The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-04
LAUDER GETS CROWD
TO JOIN IN SONGS
In Forgetting Their Conservatism
When Beloved Scot Appears.

= W
When Beloved Scot Appears.
| Veteran theatre-goers held their
breath yesterday afternoon when
Harry Lauder Invited a packed house
at the Academy OF Music TO join him
in singing the wee chorus" OF There
Ia Somebody Waiting for Me-" They
knew the reluctance Of the oid-ume
two-dollar "a seat audiences to do any
thing but sit tight and they feared,
for Q moment. that the famous come
dian was about to come cropper--
| but only for q moment The people
liked Lauder and he Liked them. The
impulses released through the Sun
day sings and the more recent Billy
Sunday mass singing had had their
effect and the crowd sang with much
satisfaction on both sides of the foot
lights. The singing didn't stop. either.
when Lauder went off stage to change
his costume. The orchestra kept on
playing and the audience kept on
singing. lot of staid Richmonders
had found themselves by forgetting
LADDERS program OF songs and
stories and Just talk was a constant
delight He sang Back. Back TO
Where the Heather Grows, as his
I! opening number, receiving An ova-
. ton when he appeared. Then he ap-
p>Arsd In saifor costume---his only
deviation from gorgeous and varied
plaids and tartans, and cracked some
new jokes about the exclusiveness OF
lthe navy. when I was Twenty-One"
was presented In the character OF
hilarious old man who had never mar
ried- In response to repeated Calls
| for an encore to Il Love Lassic," he
left Il to tho audience to choose and
they chose, as . matter OF course.
'wss Hoose Mang the Heather.
That was the song. Lauder explained
which he sang most often AT the Yves
tern front, for, he said Every man
Of them. from Scotland or South
Africa or the United States or New
Zealand Of India or Canada had In
his heart 4 picture of some one wee
hoose' that meant home to him, and
they all liked II and sang 1t with me.
/ Then Lauder talked about the war
another Lauder. the Lauder VINO
yas there all the time during the
years when he convufsed the world
with laughter but whose existance
vas not dreamed until the war came
ana laid its hand heavily upon his
own home, taking away his only son
to = grave in Flanders.
TT was q war between two Gods"
he said ''the God in Heaven and that
other god whose whole purpose u
Ito XIII and plumber. We know which
won. The kaiser. hear. 10 growing
q beard 10 hide his face. But ne can
never hide his black heart from the
world. The Bible admonishes us to
love our enemies. But / do not find
that it tells us anywhere that God
expects to love his enemies" And
1.-THE crowd cheered roundly.
Lauder Ia greatly interested In 4
fund for disabled Scottish soldiers,
sailors and fishermen. for which he
has collected upwards Of $500 900.
| He explained that Mrs. Lauder and her
assistants would be in the lobby to
receive contributions and asked that
his hearers be liberal. Tho war ID
not over" he said. ''and 1t won't be
over until all OF the boys are back
ana w take them by the hand and
say: welcome home. We've got q
| lob for YOU The man who is obliged
Ia he IDLE after he gets back from
| fighting for you is going to develop
q grievance In his mind--against you:
The war will not be over until you
have done your share by the men who
went out to defend you and yours"
! An impromptu action brought In
more money for the Lauder fund and
1.-The artist sang. with tho sssistancs
LOT the audience. his newest ,compo-
dtion, . "Peace Song" which wal
lwell received. Then came moro story
iand Z characteristic "Goodbye" and
1.-THE program was over. except for q
parade BY the Scottish Highlander
band.
The first half Of the bill was occu-
Ipied BY high-class specially acts
i, novel In character and SO good that
1.-THE audience was delighted. The
house was packed for both perfor-
,mances and hundreds We're turned
away.