The Washington herald., 1914-03-08
By JULIA CHANDLER MANz.

BY JULIA CHANDLER hASI.
The theatrical fabric of the curren
week is a gay and gorgeous AFFAIR. Int
its texture are woven no threads suE
gestive Of Lenten somberness. The color
are brilliant and variegated; motifs ar
frivolous, and serious thought being con
spicuous for its absence
Because Its presentation at the New
National Theater tomorrow night repre-
sents its first metropolitan production
maids Of Athens" is of paramount inter
est. 1t is the second operatic produc-
ton which Henry w. Savage has made
at the New National this season 'Sari
having first won the praise OF Wash
ingtonians before going to the tremendous
success which il has achieved in New
York. George Marion (the general stage
director for Mr. Savage), whose sumptu-
GUS settings for ''Sari' were feature
of the production, is also responsible foi
the staging of Maids of Athens" and
will be on hand with Mr.. Savage to-
morrow evening to direct the Washington
opening.
The astute New York producer be.
Iieves so firmly that Franz Lehar ano
Victor Leon have repeated the melodious
accomplishment which they achieved In
collaboration for THE Merry Widow
that he is advertising Maids OF Athens ,
as its big sister" Reports from At
iantic City, where the latter piece had
its premiere last week, would seem to
justify his judgment in this, Tor they
proclaim the music quite equal to thar OF
its elder sister which marked the be-
ginning OF popularity for Viennese music
in this country. Miss Carolyn Wells, whose
Gift for versihcation We all know. rs the
lihrettist, and Liss Bernice Mershon VIII
be seen in the pri-la donna role. sur
rounded by a large cast
The selection Of Miss Mershon to
shoulder the main share Of responsioil-
it, in Maids of Athens" is another ex-
ample OF the faith which is held by Mr..
Savage in youth. Miss Mershon is but
twenty-five. Little l-iss MizZi Ha1os.
who completely cap-ivLted US in the title
role of "Sari'' earlier in the season. Is
only twenty-one. and rene Fenwick, who
Is playing .he leading role in along
Came Ruth" an ther Of the recent saw
age productions in New York, is just
twenty-four.
There are so many musical produc-
tfons nowadays in which brazen-faced.
shrill-voiced Broadway jades are e.
ploited: so many aust re spectacles OF
antique feminine furniture on the ooaros'
that it is difficult to suppress the m
clination to cry out loud bravo Tor
Mr.. Savage, jus as an appreciation Oh
his insistence upon youth!
The Belasco Theater will indulge in
tumble of jolIification this week, the Lew
FieIds-Marcus Loew New York Winter
Garden aggregation of vaudevillians de
luxe under the title Of The Pleasure
Seekers being the attraction.
The cast is composed of comedians cele-
brated for the'- ability to keep an aud
icnce gaspinc and gurglinS with good
natured sfee bringing into reunion the
twelve entertainers who made the wheels
of "Hanky Panky" go round right mer-
rily. There is Max Rogers, inimftable as
a German comedian; there is that grotes-
cue pair, Florence Moore and William
the former needing but to
wrinkle her nose or point her finger IN
order TO set her audience giggling, and'
tits said. she h: long since seen the er-
for and vulgarity of her ways in the mat
tel of kissing bald heads scattered along
the aisles Of the theate', and is adhering
to the better taste Of legitimate fun-
Then there is Clay Smith who knows
how to dance. and scores of others who
lend their agility to the dancing specta-
cie. a skating scene in which Alfred and
Sigfid Naess give an exhibition on real
ice, for which feat Arthur Voegtin-
probably the most clever scene painter
ia America-has furnished switzerland
drop representing an Alpine village
which is said to be one of the most novel
and effective features Of the entire show.
THE Pleasure Seekers is difficult to
classify since the expensive and elabor-
ate hodge-podge has no stock name
Call il revue, vaudeville, 1umole,
a song-dance- -and-costume festival-what
you wiIl-its object Of entertainment in
the most frivolous md frothy manner
will remain the same.
interviewer between the new Savage
production at the National. and THE
Pleasure Seekers at the Belasco, comes
a farce to the Columbia Thcater this
week which promises much Of wholesome
fun. have reference to Edgar SeiWyns
Nearly Married" which had its prem
Iere at the Gaiety Theater, New YORK
the 6th of last September. at the hands
Of Cohan and Harris. winning an in
slant and lasting success.
Mr.. SeIwyn is an adept in the matter
Of writing bright plays, having turned
put a number Of clever comedies since |
he became famous as playwright, but
he has conceived no such broad farcical
situations as in this, his latest. achieve
nent. which he has handled with such
,eatness and dispatch as to have brought
L very close horne TO separationists
who are al susceptible to last-moment
repentance when the formidable hour, Of
judicial consideration vf their appeal fcr
divorce Is at hand
Nearly Married is a farce which the
nearly divorced will view with profit, and
which no one can sit through without
keen amusement presented by company
81 exceptional excellence and balance, for
the Selwyn piece brings TO US this week
one of the best comedians Of this genera |
don in the person of Bruce McRae, whose |
light has been too long obscured by the |
stars in whose supp IT he has been play !
Ing He has won such individual at
Lention from critics and laymen alike |
since Nearly Married had its premiere
IN New York that the outcome is most |
likely to be a departure next season |
from his ac. stoned place as leading |
nan into the glare Of stsrdom.
In a role CT equal importance in the |
-ohan and Harris production will be seen |
Miss Jane Grey whose expansion In the |
,rt Of acting has brought her well to the |
front ranks OF her profession during the |
past year.
Cohan and Harr have been singularly |
successful in the farce producing line, |
having found big profits In their former |
OF stop Thief" and |
'Oficer &c.," as well IS Nearly Mar |
-ied," a fac. which is partially due to |
heir success in imbuing farcical produc-i |
CALENDAR OF THE WEEK.