The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-26
MANY PLAYS BURLESQrED
.u,llo Brosdwsy'-N the As,or
Theatre.

Broadway got its Christmas present
last night IN the form of review called
"Helo BfoadwaN," in which George NJ
Cohan acted. lie also wrote the piece.
hut IL was in greeting Mr.. Conan on the
stage again that the audience took the
greatest pleasure. Broadway turned out
loyaliy and voclferously to welcome
home this wandering sheep. who has not
b.en seen here since he acted In Broad
NAV Jones" William Collier was another
,mportant actor In what the programme
described "a "a musical crazy quilt.
Matched and threaded together with
words and music By MIR. Conan
There were two acts TO the piece and
fourteen scenes. which may also be con
,idered about the number OF plays seen
I'M New York this winter. for the new
PRODUCTION leaned heavily on the bur
lesaues OF theatrical successes az well as
some that were--well not so successful.
IN. scenes showed view in Jersey city.
she home OF MIR. Wa in Hongkong, the
Hppodrome Chinatown and variety
OF other places to serve "a the back
ground for scenes from dramas OF the
current year OF course 1t PAYS TO
Advertise" "Pygmalion.' The Miracle
Man" The Outcast' innocent. ana
"Mr WI" were some OF the plays from
which Mr. Conan drew MS fun.
strictly for Broadway.
Il was only just, after all. that Broad
way should have applauded MI Conan
and his associates 80 LOYALTY. as the en-
,ertainment had been devised entirely Tor
its entertainment II is incredible that IL
could be understood by any public un-
familiar with life within ten blocks OF
I.ongacre Square The various scenes
tney were dull enough at the beginning
and in view of present standards OF pro-
ductlon very naive to offer to the metro
po.itan publc-were about equal comoi-
nations of shop and Broadway.
The whole representation had the air
Of having been prepared for a celebration
" an actors club. The players discussed
,he!r affairs OF the stage talked as II no
such thing as the illusion of the theatre
existed and called their friends In the
audience nv name Then they INDUCED
publicly in the sort OF conversation usually
confined to esrsals-supposedly since
there are some persons who possess the
proud distinction OF never having seen the
actors in this stage of their work-and
vent about their tasks with the determi-
nation of amusing the Broadway public at
any cost.
This sort OF a thing seemed to grow
-a'her desperate when George Conan as
sisted in the booming of song by play
ag the violin and William Collier-they
called one another Bill and George
throughout the eycnrs-drsgged In a bar
n, organ TO play on.
audience Loves u.
Bu' the audience loved it all The
compliment might have been greater 70
Mr. Cohdn and Mr.. Collier had there not
been Just as much enthusiasm for Belle
Blanche when she did her familiar vaude
VIZ limitations, and for Martin Brown
and the other Dolly sister-each one al
ways seems the o,hor--when they danced
as they do IN vaudeville.
NJ Cohan as an actor might have been
sof To return TO the manner OF Little
Johnny Jones" and his efforts OF that
period lie sIll dances with unusua.
sgl'v, but il happens that the Conan
school is not the kind OF dancing that
T. mos admired to-day. SO Tar as the
Conan humor goes, II may he observed
mat times change and comedians change
With them Since the Conan nasal au-
dacity used to be 30 potent, there have
been others-Al Ioson. for instance Frank
Tinncy. Bernard Granville. and one or
NO others. Then il is a fact that fashions
IN humor do not reCur. But Mr.. Conan S
friends seemed to 1--we him as much as
ever, and they should have. In view OF his
Efforts 20 provide them with what they
wanted At all events. he seems 10 have
rounded The circle and got back TO the
starting point VIII future audiences un-
deSiand two-thrds Of Hello, Broadway
And r they do. viii thew like such highly
seasoned entertainment? Its STANDARD ~
taste was that ~ the after dinner speeches
a. stag dinner But ii Is not to be
d.ncd that the first night audience de-
GATED iu II all-in Belle Blanche, Mr..
Conan and Mr. Collier, with real holiday
imDartt4'Ity