Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-09
STRANGER In new
YORK" GOOD COMEDY
NO DULL MOMENTS IN FARCE
AT BELASC0
Lewis Stone, Florence Oakley and
Other Members of Cast in
Singing and Dancing
Stunts
BY LEMUEL PARTON

The Belasco cast slips blandly into
farce comedy for the week in Charles
Hoyt'S farce, "a Stranger in New
York" The impressionistic purple COW
is considerably less Of nature fake
than the actor who can sing, which
makes the marvel seem the greater,
when you see Lewis Stone, Florence
Oakley and Charles Ruggles warbling
topical songs and juggling light farce
badinage. In the words of certain gen
tlemen now discredited by the Califor-
mia legislature, they get by with it, -
and they get by with a big flourish.
"a Stranger in New York. is decidedly
one of the most entertaining and alto
gether pleasing of the Belasco offerings.
The musical numbers all are good and
all are we'll sung. Mr.. Blackwood has
added some outside talent to the cast
for the present production, including
Miss Bessie Tannehill. Miss Tannehill
gave a delightful rendition of 1.-The
Nightingale and was compelled to
answer several encores. Miss Florence
Oakley sang "Just Little Walk with
You," composed for the production by
Victor Schertzinger of the Belasco or
voice, we'll modulated and well placed,
and the song was decidedly hit.
Meet Me in the Rose Time, Rosie, .
by Charles Ruggles, with some enter
tanning whistling diversions, shows that
Mr.. Ruggles' abilities are by no means
limited to strictly dramatic work, and
Miss Beatrice Noyes and Mr.. Stone
were equally successful with their
songs, Mother May I Go Out to
Swim?'' and "Take Plenty Of Shoes
with YOU Miss Fay Banter is de-
cidedly at home in "Be Sweet to Me,
Kid"
The farce is a typically Hoytesque
affair." involving the experiences of q
fascinating stranger, impersonated by
Lewis S. Stone, when he is mistaken
at the Hoffman house for a certain 1,
Collier Downe, from Chicago. The
stranger, who is given no other name
is invited to a French ball, his guests
giving him no opportunity to declare
his identity. When the real Downe ap-
pears at the ball in the evening his
host finds that the only way out of the
dilemma is to allow the impOStor to
continue in his impersonation and to
play up the newcomer as man named
West from Kansas. Some good farce
comedy is introduced in the quest OF
Downe's wife for her husband, aided
by two detectives and her finally trac-
ing him to the hall An involved situa-
ton results, ending pleasantly, al
though the ending seems a bit lame
after the more spirited first and second
acts.
Howard Scott, Richard Vivian, 7. De
witt jennings, Charles Ruggles, James
K. Applebee and Beatrice Noyes all are
aptly and joyously cast. Miss Oakley
appears as the very dazzling Hattie
1.-The best fellow of them ALL"
"The Red Mill'' was given to a capac-
ity house at the Mason opera house
last night The performance seemed tC
L; o{at cd 10
an extended review in tomorrow
Herald.
Owing to the washouts on the South
ern Pacific railroad the new acts for
the Orpheums Monday change of bill
did not arrive yesterday, and the pro-
gram of last week was repeated-to
two capacity audiences. The new acts
were all scheduled to come in on the
delayed trains by midnight last night,
and it is positively announced that the
bill as announced Sunday will go on
this afternoon without a change. The
new acts are the Chadwick trio, includ-
ing Ida May. the champion buck
dancer, Mr.. and Mrs. Gene Hughes in
"Suppressing the Press" and the three
Yoscarys.
Producer Charles Alphin styles "The
Bankrupt Sultan his piece which IS
providing most excellent amusement
and entertainment at Fischer's this
week, musical comedy. 1t is in reality
pretty little comic opera, full of
good music, boasting a humorous story
with a coherent plot, and produced,
barring the setting to which it's pre-
| tensiousness entities it.. most credit
ably. The story has to do with the ec-
centricities and extrava gances of Sui
tan Abdul AziZ, who, by his extrav-
agances, plunged his nation into bank
ruptcy just prior to the Crimean war.
In the play Ben Dillon is allowed to
masquerade as the sultan, while that
worthy, personated by Frank Vack,
wanders about incog., seeking to de-
ceive his public into bestowing their
wealth upon him. Max Blom is the
grand vizer and Tracy McDermott the
rightful ruler of the land, who eventu-
ally comes into his own. Nellie Mont
gomery as a breezy American maga-
zine correspondent, and Dot Raymond
as the sweetheart of the real ruler,