The Washington herald., 1916-06-11
By JULIA CHANDLER.

by JULIA STlf1N D1<EN.
June-time in New York is a Pc
riod of readjustment for both plays
and playerfolk The troopers have
folded their gilded tents and come
back to the center Of theatrical ac-
tivity, some of them to haunt
Broadway with their presence while
others steal away for a more re-
poseful vacation.
One by one the lights of the the
sters have gone out until but few
Of the seasons brilliant successes
remain. OF these The Boomerang"
at the Belasco,~ and Fair and
Warmer" at the Eltinge promise an
all-summer run. Others have been
laid on the theatrical shelf only IN
til the curtain Of new season rings
up on their broader opportunities
| for conquest.
Innumerable musical pieces, both
old and new, remain as a portion
Of the metropolitan summer fare.
OF these none is more attractive
than "Pom-Pon." the Henry W. Savage
entertainment now current at the Cohsn
I Theater. saw the conceit last Monday
evening and was delighted with Il
Mitzi Hsjos is the bright particular
star. In fact, ''Pom-Pom'' IS AIitzi. and
| Nitzi is 'Pom-Pom.' While the score by
( Hugo Felix encompasses some haunting
| ly tender themes. and Anne Caldwell's
book is sufficiently coherent 70 hold ones
attention, the piece would be as fat as q
| founder without that elfsh. effer~sscent
spirit Of Mitzi pervading II. Like some
playful, impairment kitten she frolics
\ through the two acts, making one cry
| in the midst OF laughter with q few lines
| Of tuneless minor song, and switching
| on the fun again with the frank assur-
/ ance OF one who might control the
| switchboard OF all the laughter and tears
| IN the world
She's like that-this tun-lovtnE. trolic-
some bit Of Hungarian live-wire. wiz
Cling her way down to the core Of you
and playing the strings Of your heart
! just 10 suit herself
| The program says she's Paulette, the
prtma donna OF an opera You see her
that way q minute or 60 Then she's
] ''Pom-Pom," the piclpocl<et-sn elhsh-
/ iInlschievous little mite OF femininity
singing like an angel when she isn't up
to tricks, and carrying the burden OF the
whole piece on her dainty shoulders
Most folk you meet in New York ten
YOU that ''Pom-Pom' Is a better enter
tainnent than was "sari,- NIitzi', last
vehicle. But It isn't so. It's Just that tt
suits this remarkable tabloid prina dom
ma better.
For "Pom-Pou1'' Is Niitzi. and Nntzi Is
/ l''Pom-Pom' even as have said before.
| So one is bound TO like them both.
Despite the fact that he was up to his
ears in rehearsals OF Frances STAIRS
new play. which has its premiere in At
! lasco turned from his work long enough
| to have me come to dinner with him in
| that mystical, beautiful place OF his above
! the theater IN New York which bears his
name. When he has used up the last
ounce OF his vitality in his absorption In
work he slips away to these magic rooms,
| which seem as remote a place from
! Broadway as the Sahara Desert. and
/ plays or rests FOR an hour or two before
going back, with interchangeable enthUsi-
ssTn. TO the play IN hand.
The producer is immensely pleased with
the studendous success OF The Boomer
/ Iang," is planning 10 begin work again
on The Lucky Fellow as soon as he
/ has Miss Stars new vehicle well in
| hand while a dozen more colossal plans
keep his brain teening. and his life ono
span OF continuous creation.
He is enthusiastic over the new COM
cdy for Frances Starr. which is a COS
tune play, entitled a Little Girl in
Blue" by the author Of Grumpy" After
the Atlantic City opening OF the piece IL
will be withdrawn until the beginning Of
the season. The Lucky Fellow preced-
ing IT in point OF New York production.
I bumped into many pIayerfolk who
have not yet left New York for vaca-
| ton, but the most interesting hour was
that spent with William Hodge in his
summer home at Great Neck.
Did I say hour?
! Well so I meant Il TO be, but n truth
must be told the hour" stretched into
many. so absorbed was IN the quaint
| humor OF this quiet man, surrounded by
his young wife and three adorable babies,
I found him sitting on the broad colo
nal porch OF his home that gives view
( OF the rolling hills and winding roads Of
Long Island, his eyes alight with tender
ness as he watched the little folks at
! play.
And we talked Of everything from sf-
fnity to feas.
Naturally I wanted first OF all TO be
] told Of Fixing Sister" the new comedy
in which the star added materially TO
his popularity last spring during its long
run in Boston, but I found Mr.. Hodge
strangely reticent on the subject
! What does Il matter whether 7 Ike
Mr.. whitman's new comedy or not?- he
counter queetioned.
q am not in the theater 20 please my
/ self but TO please the folk who SIT out
! front. Fixing Sister" accomplishes that.
| We did stupendous business in Boston.
! think the piece will exceed in popularity
anything in which / have appeared"
Which is some measure Of faith when
! one considers how The Man from
Home filled the theaters in which Mr..
! Hodge appeared for years, with The
| Road TO Happiness" running Il a close
| second.
Despite the evasion was later TO learn
! that the comedian is tickled 10 death with
his new vehicle.
Not that he ever meant TO tell me 60.
We were discussing the success or fall
ure OF plays, and the actor was telling
me OF his tremendous interest in play
1 construction.
There was Under Cover for in,
stance" he offered in illustration of q
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