The Washington herald., 1911-12-31

thrown into prison, where he finds his
former enemy, breaks his chains, kills
his enemy. and makes good his escape
with a pardon that has come for the
dead man.
In the meantime Mansur has sent for
the beggar's daughter for his harem, and
the Caliph in disguise has been making
love to the girl. The beggar enters Man
sur's harem to rescue his daughter, is
discovered and kills Mansur. Then the
CaIiph arrives and banishes the beggar
but wins the girl.
There is an unmistakable atmosphere Of
the East about the play, which is aug
mentcd by a lavish stage setting that
carries one back to the tales Ot murder,
lust. and rapinc in those carefully eX-
purgated editions of the tales of Arabia
that enlightened ones childhood; and
Skinner. the artist, helps ii to success
in a role rich in every passion of which
he is the master.
"The Wedding Trip"
1t seems as though New York were at
last to be the home of a real comic
opera. and that the good old days of
Sullivanesque simplicity had returned.
The Wedding Trip by Reginald de
KovCn Is A breath from the famous past
laden with the fragance of lifting lines
and tinkling tunes.
The locale of course. is placed in that
land dear to the heart of all comic
opera producers. Its stage name does not
matter. Suffice It to say that 1t loads the
stage of the Broadway Theater with
number of queer people. whose beauty and
weird ECustoms help materially III the
success of the piece.
The story reVOlVeS around Felix, Fran
co.'s and FRITZ. FRITZ wears skirts and
is to marry Felix; while Francois,
brother to Felix, puts in his time falling
into scrapes and love. On the eve of
the wedding of Felix and FRITZ, Francois
finds that he has overstayed his leave
of absence and that he is liable to exc
cutOn for desertion from the army, and
il falls to the lot OF the bridegroom to
make the trip to the barracks to plead for
his brother.
This journey of brotherly intercession
leads to all sorts of complications.
band of brigands, with true comic opera
mpossibiIity. step into town and shang-
hal all the ladies and the principals run
through a series of weird adventures and
tuneful melodies that leaves a decidedly
pleasant impression upon the audience.
Christine Nielsen. as FRITZ, ard John
McCloskey. as Felix, are excellent, and
score a marked success in the many
pretty songs that fall to their lot. The
tuneful laurels, however, go to Dorothy
gypsy. She is not only fortunate in, the
possession of a good voice, but has ample
opportunity to display it.
"The Stranger"
A Southern play without mint juleps or
goatees can at least claim oddity, II
nothing more. THE Stranger" at the
Bijou, thanks to the efficient efforts of
Mr. Wilton Lackaye. adds interest to
oddity and throws in little pinch Of
brilliancy for good measure.
The story is as old as fathers frayed
quit, but 1t has had its whiskers trimmed
and face washed and makes quite a
presentable appearance. A Traction
magnate," Mr.. Lackaye's alias, Journeys
Southward in the stage year 1907 and
proceeds to buy up everything that isn't
nailed down in the little Southern town
Of his selection.
The exploitation of the sleepy village
arouses the ire Of those who have
watched the world 60 by from their vine
covered porches, and furnishes the base
for the building OF the plot. One old
relic of the "wa-ah," who don't drink
mint juleps, and has pretty daughter.
Is particularly incensed against the
moneyed Vaccinations OF the Northerner
inquiries into his history, and learns that.
besides being white trash" ''parvenu."
&C.. he IL ''poorhouse boy who never
knew his father.
With these julepless Southerners almost |
literally In arms, and no father TO his |
credit. II is not hard to pierce the darkest |
iepths Of Charles T. DaSey's plot. The