The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-25
!. x ;5Gl PLAY HOUSES.


AH0uSNs
When the advance man told us the
other day that Lew Fields latest Of
fering. THE Midnight sons was
positively the biggest musical pro-
duction of the age we smiled to our
selves and observed mentally: That's
what they all say" But the press agent
was at least partially INDICATED, Mon
Gay night, when the show which Is
said to have made record run on
broadway opened a weeks engage
ment In the Garrick theater. At all
events II IL about the biggest thing In
the musical comedy line the Garrick
has offered, for every inch OF stage
space II utilized.
Fro ma spectacular standpoint, THE
Midnight Sons" IL even more slightly
than The jolly Bachelors" which
held the boards In the Garrick the
week before last Both are along the
same general lines. Glen MacDon.
ough and Raymond Hubbell are the
authors Of the words and music, re-
spectivcly. and Ned Wayburn's master
hand Is again seen In the staging and
In the selection of dainty steppers
But THE Midnight Sons" Is o de-
oided Improvement on THE Jolly
Bachelors" In every department.
Two features OF "rhe Midnight
Sons" stand out from AL the others as
things really worth while. One IL the
scene showing the interior of the
Merri Murray theater during a per-
Torrance. and the other Is the dane
ing specially Of the Marvellous Millers.
When the curtain rose on the Sec
ond act the audience was agreeably
surprised to find itself confronted by
another audience Of almost as gener-
GUS proportions extending back from
the footlights. along which was ranged
a make-believe stage, elevated slight
ly above the real stage. II was almost
ar though the real audience were look.
ing ut itself In huge mirror.
The scene was supposed TO repre-
sent the opening OF the Merri Murray.
and the effect was very striking as
the performers came In, made their
bow to the make-believe audience and,
with their backs to the real spectators,
went through their various turns. At
the conclusion Of each number the
audiences We'd with each other to see
which could clap the loudest. This Is
the spectacle which, we are told,
Broadway raved oyer. and II can be
readily seen how eyep Broadway
would sit up and take notice Of
spectacle of this sort. 1t Is certainly
a new experience for Detroit play.
goers.
The Marvellous Millers easily car
ried on the individual honors OF the
evening. They do whirlwind dance
that calls for q great deal Of skill and
Is reminiscent of the famous Merry
Widow" waltz. The audience was in.
sistent in It's demands for their re-
turn. but the Millers we're too obvi-
ously "all In to respond.
There are 20 song numbers scattered
the eight scenes. All are
tuncful and some OF them decidedly
catchy. "The Cynical OWL seemed to
be the favorite with the opening night
crowd, for the men went out whist
ling It, The chorus effects are pretty.
novel and, for the most part. up to
the minute, and the ladies' have been
with care.
The comedy throughout Is OF that
broad. openfaced variety that re-
quires no diagram In make Its point
clear. II is at times 30 broad that IL
borders on the oarse or0er. The an.
thors have provided the semblance OF
plot. which centers around gay
cid duffer named Senator Moves and
his four spendthrift scns--the mid
night sons" The plot. however.
doesn't cut enough of a figure TO call
for any detailed reference, nor Is IL
expected to do so.
Chief among the fun-makers are our
old friend, George Monroe. In his
Characteristic impersonation OF an
Irish cook; Harry Fisher, whose Dick
Noyes is a novel conceit; Alan Brooks.
as Souseberry Lushmore, who. as the
name implies. carries perpetual jag.
and Miss Marcia Harris, as Rose Rag
Ian. lanky young woman from the
country. Miss Maud Lambert. as Mrs.
Margin, and Stella Tracey. as Merri
Murray. displays some pretty gowns
and sings well. Maize King. as Mile.
Fiji. is q toe dancer OF exceptional
ability.
TEMPLE.
The last cry In "hobble skirts" Is
on the stage Of the Temple theater
this week, and Miss Alice Lloyd, the
English music all singer, wears 1t.
Miss Lloyd is considered one of the
stage beauties Of London, and she GER
tainly is a good-looking woman OF a
British type. Her figure Is
perfection and the hobble skirt pro-es
it. Miss Lloyd wears this stunning
dress while she SINS SAsSL Promen-
ade the Boulevard" aqddespite It's
is inches width around the ankles
she manages to walk across the stage
very gracefully and even} pirouette q
bit. Miss Lloyd changed her costume
for each OF her songs. !
Very abbreviatel pjnka sStin pDdrts
accompany the IN wcI4 Master
Cupid son. the chO ~ of\which Is
punctuated by the SIN ing N0f little
silver darts from a tiny VOw>xnd ar
row, straight into the audiloee!, Miss
LLOYD Ia distinctly clever in htef pecu-
liar line of work, and will doubtless
duplicate this week the great hit she
made on a visit two or three years
ago.
Aside from Miss Lloyd, the men
seem to have the right-of-way on the
Temple bill this week. There Is Jack
Kelly, an Australian, who does re-
markable things with the stockwhip.
His sister, Violet Kelly, shows what
woman can do with whip. Harry
Fox does some clever travesty work,