The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-01

Girl' is unsurpassed in the realm of light opera.
 This week we are to have Henrietta Crossman in her delightful play of prevarication, "The Real Thing" Miss Crossman is a charming figure in this comedy and it has proved one of the most popular vehicles she has had in some years. The laughable farce Excuse Me- which won fame and shekels for Rupert Hughes, will also be offered at the Jefferson theatre, while the Bijou makes a strong bid for pat ronage with "The Winning Widow" a musical show that will probably do a very large business. The Bijou musical shows are always worth the money" and majority of them are quite super for for light entertainment. The usual melange of vaudeville will prevail at the Orpheum and the Majestic. Both of these houses continue to draw the crowds and while tho quality of the acts varies, there is nearly always a feature on each bill that is worth while. In fact. Birmingham thetregoers are fortunate in having two vaudeville theatres of the better sort that provide very good entertainment at a very mod crate price. Last week a wonderful animal of the Simian tribe and a piano mystery competed for honors, with odds
 
 either. "Onaip" mystifed everybody with the piano in mid air and Alfred the Great" proved himself a perfect gentleman"
 It is seldom indeed that the dramatiza- ton of a novel proves equal to the story in it's book form, although there are a few notable exceptions. Ben Hur'' is one. "The Virginian" is another "boolS play that was great success, both artistically and financially, but attempts to dramatize other literary masterpieces have proved failures. For instance, there is the stage version of "The Little Minister,' in which Miss Maude Adams has immortalized herself. In spite of Miss Adams i1lusive charm and the efforts of the competent company with which she is always surrounded, the spectator who has read and loved the book, can not help but lament the absence of some of Mir. Barrie's most whimsical characters and most affecting scenes. which had to be omitted, on account of the length of tho story. So much has to be cut out of book in order to adapt it for stage purposes that oftentimes the result is a mere outline. from which some of the authors best work has been stripped. Vanity Fair on the stage is in some respects the least satisfying dramatization of a great novel that could be imagined the book is so stupendous and the play is so narrow in it's scope. Even the art of Mrs. Fiske could only make the role of Becky a test of her own hstrionic abil- ity, rather than a tribute to the creative genius of Thackeray.
 The return of Wilton Lackaye to his former role in Fine Feathers is an- nounced. Mir. Lackaye Is associated in this play with Robert Edeson, Max Figman. Rose Coghlan. Lolita Robinson and Amelia Sumers MT Edeson and Miss Coghlan are, of course. quite well known in the south and their united efforts in any play could not fail to be of exceptional interest to theatre goers. The name of Miss Coghlan re- calls her starring tour through the south some years ago In "Diplomacy.' Miss Coghlan's performance in that play, on the occasion of her visit to Birmingham, was a rare treat. She has for years been recognized as one of the ablest players on the American stage. There is a clean cut decisive ness about her acting. a power to con vince, and forceful sincerity that makes her seem to be exactly the char acter she portrays. If memory is not at fault, Miss Coghlan was last seen here in support of John Drew. ln- creasing years and embonpoint have relegated Miss Coghlan chiefly to dow ager parts. which she plays extremely well.
 It is announced that William Faver- sham in his late production of Julius Caesar" has been booked for south ern tour. Mir. Faversham has long been a favorite in the south arid his appear