New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-20
Usual Galaxy of Stars" in
Annual ROmp at the
Metropolitan.
SHAKESPEARE is
IN 1T THIS YEAR
Minstrel First Part Is Turned
Into a Travesty on the
Bard of Avon.

Once every year somebody in the
Lambs Club discovers that the solid
gold door knobs are wearing a little
thin or that small diamond is miss
ing from one of the broom handles, and
thereupon everybody in the club who
can spare the time contributes his SER
vices that the horrible defect may be
remedied. SO last night at the Metro
politan Spera House the flock was
rounded up once more for the Gus
tomary spring Lambs Gambol, and at
midnight il was still going on. IL is
mighty show. The array of stars
presented is of staggering proportions
| and majority Of the things that they
do are highly entertaining. As for the
minority-pouf! One cannot be cap
tious at Gambol.
In fact, 1t is impossible 10 take stock
Of so massive an entertainment in any
thing approaching n critical spirit. ANY
one who attends the show assuming
that he purchases at the box Office and
not at the auctions assured his
moneys worth. He may view, on 4
single afternoon or evening, David
Belasco, William II. Crane, John Drew,
John Philip Sousa, James ONeil, John
Barrymore, Leo Ditrichstein, Donald
Brian, Richard Bennett, Wallace Ed
dinger, William Courtleigh, Lyn Hard
ing, William Courtenay, Robert Edeson,
King Baggot, Charles Richman. Nat c.
Goodwin, Frank Tinney, Thomas A.
Wise, Andrew Mack, Digby Bell. Will
lam B. Mack, Edmund Breese, Theodor
Kosloff, Eugene Cowles, and so many
more that his histrionic appetite will
/ be more than satiated. In view Of this
/ fact, he would be an undeserving the
atre lover who voiced objection merely
/ because the entertaining power of the
| show is not kept constantly up TO the
+ level Of 1.-THE Great Lover" or "The
BOOMERANG"
Unless something unusual happened
after midnight, the most amusing por-
/ ton Of the entertainment is Every
musicalplay," by John l.. Golden, ROl
/ Cooper Megrue and Frank Craven. It
/ is rich trayesty on the ordinary mu-
| gical comedy, which most of them are.
1t mirrors the perennial striving for
comedy and for spectacular scenic eff
/ fects, even though common sense is
sacrificed in the melee. IL shows
Times Square at night, with the Statue
Of Liberty and the Polo Grounds in the
distance" And it gives the comedian
a chance 70 wave deprecating hand at
the tenor and remark: alas, poor
lyric! | knew him we'll"
In this year Of the great celebration
IL was inevitable that Shakespeare
would come in for attention. SO the
. minstrel first part includes a number
Of trayesties on the bard the best of
which is a scene from "Othello," with
Frank Tinney as the Moor. Thomas A.
/ Wise, again in the garments of FalstaH,
/ Is the interlocutor, and one sees Barney
/ Bernard as Shylock, Andrew Mack as
Romeo, Robert Mantell as Touchstone
and Charles j. Ross as Shakespeare.
No vast amount of ingenuity was Law
ished on this part of the entertainment,
but it will pass.
/ The welcome given an octet of car
/ toonists made il seem for a moment as
I though the newspaper men were about
20 beat the actors at their own game.
/ Those who appeared were Hy Mayer,
/ r. l.. Goldberg, Clair Briggs. Winsor
/ McCay, Tom Powers, Bud" Fisher, R.
+. Outcault and George McManus. A
scandal seemed imminent when The
I Tribune's Mr.. Briggs was asked to
draw picture of President Wilson, bat
the cartoonist supplied a happy ending
by sketching Colonel Roosevelt instead.
Mr.. Sousa, in immaculate Hippo
drome white, conducted the orchestra
for a couple of numbers, and Julian
Eltinge appeared in a reasonably di-
verting terpsichorean number entitled
Mary and Her Lambs" Nat Goodwin
told a few stories and then did a few
limitations, aided by his fellow Lambs.
The limitations. incidentally. served TO
introduce the hiss 10 the Metropolitan
Opera House. Both Mr.. Roosevelt and
the Kaiser were greeted as sibiiants,
but a little later the crowd indicated
its approval of Abraham Lincoln and
the American fog Nay, it did more.
1t arose en- masse in the belief that