The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-05-16

the revival OF a once popular farce gives
one an impression OF vital interest, but
William Collier gives you the impression
that you are seeing a brand-new farce
when you see him IN The Man from
Mexico" which was brought out at the
'Garrick Monday night after lying quies-
cent for nearly a decade. De has sup
Piled the piece with battery Of new
euips and peppery dialogue. the old
fashioned business has been weeded out.
the whole thing has been spiced with
fresh snap and ginger, and the farce went
over the boards with as merry an accom-
paniment Of laughter from the audience
as on its initial tour. His Benjamin
FftzhUgh is the best example OF pure
farce on the stage. and Collier IS able to
DO absurd things in such way as TO
make a philosopher laugh as easily as the
giggling maiden with the hair-trigger
sense Of resibility- OF course. the piece
Is put on with every regard for up-tO-date
prejudices. but even in modern faTces
there are few such scenes as the one on
BlackwelTs Island, where Fitzhugh Is
serving a term Of thirty days while he
makes his wife believe that he is gone to
Mexico and sends home glowing accounts
OF the bull fight he Witnessed. MY bull
ran second is one OF the bright phrases
in the letter The older lOcalisms have
been cut out and completely new material
has been substituted. II the reception
given the farce on Monday by the large
audience is any criterion, The Man from
Mexico" IS good for q summer run, and
the comedian may postpone his an
nOunced visit 10 London His principal
support comes from his sister, Helena
Collier GarTick. who plays Mrs FitzhUgh
as heartily as Collier does the husband
She danced a bOlerO in the last act that
had 10 be repeated
The Twelfth Night Club gave the first
Of q series Of dramatic entertainments al
the Berkeley Theater on Monday after
noon, which was remarkable for a per
Torrance by Fuji-Ko. the japanese act
Tess, dancer, and singer. After singing a
japanese lullaby 10 music Of her own
c0mposition-and very pleasing music at
that-she gave a number OF limitations Of
Anna Held. Harry Lauder. Vesta Victoria.
and other weu-knoWn people OF the vsu-
deville world She speaks English with a
slight foreign accent. but this disappears
in the amazing cockney dialect and
Scotch burr with which she lards her
speech. Her limitations we're clever
throughout from any point o. view. both
IN reproducing the dialect and the man
nerisms OF the originals Another strik-
ing feature Of the programme was reel
tstiOn of -The Raven by David Bisp-
ham. 10 musical accompaniment When
the curtain goes up Bispham is discOv-
cred seated in barren room al a table
with a bottle OF liquor and a glass. He
wears no disguise and interprets the poem
IN the spirit OF half del!rious magma
ton. which he works Up into a fervid and
affecting piece Of realism As a nelo-
dramatic performance It takes rank with
anything We have had on the stage in re-
cent years, and Il he were not the paying
proposition as a singer that he is. he
could make s., 900 a week reciting The
Raven TO Arthur Bergh's music Though
the composition IS not much in itself, Il
furnishes the atmospheric touch that IS
essential 10 the artist in sustaining the
interest above the level Of an ordinary
event in fOTensics
Another feature Of the programme was
a sketch, The Siege OF Berlin. drama
tized from the story OF AIphonse Daudet
b. William J. HUrIbut. author Of The
Fighting Hope" and The Writing on the
Wall" II tells the last day OF one OF
NapOleon's Old Guard, Col Joure. who
has been nursed back 10 life by his
granddaughter with the deluslon that the
French have been triumphant in the war
and are beselging Berlin, whereas the
music he hears IN the streets under his
window is not the ''8Iarseilleise,7 but
''The Watch on the Rhine" played by
the invading Germans With the discov-
cry, decked IN his old regimentaIs, he
falls on the floor and dies But II takes
an Irving to play the role, and Mr.
Thomas Findlay, TO whom il was intrust-
ed, IS not an Irving, although he made q
worthy attempt TO 90 justice 70 the part
''FOllies Of the Day" IS q musical COM
edy which avowedly has no plot but a
great deal Of action. and its experience
here has been varied and interesting It
first blossomed out on the Bowery It
was so good that the Shuberts AGREED to
transfer It to the Majestic Before the
date became vacant. some one changed
his mind. and the piece remained on the
Bowery a while longer. and then went
on tour for a season Now Il is back in
New York. serving 10 inaugurate the new
policy az the Lincoln Square, which
ceased 70 be a vaudeville house when
William Morris removed his attractions
20 the new Plaza Music Hall It passed
through the ordeal with something OF the
success Of Wine, Woman and Song"
which had a similar experience more than
q year ago at the Circle Theater. II Is a
breezy, up-tO-date musical piece. with
any number OF pretty dancing girls, some
clever comedians and several good bur
lesque acts The indications are that II
VIII hold on for some time to come.
Blanca Froelich. late premiere dsnseuse
OF the Metropolitan Opera House and
later 2 brilliant adjunct OF the comedy
forces Of the German Theater here. made
her debut IN q music hall Monday night
in Harlem, IN E series OF artistic dances
IN which she has the assistance of sew
eral other terpsichOrean experts. Her act
consists Of a brilliant spectacle and is
merely an incident 70 a show much in
ferior TO the quality OF her artistic work,
which stands out Ike a cameo from a
Background OF mediocrity.
Next Monday is the date when James
K Hackett makes his debut in vaude-
vile In The Bishops Candlesticks-" an
episode from Les Afiserables.' In which
he VIII have the assistance OF z. N. Hol-
land
The one player which the events Of the
season have added TO the roster Of we'll
known people IS Leona Watson. who ;,ntfl
she appeared one afternoon at Weber's
Theater in ''The Climax" was unknown
10 fame, so far as New York was con-
oerned- Little Rock recognized her talent
four years ago when she first vent on the
stage, for she told this scribe that the
Little Rock critics were the first tn give
hsr IN ancoura elrC nollca 9Th. 60.