The Washington herald., 1912-12-08
hing from Shakespeare Vaudeville Offered Washington This Week
Dearth of Novelties in
Current Theatrical Week
Nv JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

1t is so rare a thing to hear an. entire
acte musical programme that bears any
relation TO the play with which it is
offered OF that makes any pretense OF
holding the atmosphere of a production
that the perfect unity between the or
chestral numbers and the whimsically
beautiful fairy story presented at the
National Theater last week filled one
with wonder that the majority of pro-
ducers seem to hold it of so little i'm
portance TO keep the spirit of a produc-
tion intact until the final curtain de-
ScendS.
Pan was in such perfect harmony &hat
the production was a most satisfying
unit holding the illusion of fairyland
throughout the evening.
At the close of the first act the Morn
ing number from Grieg's "Peer Gynt"
suite and Ethelbert Nevin's Water
Nymph" held the atmosphere of the
Kensington Garden elf perfectly, while
a most capable rendition of equally ep-
propriate numbers by Grieg, Chaminade,
and Nevin. after each Of the three
remaining acts. linked them together in
a manner which captivated the National
audience during the entire week Of Miss
adams Washington engagement.
National this week, is the widely her
aided musical comedy which held the
stage of its birthplace, the La Sale
Opera House. in Chicago, for 356 per-
formances. after which it made a visit
to San Francisco. whence it toured
back to make its Eastern bow last week
in Baltimore and this week in WASH
!ngton, before Mr. Harry Askin, man
ager of the La Sale, offers the piece to
New York.
The La Sale Opera House is the only
institution of its kind in this country.
1t has been designated as the London
Gayety of America because of the policy
of its management in producing nothing
hut musical comedies, and in Offering
the original company presenting each an
nual production on the road without ma
,rial changes in the cast
Sophie Tucker. she of vaudeville fame.
and Alexander Carr, who will be remem-
bered by Washington theatergoers
through his former appearance here with
jefferson De Angels and Blanche Ring
in The Great White Way" in which
re presented his now familiarly known
impersOnation of David Warfield as The
Music Master, are the two most fea-
tured members of the Chicago company.
Miss Tucker is known more familiarly
as a shouter of coon songs than as a
musical comedy star. and she announced
the other day in Baltimore that she was
hungry for vaudeville, declaring it to be
her intention of returning soon to the
twO-a-day boards.
Speaking of vaudeville brings to mind
the announcement that George Wilson
VIII help keep the ball Of mirth rolling
at Chase's this week, an announcement
which recalls this minstrelsy days of half
a century ago, when George Wilson be-
gan his career. At that time there were
the Bryant minstrels, including Dan and
Neil Bryant after which came Birch,
Wambold. and Backus, the recollection
of whom brings the reclamation still that
no greater tenor has ever been heard in
the minstrel field than Sam Wambold
Next came the Carncross and Dixie min
Strels. and some twenty-five years ago
Barlow. Wilson. Primrose, and West
minstrels. as well as George Wilson's own
aggregation OF singers
There have been many Others but all
with modern ideas which pay more at
tention to spectacular presentation than
to the quality of voices. OF the old
school George Wilson is to-day one OF
the greatest blackface minstrels on the
stage.
We turn backward the leaves of the
book of time at the Columbia Theater
this week to that simple human drama