The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-12-25
COMMUNITY TREE
OUTDOOR PAGEANT
DRAWS THOUSANDS
One Of Most Remarkable Specta-
CIes Ever Staged In City Is
StrikingIy Successful
GROUNDS Of CAPITOL
SCENE OF BIG EVENT
Beautiful and ExceIIently Arrang-
ed Tableaux Depict Story Of
Birth Of the Christ Child

nlght was OnV ol tue ihohb feihhfhhnic
outdoor spectacles ever staged in Homo
lulu, and would make many mainland
pageants Of far larger cities look serl-
ously TO their laurels. 1t was planned
und carried out with a smoothness and
impressiveness which has not been
eqyIalled in any large public perform
anee given here previously, and its arr
tistie completeness marked q long step
forward in locnl pageants.
A crowd Of at least five thousand
heard the singing and viewed the ta-
/bleanx from first to fast, giving their
need Of appreciation TO each event Of
the unfolding program. The Outdoor
Circle should have, aud has, the thanks
of the community for its gift to them
of the community tree.
The living Christmas tree was lit
with hundreds Of colored electric lights
from top to bottom, and round st the
crowd circled merrily during the early
part of the evening. Tiny tots seated
themselves on the grass Under it to
gaze up into its fascinating brllliapee,
fathers and motbers strolIed up with
older children, while the littlest baby
nt the Christmas tree, tlah midget two
mouths old, lay in its fathers arms and
blinked up ut the glow Of eolorR with
its first smile on its chubby face The
tree was the center Of interest until the
singing and the tableaux began.
Miss Ellen Beach Yaw gave the first
program number, singing one of her
favorite skylark arrangements unac.
companied, standing meanwhile on the
platform son the second story lanai.
Her voice was clear and strong and
swas heard all over the grounds.
Crowd Was Merry "lg. I's
81 When the singing began the crowd
was massed solid the width of the
driveway from the front Of the chorus
TO King street, and spread out in fan
shape almost to the corners Of the
4 grounds. There were about five thou
sand people present, and all Of them in
a merrymaking spirit which helped
make the community tree the huge sue.
I, cess its originntors hoped for. d. =.
Miss Yaw was followed by n chorus
y5Au1tber from the chorus of 1900 voices
seated on the bleachers' directly in
front of the Capitol. The Royal, Ha.
waiiaR Band accompanied them, aud
Miss Jane Whine led them with excel.
lent effect. Miss Winnie has achieved
wonderful results with her body of
= singers, as last nights performance
nttested. Captain Henri Berger led
the band with all his old-time enthu-
siasm. - ,~ -, a.
"A solo by Rcynold McGrew came
next. and was one of the best
heard and most enjoyed vocal TEXTURES
Of the evening. Mr.. McGrew's song
was we'll chosen for open air singing,
and. his resonant tones carried richly
and clearly far over the crowd. Mrs.
Charles Ia Hall also sang alone most
pIcasingIy after the tablcaux.
Tahleaux Are Striking D.
The first Of the tahlranx. 80 excel
lontly arranged by Mr.. and Mrs. Roger
Noble Buruham showed the angels
hcraldinG the birth Of the Christ child
Three of Them appeared on the roof
on either side of the central tower
blowing silver trumpets, their white
draperies fluttcriug in the strong
breeze. Lights were thrown on them
when they were in place. Six bows
from KHmCh" mchn schools acted as the
angelic heralds.
After chorus song the series ~
tahlcaux was continued on tho second
story lanai. a platform was raised to
the Nhright Of the railing, making IL
easy for all to see, and on this the
shepherds fret anDharcd. They were
nwakrurd from sleep by the guiding
star, and set out to follow it to the
mangeE. H..
On the othcr side tho thrcr kings III
the. Fast were also following the star
10 whore the Christ child lay. In
their flowing robes of rich cnlOrs they
nadesa strono picture as they paced
along the aallorv bearing their gifts
10 the newborn king. E--a'E 1.
The Holy Manner
At the lrst the tnbloau of the man,
ger was shown in the cepter. The
Madonna md Tnsnph hont above the
y sfraw,fillod cradle of the holy habe
from which a radiance wns reflected
Nm into their faces, while tho Eastern
e KINGS and the poor shepherds offered
their homage on either side.
Mrs John Erdman was a beautiful
= Madonna, fulfilling the, ethereal look
ing requirements of the part perfectly
aud the sturdy Joseph was Charles K
Frazier, in flowing wig and Jewish
gown. The shepherds were Rev Henry
Judd, Rev. John Erdman, and w. p,
Alexander L. Young Correthers was
the imposing King Of Egypt, Arthur
Wyman was the Grccian , king and
= Duke Kahanamoku was the Ethiopian
monarch. Roger Burnham directed and
staged the tablcQux personally. =. .
90 Aftdr these were over the crowd
was asked to join with the chorus in
singing some familiar Christmas hymns
and many did 50 with a win. The
band played as the crowd dispersed
to Join the .throngs on King and Fort
and Hotel Streets for the Christmas
Eve promenade. ~..' ~. ~ y
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&c.," ~,
A D..