Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-17

urable power mad been let loose among
smen to work, on occasion, their destruc-
! tion and ruin. Here we have defined,
gently but relentlessly, the limits of
| that power, and the supremacy of the
| spirit over the intellect, the eternal
dominance of that part of man when
| aspires into melody over that which ra-
| tionalizes into imprisoned terror. The
Witching Hour" binds the spirit-for
| good, as it happens. The Climax sets
| it free-for good or evil, perhaps-but
sets it free.
l shall take time later in the week 10
! discuss in some detail the masterful in
| tcrpretations of the four roles which
compose the play, and which gave US
last night that neighborly feeling OF
being a part of and involved in the
mimic glories and disasters of the
! drama. We shall not readily forget
/ Mr.. Wilson's fine portrayal of the old
! music teacher-tender, irascible, fiery
| with the spirit of his race, and heart
| broken with its tenderness-from first
to last a strong, consistent ana hu-
manly appealing piece OF portralture.
Miss Bridges alone deserves more no
tice than is possible here for her natu-
raj vivid embodiment of the pupil Mr.
I.atscha's Pietro. .Golfanti was admira-
blv boyish and self-willed, and Mr..
August gave us a well conceived and
executed portrayal
one criticism which applied to all but
Mr. Wilson in the early acts should be
mentioned: the indistinctness of ut
terance into which the conversation
fell. again and again, so absorbed were
the players in their roles Mr.. August,
too. BETRAYED a slight tendency to ar
tffciality and stiltedness of utterance
in his bigger speeches of the first Two
acts Perhaps this is in keeping with,
the character as he conceiVes it, but it
,gsf 11n =
feet of the drama last night. OF the
other details of individual work l shall
speak at length another day, and of the
sparkling lines of Mr.. Locke's play as
when the old teacher says, in tender
reminiscence, Love is the melody OF
marriage"
"The climax" is a little classic that
should defy the wear and tear of many
year. In all the current froth and
frfvol bearing the Broadway brand,
here is a compact little masterpiece as
pure Of heart as it is original and
shining with the tender radiance of
love and laughter
New York is again for us the work
shop of the great magicians, for we
have listened to the Song OF It's soul,
and it has thrilled and blest us with
the sublimity of its uplifting vision.
The Belasco theater company opened
| to a large audience last night in Annie
| Russells romantic comedy, "A Royal
! Family" The play is one of the best
| Of cant. Robert Marshall's many sue
cessful comedies of English life. Helen
| Holmes this week is playing the role
| of Angela. originally played by Miss
! Russell Richard Bennett appearing in
| the role of Prince Victor. David M.
Hartford plays the part of the King OF
! Arcadia, while Sheldon Lewis has the
] NErl1f hn h "a c
: assayed many times with success. The
production is given some beautiful cos
| inning and scenic effects. Play and
players will be reviewed in tomorrow
mornings issue.
The Los Angeles theater opened its
week Yesterday with a good bills, head
| ed bv the we'll known magician, Alblnl,
and Eva Nudge, famous as The Mill
tary Maid. The entire bill Will be re
viewed in later issue.
without disparagement of four inter
esting novelties on the Orpheum bill
| This week. the best of the show IS still
COMPRISED in the holdOvers. l spoke
| somewhat at length of THE Patriot
! last week as a fascinating and popular
! ly successful experiment in one-act
| opera. 1t was sung well yesterday IN
| the main. and the acting of Miss
| Helena Frederick Huntington May and
! Pacie Ripple deserves special note for
care and historical accuracy in por-
travail. The matinee house gave THE
Patriot" a gratifying reception yester-
! day as it opened its second week, and
| it may be fairly conceded that Martin
Beck has made good his boast to popu-
larize the operate idea.
like the three Leightons better every
! time [ see them. There may be more
original acts and more shriekingly fun
nv but these young men have an in
| describable manner about their broad
est comedy-a sort of psychological un-
| Outstanding with the audienCe-which
nuts one en- rapport with them from
the first entrance Beside, their act is
clean and wholesome, and the tempta-
tions to a very different sort of comedy
for the sake Of the laughs that always
follow from a certain part of the house
are not easily resisted. Success to the
minstrel trio and may they return soon!
Miss Charlotte Parry repeats her as
+onishing Drotean act and Miss Selma
Rraatz does several new juggling feats
i'm that same naive and breathless man
ner which won her applause last week.
OF the new acts easily the most popu-
lar is that of Lily Lena. the English
conedienne, in her story song. Barring
her persistent double entendres, at least
one fagraTt instance of which has es-
caDed the censorial blue pencil, this
yolng woman presents an attraction
that contains much to charm. An un-
fortunate nasal quality mars her sing
ing and her entrance would be more
effective in any one of half dozen