George webb
MIR. Abrahams, a money lender ;...;;.,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. james Applebee
First baiIiG ............a... Harry Oaks
Second bailiR .......,....... Harry speare
Princes fO0tman. .......-. Charles Duek
simpson, foOtman to Beau Harry oaks
The duchess of bennington Miss Ida Lewis
Mrs. st. Aubyn " Miss Adele harrington
.-.-.-,... Miss Beatrice NOyes
Lady Farthingale Miss trace "aFonef
A French lodging house keeper 49,.
................ Miss Jessie Norman
Nothing so common as a lord" but
that rarer thing, a gentleman, was the
KEYNOTE of Howard Scotts Beau
RrummeI" which followed closely the
lines of the Mansfield creation at the
Belasco last night. 1t is the dandy
localized beyond even the conception or
CLYDE Fitch. 1t is the story of now the
arbiter of fashion discovered a soul.
And Mr.. Scott was careful so to mod
ulate his characterization as TO make
this spiritual transformation dramat-
ically visible. From act to act we saw
+he tvDical indifference of the man
sloughed off until in the superb act OF
self remuneration for beloved relative
there shone out the real nature, hidden
long, but ever waiting the opportunity
of service.
Most of the plays famous epigrams
are from the lips of the dilettante
Rrummel. as when he says to the
puzzled valet: BUSY? Never employ
that term with me. Insects and city
men are busy. Gentlemen are never
busy" And Mr.. Scott is enough OF a
realist to retain the amiable egotism OF
the man, even in that last desperate eX-
tremity when the poet fancy OF the
Beau defies the wolf at the door with
visions of former banquets. Inc
tragedy is not all quixotic. There is
ever the sordid background of creditors,
and the Belasco company so presented
this rather humorous army OF de-
frauded tradespeople as to make one
Justly sympathize with their sufferings.
THE modern stage method is very level
ing and tragedy knows no class lines;
It is not until the defeated Beau be-
gins to dominate the scenes of ms own
disaster that Mr.. Scott appears to
awaken to his role. and even this delay
to seize and hold the center OF the
stage is in keeping with the plays inner
motif For it is the defeated Brummel
who wins. 1t is the conquered dandy
who iests even with death, while his
last acts are in behalf of his pathetic
ally hoodwinked friends.
All this-and it is the heart of a very
difficult role-Mr. Scott portrayed with
few excuses of method and with rare
insight toward the tremendous closing
scenes From the fop who badgers his
creditors to the gentleman who rebukes
royalty itself the ascent is swift and
electrifying. The character seems to
grow before our eyes, as Hyde was
wont to swell into the nobler shape of
DR.. Jekyll.
Miss Reed handled the situation with
Lord Manly with a dainty scorn, which
melted into instant sympathy in her
dialogues with the Beau Her picture
of conflict between opposing duties was
excellent.
Mr.. Jennings made a ludicrous part
human and inspiring, even lovable. The
Mortimer of Mr.. Vivian was easily next
to the title character in accuracy of
portraiture and perfection of detail Mr..
Applebee did that extraordinary thing:
win our sympathy in the role of a very
sordid money lender. Miss Harrington
showed advance over her work in the
Jerome play. Even the ungracious task
of playing his gracious majesty was
performed with some distinction by Mr..
Richardson.
An annoying flaw in the opening
nights performance was the ignorance
of their lines displayed by several in
the cast Mr.. Scott himself was not
the least offender in this regard, his
lines being repeated again and again in
full hearing of a good part Of the pit.
Stage illusion is a difficult thing to
maintain, at BEST and the sibilant muir
muir of the man behind the scenes is
fatal to it's finest effects.
But the excellence of the acting tri-
umphed over even it's own defects, just
as the brave soul of the Beau-every
inch a dandy to the last-sat at that
last grim feast, its ruler and it's hero,
John Fl. Blackwood last night en-
phatically denied a rumor corrent in
local theatrical circles that he had en-
gagged Rice and Cady of San Francisco
to succeed Murray mad Mack at the
Grand theater, and pointed to the big
audiences which are enjoying the clever
work of the talented Irishmen this
week as ample REPUTATION of the re-
port. The story named the Frisco
team as supposed successors, but did
not give any date for the rumored
change. The entire story is repudiated
by the Grand management.
With Miss Mango buffet in the role
of Favorita and Miss Lowell Alice Tay-
lor as Lucille, the slack-wire walker
1.-THE Circus Girl was given so smooth
a presentation at the Burbank last
night that only those in the audience
who recognized the players realized
that a sudden change in the cast had
been made since the performance OF
the night before
Miss Agnes CAIN Brown, who sang
Favorita all of last week and at the
two Sunday performances, was taken
I'll Sunday night and finished her work
only with great difficulty. Yesterday
she was compelled to give up and take
to her bed, her physician refusing to
allow her to go to the theater. Man
ager oliver Morosco was promptly
notified and a hurried rehearsal was
called, Miss Taylor being summoned
from her home to play Miss buffet )
part of Lucille, while Miss buffet was
given the role Of Favorita.
In addition, Miss buffet sang two
songs, including the pretty IF You
Will" so well as to win encore after
encore.
The speediest recovery from chloro.
forming in the annals of medicine was
that of Miss Lillian Mortimer, as
Jimmy" in the sketch which brought
IN a climax an excellent bill at the