Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04
CURRENT BILLS AT
LOCAL PLAYHOUSES


MASON-The engagement of the
Princess theater company at the Ma
son will terminate next week with a
big production of "The Umpire, ="
which starts with a special matinee
Monday in honor of Independence day.
Fred Mace is the hero of the show.
His description of how he came to
make the decision that drove him, a
fugitive. to Morocco, is about the
swiftest thing in musical comedy mon-
ologue. Besides, it is a masterpiece
of the slang of the diamond. "'The
Umpire" gives Mace his opportunity,
the first unrivaled one he has had
locally Although styled a musical
comedy, THE Umpire" has bit Of
grand opera recitative, a dramatic
who-stole- scene, result
ing in the villains exposure, and
football game between the show girls
and the squads, with as much excite
ment in it as an intercollegiate meet.
An indicted pork packer. and a grass
widow add to the local color, for al
though the scene is laid in Morocco,
the comedy is a clever Chicago prod
uct. The authors are Hough, Adams
and Howard, who wrote "The Time,
the Place and the Girl" "The Girl
Question" and "A Stubborn Cinder-
ella"
The action is breezy, the comedy
good and there is plenty of opportunity
for May Boley, Bud Ross, Edwin T.
Emery as the Chicago trio. Zoe Bar
nett is the heroine who sings when
not involved in the mystery of the
missing papers. and Ellen Crane is
the native looking for her lost hus-
band. Helen Darling and Jennie Metz
Ter also have congenial roles.
One song that ought to receive no
end of encores is "The Sun That
Shines on Dixie Land" as rendered
by the excellent baritone of the COM
pany, James f. Stevens, and the male
chorus. There is no lack of topical
hits, of which "The Umpire Is a Most
Unhappy Man" is representative.
1.-THE Umpire" was a distinct sue
cess when presented by Mace and his
own company at the Mason some two
years ago.
BELASCO-"A Day and a Night in
New York" one of the last and most
successful of the Hoyt plays, will open
Monday. Marbel Hart, son of a retired
officer in the United States navy, leaves
his New Jersey home every week, sup
posedly to engage choir members in
New York for a church. In reality he
is engaged in not too mild hilarity in
the metropolis Hoyt brings his hem
pecked father domineering mother and
the gilded youth together on the stage
of a New York theater, whittier the
boy has gone in quest of a comic opera
chorus for the choir. Intermingled in
this slender plot are to be heard some
of the latest New York song successes.
Harry Oakes will sing when You Love
a Certain Girl; Fay BANTER, won t
You Be My Billy Possum?"; Beatrice
Moves, MAKE a Noise Like a Hoop and
Roll Away; Louis Morrison, "The
Midnight Crew; Adele Harrington,
"Yip-I- -I-Addy-I-Ay-I-Ay'; Bessie Tan
nehill Invitation and Delight; ;
Florence Reed Marie CahilIs Arab love
song; Charles Murray, Don't Take Me
Home" and Richard Bennett, Nat
Wills "B. p. o. E." A score of pretty
young women will be added to the reg
ular company for this week as chorus
lassies.
BURBANK-"Sh Sherlock Holmes" the
most interesting and popular detective
of current day fiction, will return ITO
the Burbank for the week, the play
opening with the usual Sunday mat
inee and continuing through. with the
usual matinee Saturday and special
independence day matinee Monday
afternoon, July 8.
Properly speaking, the play is not
a dramatization of the book. 1t could
sented his character to his readers in
a series OF short stories each Of them
complete in itself. Consequently, when
Mr.. Gillette essayed the task of lead
ing Holmes out of book covers on to