The Washington herald., 1909-05-28

The Lambs Gambol has been heralGed,
greeted, and enjoyed, and has passed into
history. SO far as Washington is con-
cerned, leaving the memory OF the most
entertaining OF all gala performances in
stage annals.
Il netteG the Lambs S,s24
The frolic began yesterday at noon. al
the Union Station. when the Lambs spe-
ciaI train pulled In and the boys al
tumbIea out, dressed in their pongee
coats and sugar-loaf hats, ready for the
march down Pennsylvania avenue TO the
National Theater.
Just at that time, too, the sun shone
out after being Obscured all the morning.
the rain stopped. and there was regular
Lambs weather TO meet them
The parade gave to hosts Of people who
could not, for various reasons. attend the
performance an opportunity 10 see some
OF the most notable theatrical people
Of their time. The number Of people who
did crowd into the National. however,
was only limited by the capacity OF the
house and the police regulations.
Every seat was taken; indeed. they were
al sold many hours before the curtain
rose. and humanity was massed, jammed,
and otherwise slowed away In the stand
| ing room space. until It seemed as though
all the theatergOers in Washington had
endeavored 70 wind Up the season with
this great. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lambs
GamboL
The audience was something TO make
Washington proud Il contained repre-
sentatives OF all the beauty and iutelli-
gence that the city is able 10 muster. and
any citizen WI testify that that IS q
great deal Il was strong IN numbers
and strong n enthusiasm, and seemed de-
tern.ned 10 give the Lambs the heartiest
welcome that they can hope 10 receive on
their swing around the circuit this week
And what a performance, The talent
which is available when the Lambs take
take 4 into their head 70 gambol Is Of
the highest grade that the theater and
the literary world can afford With all
/ of the most distinguished playrights, and
the most potent managers and producers.
and the best acting genius q the coun-
try, Z looks as though AL the inteui-
gence and ingenuity Of American theatri-
Gals had concentrated its attention on
making the gambol what It was
And what Is more. TO these distinguished
people the work they did was q work
OF love pure and simple. and they took
| far more enjoyment out OF what they
did than II they had suddenly found them
selves in possession OF a doubled or a
trebled income
Minstrel First Part.
When the curtain rose. promptly at 2
. O'Clock, a circle % bIack-face individu-
ais greeted the audience, and for the
next i've minutes the audience was bus,ly
engaged IN picking out his OF her favor
' ties beneath their burnt-cork disguises.
Al the while those On the stage were
engaged IN singing a lusty oPenins
chorus. under conduct OF Lamb Victor
Herbert, whose orchestra was disposed
Of back Of the scene.
In this chorus incidental solos by Lambs
John McCloskey. Melville Stewart. John
Park. Frank BeIcher. Walter Lawrence.
and J. c. Miron were heard. and the
music included a mingling OF national
airs, sung with a vigor and good VIII
that presaged well the delights 10 come.
The end men were, tambOurines: Andrew
Mack. Clayton z. White. Eddie Foy. and
Nat n Wills. and bones: Raymond
Hitchcock, 8Iaelyn Arbuclle, Charles
Evans. and Ignacio Martinetti. with. Of
coU sc. Lamb De Wolf Hopper in the
interlocutOr's chair.
Where viii we ever find such an ad-
mtrable and disnihed person for tie
inte-locutOr's position as this same De
Wolf? Il seems as though the first
minstrel man must have had Hopper IN
mind when he created the JOB. HIS draw.
his shower OF verbal py-otechnics, and,
above al, his ulction. VIII never be
eQusled.
The good people n the audience nearly
cracked their sides over FOy and Hitch
cock. in their unfamiliar guises, but
familiar nlsnner!srns. Eddie sang Down
Where the Watermelon Grows" 70 a Negro
dialect. even more humorously than his
''AIF. Hamlet OF Broadway" Hitchcock
had a good deal OF fun over George Leon
Noore's ballad. Sweet Genevieve,'' and
kept breaking out with back talk" only
20 be sternly suppressed by the inter
locutor-au in approved minstrel fashion.
Foy also seemed 20 fuss 6 great deal
about Mr.. Hopper's contemplated appear
ance as Marc Antony, and whispered
sbout Z 10 the delight OF his seat mates.
In fact, he went 50 Ear as 70 intimate
that Hopper's Shakespearean excursion
would not be worth waiting for, and sug-
gested that il be put at the end Of the
programme, IN case any tiraid ones should
want 70 leave without missing the rest
OF the show Arbuckie, who was late.