The Detroit times., 1913-01-03

Taxi Girls" In the Gayety theate5,
01xt week. The coming show Is I'M
Ger the management OF Joe Hurtig,
who ii also sponsor for the Social
Maids" the current attraction in the
t4oiIlac-sq. playhouse. While there
~ resemblance between the two
shows. IN the musical features and
me staging OF the ensemble numbers
there are differences In the genera!
plan OF the entertainment the Taxi
Girls" include a number OF high-class
vaudeville performers and these sps-
rihlties are sprinkled throughout the
Two acts OF the farce.
The Children's theater, atop the
(, Century theater, in New York, and the
only theater of its kind In the world,
I was opened with great eolat the other
day with Mrs. Frances Hodgson Bur
\ netts play "Racketty- Packetty House"
Tho theater is decorated like
( Mother Goose nursery rhyme book,
! and It's IL boxes are named after we'll
known nursery rhyme or fairy talo
4 persons. The seats are all on one
moor. Performances are given only
IN the afternoon, at 3:30 o'clock ant
on Saturday mornings, at IL o'clock.
The company presenting "Racketty-
Packetty House" are mostly children,
although Master Gabriel, who, despite
bis diminuitiye stature, is no longer
"kiddie." heads the company.
| One Of the really funny plays OF
| the day Is "Omcer 666," now in tho
| Detroit opera house. While the piece
81 pure farce, II has the thrilling
lmelodramatic quality worked In so
cleveriy as to create intense interest
along with the laughs. "Oficer $50"
Is presented by a clever company and.
I beyond q doubt, the ability OF the
players Is responsible, In no small ds-
\ gree. for the general success OF the
(. piece with the public.
The Excuse Me" pullman In the
I Garrick theater this week is about the
most popular mode of travel round |
these parts. There is q laugh In every |
turn OF the wheel OF the Marjorie"
which r. the unusually sane name OF
the aforesaid Pullman. A large pro- |
portion of the audiences which have |
tcrowded the Garrick theater this week I
have been people who saw Excuse |
, Me- last season and, Just couldn't |
keep away from seeing the lively |
Ifsrce again.
A force OF expert workmen arrived |
An the Garrick theater Friday morn
ing from the Winter garden in New |
York, to get the Garrick stage into /
shape for The Passing Show OF 1872"
which comes to that house Monday
ovening for a weeks stay. The big I
production has most elaborate scenery
and mechanical devices. One OF the
scenes Is a travesty on "Kismet,"
showing the harem scene with It's per-
tuned bath. This pool, sunk below
the level of the stage, must be OF
certain size, In order to accommodate
the young women who dive into It's
waters. The water must be heated
10 certain temperature and there
are many details about the installing
OF the tank that cannot be entrusted
70 other than expert hands, so the
XRE York STAFF VIII aemaih in Detroit
until after, the first performances OF
the show.
# Billy Van, the original minstrel
man." and widely known as the as
sassin OF sorrow,r will be one of the Z
headliners on the Miles bill next ween. I
vans last visit to Detroit with Neil G
O'Brien's minstrels Is pleasantly re- b
called by his Detroit admirers. He I"
returns with q new monologue, "Dr. Q
Nut" Another offering OF headline inn I
pOrtance will be Walter &. Percyal "
and company in The Choice which I
has been pronounced one Of the y
etrongest playlets ever written. Mr.. Z
PerciVal Is wellknown In the legiti.
mate field. Among the other acts an a
hounced for the week are Curtis and Y
! Wright in a singing speciality; Jolly II
John Larkins and Jennie Pearl IN
rrag-time harmony" and Bud and il
Nellie Lowe, rope mdpulators. d
Mrs. Minnie Madden F1ske will r
complete her annual New York en- ?
gagement In the Hudson theater, Jan. 4
IS, and will Immediately begin a road I
tour, the itinerary OF which will bring v
her TO Detroit about the middle of h
February. Mrs. Fiske has a new play il
this season, The High Road" writ S
ten by Edward Sheldon, whose Sat b
& Walton Nell, the young authors first .
play, Mrs. Fiske made known to the '
public. There has been a wide d. {
Fersity Of critical opinion with regard
\ 70 The High Road" II had It's pre- {
mfere In Montreal and It was scored
(. BY the Canadians most numerically.
lit received better treatment from the
4 New York reviewers.
( An interesting visitor In Detroit this
week Is Prince Sitlay Lee, a young
Y Chinese, who will remain until after
4 the engagement next week, in the De-
troit opera house, of the Chinese play,
The Daughter of Heaven" Prince
Lee Wishes to study the mechanics Of
the production. For the first time,
the young man, who Is guest in the
Hotel Pontchartrain, had an opportu.
nifty to observe the American way of
welcoming the new year. He com.
mented on the difference between the
Observance of the day here and IL
China. Before the revolution the Chi. |
nese new year was set by the emper. |
of's astronomical board according to |
set OF exact, but exceedingly CON-
plicated rules" said Prince Lee. 1T |
fell some time between Jan. 2 and
Feb. 90 The celebration began 10
days before the date selected and end
ed 20 days after. Passersby were IN |
the habit OF greeting each other with
the exhortation New Joy, new 10y:
get rich, get rich IL was not con