Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-21
Belasc0.

Varied were the vistas seen by the
many who went to the Belasco Theater
last evening to board THE Honeymoon
Express" now making Washington
stop. There was a plenty of the proven
bal jOyousness of a honeymoon In the
three-hour journey and the quick success
sion of surprises. in the way of sprightly
ensembles, jingling songs by soloiSts and
choruses, freshly humorous dialogue and
one melOdramatic climax, gives tull dem
onstratiOn OF the speed Indicated by the
title
The irresistibly funny All Jolson was as
much in evidence during the trip as the
advertising signs along the leading four
track highways of the eastern United
States. In contrast to the effect of those
s-gns, his appearances and reappear-
ances brought delight. His drollery pro-
duced continuous roar of laughter and
his songs brought him such an ovation in
the final scene that, apparently to dem
onstrate his versatility. he sang THE
Rosary in serious vein and won new
plaudits-
Abundant dancing talent was in evil
dence throughout the evening. The first
glimpse was afforded by James Doyle
and Harland Dixon as The Nov ng
Men," a pair who do not let the serious
ness of their endeavors become SO ap-
parent as to stop the effervescent fun
that runs on through the whole enter
tainment. rival for the premier dane
ing honOrs followed shortly, when grace
full and vivacious Anna " heaton Tipped
before the footlights. Ray S>muels puts
humor all her own into tie interpre-
tation of her songs. Juliette d ka might
be said to figure" in the performance,
for she showed numerous rather S a. Ting
gowns to advantage. Melville Ellis. who
is first noticed on the program as the
designer Of the many f1ashy and brilliant
costumes. furnished a surp. Use with p ano
solos and fitted in as introlocutor for
humor furnished by Ada Lewis.
There is an abundance of color In the
costumes and staae settings for the en-
tertainment and the chorus is less of an
incident to the play than in many SIM
liar near-vaudeville musical pays. Its
members, large in numbers, are well
trained and their ensemble figures fur
nish many pictures pleasing to the eye.
The music by Jean Schwartz is of the
Jingl-ng. ragime kind in keeping with
the general spirit of a reckless but
vivacious style of entertainment.
Columbia.
When Rupert Hughes conceived the idea
| of making Pullman car on an overland
train, with its many possibilities, the
scene of farce he discovered some
thing more valuable than rich vein in a
gold mine. for his discovery is not only
helping to enrich him, but it has made
and is still making thousands of people
laugh and be happy, because a genuine
laugh is real happiness. 1t does not nee !
the orig nal New York cast nor the in
| dorsement of the dramatic doctor to
prove that every incident that occurs on
the mythical train on its way from Chi
| cago to San Francisco, via Reno, Is
funny, very funny. AT least that Is
what large aud. ence that saw Excuse
| Me" at the Columbia Theater last even
| ing thous hit Otherwise, it would not
have laughed and applauded in an un-
mistakable manner throughout the even
| ing.
Excuse Me" has been here before,
several times before, but ii seems just as
| enjoyable as when it first came. Some
of the old faces that helped IN the first
| production are missed in the present play,
but those who rep ace them are making
| people laus just as heartily, and to the
| observer who simply wants to be enter
tanned and not treated to q dramatic dis
QUESTION upon some exceptional problem
of strenuous life they are just as ac-
/ ceptable.
! Walter Fisher. the original Harry
Mailery, the young army officer who
eioped with the mother of Snooze
lums;" Harry j. Lane, the orisina
clergyman. who was OFF on lark with
! his wife; Harry Kendall. as Harold
Weds ewood; Charles Baron, the train
butcher: Marguerite Rand. as Ann CAT
| tie, aHO LENA MdTSI, DIS TIC Slcf&y-
mans wife. all of the original COM
pany, are seen again.
| The newcomers include George dip,
as Marjorie Newton. the young woman
who found such difficulty In getting
married to very willing young army
| officer; Lillian Cook. the spiteful form
| er sweetheart; Lillian Dilworth the Mrs
Jimmy Wellington; Edith Taber. the Mrs
( Whitcomb; Ed Begley. the big. fat.
| funny Jimmy wellington, David r.
| Young. the grouchy Ira Lathrop, who
! found his fate on the. train; Stanley