The Washington herald., 1910-10-25
THE NATIONAL.


Well. George Cohan and Raymond
Hitchcock in combination have put an
other one over! THE Man Who Owns
Broadwsy." with Raymond Hitchcock as
the star, flled the New National Theater
last night and. following the advice that
George Cohan himself gave some years
ago. Always leave them laughing when
you say good-by." II should be big sue
cess. for u follows that advice to the
letter. In Il long career OF successes,
musical comedy and straight comedy.
Mr.. Hitchcock has never had a better
vehicle or one that gave his peculiar
talents wider scope than they have In
this piece.
II is distinctly Cohanesque from begin
ming TO end; restless. trifie Messy al
times, dancy. a little slangy, distinctly
up-to-date II would be hard to classify
II. II classification were necessary. for
It certainly does not follow the musical
comedy OF the comic opera standard,
or any other for that matter-it Is Just
an entertainment, packed full OF fun. real
fun. compact OF wit and wisdom, strung
together on such an attenuated thread OF
story that once you lose It you can never
find II again.
All that matters IS that there is bright
and 1ingly music; a host OF pretty girls
who can both dance and sing; there IS
Flora Isabelle, with her Nbeautiful voice
and charm OF manner; other singers who
help you 10 laugh and who impress you
with their Cleverness, and-there is Ray
mond Hitchcock or course Hitchcock
can't sing-that was one Of the best
Jokes he ever sprang when he went into
Hisucal comedy; but even II he can't sins
he has that peculiar manner. all his own,
which allows him 10 put comic song
over just a trife better than most OF the
comedians who are starring to-day. THE
Man Who Owns Broadway" first saw the
light Of day several years ago as
comedy. Popularity" but the years and
success have taught Mr.. Cohan much,
and all that popularity" really means he
has drawn upon 70 Jam into this musical
version, so as 10 insure its success. It is
now a rapid-flre musical farce; the da-
logue, whether 1t is relevant or not 10 the
play is full Of jokes and puns. much OF
obliged 10 furnish In the first act there
is a bully good song by John Hendricks
called I've Always Been a Good Old
Sport" one line OF which is i've always
treated life as a joke" That is the way
that Mr. Cohan has treated his theme
as a joke. and that is the way that Mr..
Hitchcock treats Mr. COhan's play-as a
Joke: but IL is a joke that the audience
' sees and appreciates and laughs at There
IS not a dull moment in the play from
beginning 10 end. Always there is some
one singing or dancing OF cracking jokes,
and when in the last scene OF the last
act the greatest joke Of all is perpetrated
and Hitchcock appears before a typical
old-tine ballet as a typical comic opera
king with Miss Zabelle in the box 10 fall
In love with him all over again, IL is a
fitting nOnsensical climax 10 an evening
o. nonsensical enjoyment
There is a lot OF beautiful music In the
play, of which by far the largest part
falls 10 the lot OF Miss Flora Zebelle. In
the first act she has a fine song. I'm in
Love with One of the Stars" she takes
part IN a pretty quartet in the second
act "A Nice Little Plot for a Play" and
in the last act she sings from one OF
the stage boxes the song that closes the
performance. Miss Isabelle has a voice of
rare quality and tone and she uses It
with skill. Always an attractive figure
on the stage. she seems 10 surpass herself
this year
Mr. Hitchcock has only three songs IN
the play-"The Man Who Owns Broad
way" jingly dirty, and "On Hundred
Different Ships" and In the third act
why They Made Him King" In each
OF these IL was the manner that counted,
and any one who could not laugh at
them and the man who sang them must
be A pessimist indeed. Throughout the
piece Mr.. Hitchcock was the life OF the
show. and his speech. which the audi
ence insisted on after the second acu
was as funny as anything he has ever
done.
Among the other notable performers IN
the cast must be mentioned Mr.. John
Hendricks. whose fine barytone was heard
in I've Always Been Good Old Sport"
Mr.. Mark Sullivan, as Robinson. has
bully good song in I'm All o. K. with
X and E" a theatrical song IN which
he gave excellent limitations OF Jimmy
Powers, Mcintyre, and Frank Daniels
Mr.. Lieb also gave a good song In the
last OF the second act, Love VIII Make
or Break a Man." and in the last act
he showed we'll In a duet with Miss
Rhodes in @In Go the Route with You"
Another very clever member OF the cast
is Miss Mildred Elaine, who. however,
has no solo. But, as we have said, the
play depends almost entirely on It's en-
sembe and on the clever work OF Mr..
Hitchcock and Miss Zabelle. II Is a
riot Of good. clean. wholesome fun, full
of color and light and gayety. It is the
sort or a show warranted TO take away
the blues. and Is deserving Of large sup
port this week. HECTOR FULLER.