The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-11-12
Johnny clones" Makes Good.

ny Jones'" the great Cohan musical
comedy which comes to the Auditori-
UNI Friday evening of this week, is
evidenced by the following from the
Daily Calumet of South Chicago, Ill.,:
The best excelled is perhaps the con-
else and correct manner in which to
describe Little Johnny Jones" as pre-
scented at the Calumet theater last
night. In Monday evenings Issue it
was stated that Babes in Toyland"
was not only the best show produced
at the Calumet theater this season,
but the best in many seasons of the
Columbus Square playhouse's exist.
ence. The people who witnessed this
play during the six performances
which it gave at the Calumet readily
admitted this fact. They compliment
ed the management upon its selection
of so worthy an attraction and express.
ed wish that 1t would continue to
offer plays Of that calibre.
i Few, If any. thought that a better
play would be presented at the Calu.
met this season. The first night audi
ence last night, however, was most
agreeably surprised with Little
Johnny JONES'" for they found 1t to be
a more elaborate, a larger and, If pos
sible more thoroughly pleasing play
than Victor Herbert's beautiful comic
opera, 'Babes in Toyland." Little
Johnny Jones" as produced at the Cal
umet last night was more of the South
Chicago ideal than its predecessor
The magnitude of the production, with
its cast of fifty people, its gorgeous
costumes and it's massive scenery, out
rivalling large majority of the STU
pendous melodramas" produced at the
Calumet, bewildered the audience. 1t
was one of the most agreeable sur
prises that have greeted the patrons
at the local theater in years.
! George M. Cohans plays have al.
ways been great favorites with local
theatergoers. His unique comedy, his
sprightly music and dancing novelties
are of type that always hit the target
of satisfaction with local people and
the tremendous success of the first
, presentation of Little Johnny Jones"
in South Chicago can easily be mag.
ined. With one accord the piece was
pronounced immense" by the first
nighters.
The public invariably labors under
the impression that after one or two
seasons shows-and especially music
| al W
While this may be so in many in
stances, it certainly is not the case in
regard to Little Johnny Jones'" The
production seen at the Calumet last
night compares favorably with the
original production in Chicago, at the
Illinois theater, with the exception of
the Cohans, who were in the cast of
the piece in the first production.
| But those who have taknn tho Dlarac
of the stars are very worthy success.
ors The cast from top to bottom Is
first class and the people have been
well chosen for their respective parts.
All the famous Cohan songs, twenty in
number, have been retained. There is
the same dashing humor and the melo-
! dramatic incidents so dear to the
hearts of the Calumet playgoers. The
scenery is new, massive and novel
Harry Morton plays the part of THE
Unknown and is a real clever come
dian. His acting provoked roars of
laughter and caught the fancy of the
South Chicagoans at the very start
His blunt retorts and novel comedy
created one of the biggest hits of the
show. while his slang seems to be
already enjoying a place in the vocab-
ulary of South Chicago.
Chad Heubner interprets the Cohan
role to perfection. He gives a most
accurate impersonation of the cyan.
kee Doodle Comedian" sings in the
same nasal tone dances in the same
weird manner and acts in the same
sprightly manner as the man who
wrote the play, composed the music
and created the character of Little
Johnny Jones'"
! Miss Amy Morton, who plays the
part of Goldie Gates and impersonates
/ Rosario Fanchette, the French actress,
and the Earl of Bloomsbury, is an
actress of pronounced ability. She
sings WELL dances gracefully, her i'm.
presentations are very clever and she
is at all times equal to the occasion.
William Lafferty as Sing Song, the
Chinese editor, is a capable actor and
does well in difficult part. Miss Vera
Edmunds also does well in the part of
Flora Belle Fly" the newspaper wo-
man, in creditable manner. She is a
petite little lady and makes a pretty
appearance. Ed Holbert plays the bell
boy and several other parts in a man.
ner that merits commentator.
The remainder of the cast is of high
standard and each one does well in his
the largest ever seen at the Calumet
and is composed of pretty girls who
wear stunning costumes, sing well and
dance and drill very gracefully.
This Is one of the shows which Man.
ager Corners made his trip to Broad.
way to secure, and his efforts to get
the very best for his patrons should
be rewarded by the patronage of local
people to the extent of crowded houses
during the remainder Of the engage.
ment of Little Johnny Jones'" The
play deserves capacity audiences and
now is the time for local people to
convince the management that they
want high class musical comedies.
This is play that everyone is bound
to enjoy and II cannot be too strongly
recommended. Surely the theatergo-
ing public cannot ask for more.