Evening star., 1919-03-02

tour OF America, iecturlng IN several
large cities. His only appearance In
Washington will be at the Shubert-
Garrick next Sunday.
Lieut. Pat o'Brien, who win be-
heard in Keith vaudeville next week
Is the daring r +. c. aviator who ran,
walked, crawled, dug and swan his
way $50 miles in the nighttime while
escaping from his German prison
camp. He gives a snappy, anecdotal
monologue- President Alhee of tho
Keith circuit is endeavorinG to per-
suade Eddie Riekenhacker. Americas
ace" 10 let vaudeville get the first
stage look at him.
Isabel Irving. at one time leading
woman with the Daniel Frohnau
Lyceum Stock Company. lately with
David Belasco in The Concert" in
which Leo pitrichstein was the star,
and more recently with The Tenn
peramental Journey" as co-star with
Tour Wise and Constance Collier. in
''rhe Merry Wives OF Windsor" now
plays an important role ia Mark
sleep" She persistently turns deaf
car to persuasion to appear in photo
plays
Is she a star? The audiences at
the Astor Theater in New York arc
asked TO answer with regard to Fay
Banter, appearing there in East is
West" William Harris. jr- producer.
is putting the question to the audience
in letter. Each person Is asked 10
help solve the problem by voting
yes" or mo" and depositiug his vote
in a ballot box
Mr. Harris says: IT regard the ques-
ton of prominence for an actress like
Miss Bainter to be in the nature Of an
agreement between her audiences. the
actress herself and her mana ger"
The 2ooth performance of Roland
Vests melodrama, The Unknown
Purple will be given at the Lyric
Theater. New York. Wednesday,
March 5. Despite the fact that it Is
now in its seventh month at the Lyric.
the play. it is said. continues to break
records So great is the demand to
see il that four extra rows have been
added 20 the orchestra and the musi-
clans are located under the stage.
the space assigned to them being used
for seats. Two additional tiers have
been installed in the rear Of the audi
torium.
Elliott, Comstock & Gest VIII send
their newest success. "Oh. Look" To
Washington for return engagement
at Polls Theatcr shortly It's company
includes the famous Dolly sisters and
Harry Fox. in addition TO the original
cast. 1t comes from long runs in New
York and Chicago. Washington was
the only city to see it before il scored
its metropolitan success. From here
it goes to Philadelphia for an all
spring run
Isabel Irving, the wen known lead
ing woman at present in she Walked
In Her Sleep" boasts a distinguished
stage career. Her notable beginning
started when she left Augustin Daly's
company to succeed George Cayvan.
as leading lady with the famous Iy-
ceum Theater Stock Company. An
when she seeded from that organi-
zation to replace Maude Adams. as
leading lady for John Drew.
anuse," says Frank Hunter. whom
the Gayety press agent calls 'the
italian blackface star" IT have no
idea of uplifting the drama" he says,
"of reconciling the movies and the
spoken stage. of unwinding the in
tricacies of a new art or of reducing
the high cost of living. But If I can
get one healthy, strong-lunged, clear
eyed countryrnan in the audience to
loosen a lot of fresh-air outlaws or
a sour-faced salamander to crack
grin, I know I have fulfilled my mis-
sion and helped genial joviality on its
way to dark corners of EARTH
Frieda Hempel, the leading soprano
of the Metropolitan Opera whose re-
citai at the New National theater Fri
day afternoon, March Il, will consti-
tute the ninth concert in the t. Ar
thur Smith Ten Star series, sensibly
says: Public taste is not degenerate
ing or losing its vision or weaken
ing its grip on higher standards or
going down to decadence with grad
uaI slump. On the contrary. the pub
lie taste is gloriously holding its own
in a steady, uphill climb. If one needs
proof, concert. symphony and opera
programs of the past few years will
furnish il. There is q wonderful mu-
sical development taking place in this
country"