The Washington times., 1910-01-18
Clifton Crawford Clown
Who Occupies a WObbly
Spot Light.
CHORUS ADDS SNAP
TO THE PRODUCTION
Trio Who Look Alike Form the
Basis of an Elusive
Plot.
By ]. R. HILDERBRAND.

J. 4ALOEhDRANO-
After feverish sigh OF high-brox-
ism-problem plays, classics, tragedies,
and even opera-going TO see a dyed-in-
the wool music comedy recalled the
school days when the class cut
Shakespeare recitations TO see the cir
Gus
Three Twins" at the National proved
e thTee-ring circus. II hasn't any
saw6Ust and the show viii be just as
long On Saturday night as it was last
u-grr- That is the only difference
There was something doing every min
ute There was even a merTy-go-rOund-
EE5 the -ery best thing about this cir
Gus was the clown Clifton Crawford
He occupied the center ring
Crawford occupied the poorly man
aged spotlight most OF the time The
spotlight got tired Of that and began
blinking, but the audience didn't He
that is Howard, for there was a good
many Of the audienCe) sang. danced,
talked and recited Kipling-s '-Guanga
Din" Tor an encore just TO show he
could be serious
CrawfoTd's Methods
There wasn't really anything start
ling OF original about. Crawford's meth
DDS He proved a cross breed OF Lord
Dundreary and Frank Daniels. which is
mixing character and actor. but Craw-
ford did the same thing. and frequently
came out of his character for asides to
the audience The practice isn't TO be
encouraged, but We wouldn't have
missed # for TIE world last night. It
again reminded one-and alI-Of school
DAYS AMI clown days
The sudience-which Is getting more
H1~ -
laughed. screamed. convulsed until IL
almost cried AT some Of the time-worn
tricks. such at sitting down before the
chair arrived, Of talking 10 an mag
mary person. Of pulling hairs from his
chin Juggling with them and putting
them back again. and other stunts
equally well known But they were all
accompanied BY Crawford's Guizzical
manner and infectious humor. and they
went big
The best thing about the show was
that Il was not manual tured for the
Tired Business Man, in whose name so
many dramatic misdemeanors are com
mitted that one often wonders how
many Of him there are or how he got
IN so strong with the New York crowd
OF PRODUCERS Persons OF average
human intelligence could enjoy the per
Torrance asked them TO make sure
Joseph y Gates also broke another
rule when he engaged a chorus that
could sing. tt vas happy thought for
the rest Of the cast was short or, vocal
ability when one comes 10 think about
IT, but there wasn't time for such de-
dUctions while the show was on The
chorus furnished the music. Crawford
provided the fun and the rest filed in
Proved Too Stacy.
Miss Daisy Leon was a bit too staZv
even for the stage, some one said. and
he big added attraction, the great side
show after the main performance. the
leading supplementary number, ''Ysn7a
1ama Man" got along very nicely de-
spite Mayme Gerhue, who worked too
hard TO seem natural
But the show was by no means =
hsnd-me-down. leftover attraction az
ter a successful tvvO-years- run Win
the exceptions named the PRINCIPALS
were entirely adequate and the cos
TUNES, the scenery, and all the tran
pings might have been just out Of the
makers hands for all one could tell
Neither did the chorus get the brain
Tag and sad h0me-sickness because
they were of dear old Broadway They
danced with vim and enthusiasm. inst
ike they sang Il may be almost m
believa0le but in spite of these accom-
Hshments II was also about the basf
looking aggregation Of chorus Isssies
seen on the NscionaI-s stage this SEA
son
And the Plot
The plot wasn't couspicuous-not even
by its absence There was one, but if
didn't show itself. except when NEEDED.
The chorus had 10 change ana even the
principals, You know. had 20 rest occa-
sionally.
According to accepted custom there
were two men who looked alike, only
this time there was a third one and
they all happened around At the same
time. but did not meet until shortly
before eleven o'clock, wnen 1t was time
70 go home.
Then there was weeping wiilOw-beg
pardon, widOw-and EfgSIinE girl, No
fault Of the plot at ali, be assured,
l-rt al on account OF a ''BOO-HOO-Tee-
Hee-- song which vas distinctly worth
while Naturally there was a balcony
and two spOtlights when Crawford and
Miss Leon sang Coo Night. Sweet
heart But the piece III are likely 10
hear whistled this wee. besides -'Yams
Nama Man. Is The Girl ID There,
also sung by Miss Leon
nCETOWVNTsC CTTD