Evening star., 1914-02-08

production Columbia q" en-
pIoyed a large number of per
formers and presented them with re-
markable effectiveness A realization
of the danger of attempting too much
was a wholesome influence. The diff
ficulties of elocutionary and dramatic
effort were avoided. and a series of
charming tableaux felicitously ar
ranged with constant activities in the
way of songs and dances proved most
agreeable entertainment.
The new play. Marrying Money" by
Mir rezet, invited appreciation, not
only il 4 friendly spirit. but as a
frank acknowledgment of obligation
for clean and sprightly entertainment.
The atmosphere of confidence and fin
ish distinguished the piece on the open
ing night. even though the speeches
had not IN all cases been securely
memoriZed- The evidences of expert
assistanc. in the play. both as to con-
struction and presentation. command
respect for Mr. Tezets Judgment and
discretion in striving for results and
not jeopardizIng his own purposes in
order TO enjoy exclusive personal
glory.
The attendance at The Beauty Shop"
while not duplicating the remarkable
records reported from Chicago. indi-
Gates strong probability that Cohan
& Harris have found very suitable
vehicle for Raymond Hitchcock. Mr..
Cohan and Mr.. Harris were both in the
city yesterday. looking over the new
property for the first time.
To Polls went the distinction of pre-
senting drama in a traditional -o-
wives many memories, ard the man
who enjoys "reminiscences was on hand.
of course. to tell the story of the
numerous theaters that caught fire
while Kate Claxton, in The Two
Orphans, was playing. The star with
out the play or the play without the
star involved no fears OF confiagration,
but the combination gave rise to one of
the most curious OF stage supersti-
tions
The moving picture has carried its
march of invasion into the Academy
of Music and has breathed new vitality
into the theater on Pennsylvania ave-
nuc known once as THE Comique
tnany patrons called il "Commy-cue'o,
then as hernau's and recently as the
Lyceum- With some OF the largest
producing firms turning their atten-
ton TO the production of moving pic
ture films. and new theaters being con-
stantly provided for their exhibition.
the theater may be regarded as ex-
periencinS its full share of the social
and economic changes reported by ex-
perts in such matters to be so gener-
ally in progress.
AN oPERATIC REvIvAL-"In the
So srr;,, 1io
what it wants." says Joseph E. Luck
EFT, widely known in local theatrical
matters. lies one of the unaccountable
mysteries of the theatrical business
with relation to the public taste. name
ly, the disappearance from the stage,
for SO many years. of romantic light
opera. Two and a half decades ago
light opera was something entirely
different from the product of today. and
but for an occasional revival of an old
time faNorite nowadays the names even
might not have survived. once on
time We had 'Nanon. .Erminie.' The
Tyrolean. and uusically the world
wagg-d very well then Now we get
principally reviews.
That there has been shown tendency
TO improve is hopeful sign. notably
in the case OF two or three productions
made in the past three seasons. But
aside from the revival OF former sue
cesses the attempt to provide light
opera in respectable form has fallen
FAR short of liberation. with few ex-
ceptIons. from one cause or another.
Usually il Is a libretto of Insufficient
quality; occasionally the music has
been al fault
~. are admittedly weak. too. in
composers OF ability, so weak. in fact.
thai there is never "a book written but
that the writer hopes to have one Ger
tain musician write the score for him.
OF course, il is impossible to imagine
al being WritfrD hN Victor
Herbert. industrious as he is
THAT the situation is not altogether
hopeless however. is the bellef OF some
who patrUnize. the tiledters. ana a great
many more are Weakening to the TACT
that q change will he welcome Ihe
chocolate soldier gave an impetus 10
the belief. and it has grown ontl the
prelude against even costume opera
Yas nartiallv conquered by The Purple
Road OF last season
Now comes The Madcap Duchess TO
further the good cause Inis opera rs
not only one OF the purely ronantic
school but of the costume type as
well and 1T rejoices in the absence OF
knock bout comedy and vulgar 1un-
yaIpEvILLES DAILY PROGRESS
I.drar Allen Woolf. the vaudeville author.
oas an interesting schedule relating to
tho interest manifested by audiences from
day TO day
..,Iondav afternoon he AYERS. dancing
and cabaret ..sts are popular. but in the
eyenirt. the audience applauds indiscrimi-
patingIv every act at its CONCLUSION by
Tu,sd;.v afternoon the comedies begin TO
get a ripple Of laughter and at niShf they
90 bi. Wednesday afternoon belongs
70 -h, vocal offerings and the evening
il 1ugrlers. night Thursday afternoon
is lad IL is the servants day out SO
the ladies' have to stay at nome anq DO
th.ir own housework. Their husbands
TAX, Them to the theatsr i'll the evening
and the night performance goes great.
Thircs arr. all right for the rest OF the
week. This does not apply TO acts on
before Z and o'clock They ole on
general principles 1t is deferentially ex-
plained that this applies to large COM
Inercial centers and not to Washington
FORBES -ROBERTSoS'S PREMIERE.
1T was only an accident that made Sir
Johnston Forbes Robertson actor. He
had played Macbeth" as child with
his brothers and sisters, one Of whom. It
is said acted the part of the army of
Macbeth and another the army of Nc
ISur with Instructions to create an i'm
zression of numbers by rushing wildly
from wing to wing. a device that
worked admirably until they collided.
when the poverty of the battlefield was
revealed
His earliest performance of ''Haulet''