The Detroit times., 1912-11-13
THE STAGE


cry and costumes. The entertain
ment 10 largely OF a musical nature
/ with many song numbers that are OF
the kind that linger In the memory
The list OF principals includes some
talented burlesQuers. comedians and
singers.
william Keough. whose amusing
portrayal OF the bibulous wine agent
in The Little Millionaire" now cur
rent in the Detroit opera house, IL
one of the Dig hits OF the Cohan play
was the organizer and manager OF
the Olympia quartet, an organization
that at one time was known from
coast to coast. The quartet was mace
| up of Keough, iiack, Sullivan and
Randall, and was kept intact for rs
years. I'VE were four young Boston
boys with fairly good voices and had
| appeared two or three times on anna.
teur nights In the variety theaters OF
Boston" said Mr.. Keough, INDUCING
In "reminiscences, Tuesday. I'VE made
our first professional appearance in
Miller's Winter garden, Philadelphia,
then in Gilmore and Gallaghers Cen
trail theater, In the same city. The
following season-it's over 30 years
ago now-we came to Harry William 5
academy. in Pittsburgh. From that
time on, we were always In demand
In the days before there was any
such thing as polite vaudeville. we
played the old-ume burlesque houses,
working usually 40 to so weeks every
iyear, all over America. and we never
parted professionally until Randall
died. From time to time we would
venture into the musical farces and
comedy organizations, but always as
the quartet. When Charlie Evans and
| old Hoss' Hoey revived Hoyt's "A
Parlor Match with Anna Held as a
leading feature. the Olympia quartet
was engaged as an added attraction,
and we had two successful Seasons
| When George Cohan expanded his
vaudeville act, The Governors Son,
into a three-act musical farce,
played the governor, the quartet haY,
| ing been broken up by the death OF
my partner. Randall. The initial per
| Torrance Of this piece occurred In
Hartford, Conn, In the spring OF 1901
Since that time. | have been associ
ated with Cohan plays almost exciu-
sively, including Running for Once,
Little Johnny Jones, and several OF
| the later pieces. Mike Sullivan, my
old quartet pal, also Joined the Co
hans forces several years ago, and Ia
now appearing In New York In
Broadway Jones' Mr.. Conan's latest
straight comedy.
II hof III xrfA nv
duced, Is more beautiful In its appea.
to the finer side OF the public mind
than THE Return of Peter Grimm" in
which David Warfield will be seen. oil
next week, in the Detroit opera
house. When Mr.. Warfield gave his
| delightful characterization OF the Old
Dutch tulip grower. in the Detroit lasr
season, his work was the talk OF ne
town as 1t was when he played the
lovabre music master" severn
| seasons ago. The Return OF Peter
Grimm" 10 an example Of Mr.. Belascos
genius for staging plays 80 as TO bring
out every possible bit OF interest IN
them and In Peter. Mr.. Warfield has
a role into which he breathes his own
personality to a remarkable degree,
The play will be presented next week
with the original players.
An automobile ride. two chorus
girls, an absent wife. little two much
of the wine that bubbles, and visit
to a mans apartments during his
wifes absence, are simply a few OF
the ingredients which go to make up
Don't Lie to Your Wife," the riotous
song-farce, which will be offered in
the Lyceum theater next week. Camp
bell Casad, the author, is a we'll
known advance agent OF high-class at
fractions, and should know the neeos
and wishes of the public. For the In
terpretation OF the farce, strohg
cast has been gathered, headed by
Dave Lewis.
William Lennox and Miss Jean Bur.
nett are two members OF the "Bunty
Pulls the Strings" company, now IN
the Garrick theater, are personal
friends OF Mr.. Moffat, the author OF
the play. All three were at one time
members of the stock company OF the
Theatre Royal, In Glasgow.
"'Bunty was played first as a one
act sketch in vaudeville houses" says
Mr.. Lennox, with Mr.. Moffat himself
in the role OF Tammas Biggar, father
OF Bunty, and Mrs. Moffat in the role
of Eeien Dunlop, the perpetual
bride Their daughter. Kate Mofrat,
played the part OF Bunty. A London
vaudeville manager saw the one-act
version OF 'Bunty' somewhere In the
provinces. and engaged Mr.. Moffat to
present the sketch in London. Dur
ing the London engagement MT. Moi.
fat told the vaudeville manager that
he had written 'Bunty' In threeact
form. Digging down into his trunk
he found the well-worn manuscript OF
the play. The vaudeville manager
read II and recommended IL 10 Cyril
Maude, manager OF the Playhouse, In
London Mr. Maude Immediately rec
ognized its value and arranged to give
IL 'try-out' at a special matinee In
the Playhouse. Mr.. Moifat. his wife,
his daughter Kate and his brother,
Watson Moffat. all took part In the
try out performance, and continued to
play at the Haymarket, where IL vas
an Immediate and IA running now, coli
siderably more than two years"
What is in name? Billie Burke,
the internationally famous little ac-