The Washington herald., 1914-05-03
Repiew of the Past Week
In New York TheaterS

low the fashionable theater district. That
local geography had nothing to do with
the slim attendance was shown by subse-
ouent events, the real reason being that
both pieces had been seen here before
and had failed to catch the liking OF
American audiences. When Mr.. Maude
produced Grumpy" business immediate
iy began to pick up and during the last
months Of the engagement he played to
the capacity of the theater. In fact,
Grumpy" with Mr. Maude in the title
part brought about an unusual happen
ing. His engagement was to have closed
Saturday night, as he was to sail for
England early on Tuesday. The demand
for seats. however, was SO persistent that
Il was found profitable to have him give
one more performance on Monday even
ing leaving him scant time to gather his
belongings prior to embarking. And he
has demonstrated that wallack's Is not
yet so far down town as not to be sc-
cessible 10 the most discriminating audi
ences New York can supply. And. at the
same time, he got away in time not to
play an inferior instrument In the band
which gives Forbes-Robertson big fare
well banquet with men and women guests
on May 4.
Cream of the New York Theaters.
The list Of things worth seeing is even
at this unusually early date beginning to
narrow down. The weak brothers in the
way of theatrical attractions are rapidly
falling by the wayside and there are few
new recruits to take their places. The
girl-and-music shows give no evidence
of quitting. and the best of them. such
as The Beauty Shop" with Raymond
Hitchcock, "The Belle Of Bond Street"
THE Midnight Girl" High Jinks." and
be IUhfrl 81 "a W0r1dff nkafv fA
run on well into the hot weather after
their more legitimate competitors have
been forced to close. Neither history nor
observation furnish any clew TO the fact
that a girl-and-music show can continue
to do profitable business when tempera-
ture interferes fatally with the more
legitimate forms of entertainment. The
two standby comedies and the melo-
drama that deal with foreign surround
ings, meaning thereby Peg o. My
Heart" Kitty MacKay." and THE yell
low Ticket" show as yet no signs of de-
clining patronage. The farcical produc-
tions. TOO Many Cooks" "A Pair Of
Sixes,' The Dummy" and Seven Keys
to Baldpate' continue to win handsome
royalties for their authors. Potash and
Perlmutter'' still makes laughs and will
hold the boards until everyone In the
cloak-and-suit trade in America has a
Cndnce 10 note now the Two ASIute heroes
manage their business and domestic af-
fairs. Margaret Anglin has found an un-
expected interest in her well-done re-
vival OF that well-constructed drama
Lady Windermere's Fan" The humor-
ously sentimental and the sentimentally
humorous still have opportunity to be in
terested and pleased by The Things
that Count" with its elementary story
of life in widely separated New York cir
cles. The megatherian "Pinafore' still
rides the raging waters OF the Hippo
drome tank. Grace George still lies
gracefully through all the complications
that face her in the late Clyde Fitch's
perhaps best comedy. THE Truth"
Julian Eltinge in THE Crinoline GfrI'
keeps on demonstrating to the suffragists
that It is not entirely a feminine matter
for a young man to be an attractive
young woman. Another week. especially
II we have a touch OF the belated warm
weather. means a quick cutting down Of
this list.