The Washington herald., 1909-03-02
LAST NIGHT AT THE
LOCAL PLAYHOUSES
THE BELAscO.
..The Pied Piper

ssThe Pied Piper
When 10, as they reached the mountains SIDE.
A wondrous portal opened vide.
As 4 : cavern was suddenly hollOTed;
Ard the piper advanced and the children followed.
And whsn al we're II TO the Tery last.
Tie dooE IN the r0untsin-side shut fsst.
-sTor ne led u.s. be said. 10 a joyous lznd.
joining lie town ard 5Bst al hand.
Where waters g1shed and fruit trees grew,
Ard flowers put forth fsiTer hue.
And everything vas strarge and reT.
De Wolf Hopper has not for years. +
ever, had better vehicle for the display
4 MS talents than The Pied Piper, by
austin Strong, 4. H. Burnside, and Man
1el Klein. which drew a large house 10
he Belasco Theater last night It is a
.lesn-cut, bigh-claSs. amusing. and tune
III musical comedy; it appeals 10 the eye
trough the beauty OF its scenery; to the
risibilities through its humor: TO the ear
through its music, and. over and above
al this. there is something OF that fine
illusion Of childhood days that made
Peter Pan so appealing TO al classes
q theatergoers.
i wish from my heart that I could
make you all children again.
That is the closing speech that the mot
Ted Piper makes when, having recovered
ais pipes, he blows them all innocent and
Eappy again. and that is the wish that Is
echoed in many q heart that has fol-
owed the fortunes Of the ehildren's city
through the evening
The story on which the musical comedy
s founded IS an ingenious one. It win be
-emembered that Mr. Browning never told
IS where the Pied Piper took al the chill
lren that followed his weird music. But
aow II has been found The children
vent to the City Of Innocenoe-every one
new, of course, that the Pied Piper
was not bad at heart. and only stole the
children because he had been despitefully
ssed-and It is there that the play opens
u St Valentines square. The Piper still
les his pipes, and by blowing on one he
ran make his hearers innocent; a tune
rom the other puts love into his hearers
hcaTJs. So every twenty years he has
made his children innocent and then mar
led them, and for three hundred years
line has stood stiH with the children IN
his happy valley Of innocence
But. unfortunately. one married couple
1as transgTessed the law and has had
wins. so there is ore girl too many
when the tWenty-year marriage ceremony
axes place. and SO, 20 make all square.
strangers are introduced who bring trOu-
a.e and evil 10 the city The Piper loses
is pipes and the children are ali as bad
s bad can be- and even the Piper gets
ripSy and all goes wrong until the pipes
one back, and everybody is played in
locent and happy again.
t IS q charming fancy, and IL IS ad-
-iVably carried ont. The piece IS IN
'.sual in that instead Of opening. as usual.
'rith chorus Of nerrE villagers, il
5pens with an artistic tableau, showing
father Time and Romance and Poetry
nd Song. who explain what IS to come.
When the fun starts IN St Valentines
sauare l. comes fast. and there IS not d
l5I moment. BIr. Hopper makes his
appearance early and he stays late. and
appears frequently and gives good meas
sre. His first song. "The Pirates Doom.
'ust one Z those things he does best
though his other sOngs-''It's the Little
Things that Count in Life I Should
Like 10 Know the Reason and Nursery
8hymes"-are all delightful There IS a
l-ttle company Of children. very clever and
quaint, who appear with him. and in the
Nursery Rhymes" particularly the effect
was me
But the piece does not depend wholly
n Mr. Hopper. William Cameron and
.. L Baker. as the Official Adviser and
ne Official Reminder. have some good
singing and dancing 20 do v. L. Ro-
maine. is the Board OF Alderman. con-
tributes some comedy. and Bert DevIin.
- the Bad Boy, is clever But tie
-reater part Of the comedy outside OF
that given by Mr.. Hopper IS ii the
2ands Of edward Heron, s-ho made a
S9Od impression john Peachy. as Willie
Van COurtlsndt, was good. as he always
s. Strikingly good was the EIviria Of
Mss Mabel MOrdaunt d girl thar re-
nirds one. III her daintiuess and charm
9f Miss Marguerite Clark. who was with
SIR Hopper SO long she has q delicate
sweet voice. which sne uses with much
81 SKIN, and she possesses much grace as
dancer- 4 very clever character part
IS that Of Lizzie Dizzy, played BY Flor
ence Nash, who has always been q
-avorite in Washington. and who adds
by her work here, 70 the good impression
she has already made.
II short. L IS a most capable company
throughout. The chorus is large and OF
sood voice. the costumes are dainty and
picturesque, and altogether the Pied
Piper" furnishes an evening Of good.
healthy fun that it is good to have
seen HECTOR FULLER