El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-03-08
Barnum Was Right In His
Day, But He Had Never
Seen "The Net"

NEW YORK. March s.-TwIee a
~ year the reviewers OF theatrical
entertainments produced on New
FORKS rialto find themselves face to
face with a terrific task. The first
one usually comes along about the
first part OF the season when the Hip
podrome throws open its doors and re-
veals some new and bewildering fan
tasy which thereafter invariably sue
ceeds IN packing that huge playhouse
10 the guards u times a week
The other time IS about now. and
the occasion Is the initial performance
OF the new Winter Garden revue. for
which Lessrs Shubert have now
times Il was 10 such an Inaugural
that the writer hetook himself on a
recent evening as a result OF which he
Is still blinking his eyes and search
ing the dictionaries for new adjectives
with which 10 express his enthusi-
astc opinions
auintessenee OF Big Things.
Tor Monte Cristo, IT.. which is the
title Of the new revue at the big
smoke-if-yOu-Wa palace at Fiftieth
street and Broadway. IS quite the most
ambitious and gorgeous thing ever
attempted by even the redoubtable
lTessrs. Shubert Winter Garden shows
ceit VIII probably never be surpassed
and seldom equaled. just as Il never
has been surpassed or equaled any
where in the world
When we think OF Monte Cristo we
usually think OF vengeance. wealth
and the figure OF Edmond Dantes
astride q rock in the Mediterranean
urocIaiming that The world is
mine" Wen. Il you 90 TO the Win
ter Garden this spring YOU viii find
wealth there with a vengeance.
wealth Of beauty feminine and other
wise). melody and the ability 10 en-
tertain-and you'I probably admit on
the way home that Dantes. empowered
20 pick and choose in this particular
garden. was not so foolish when he
made that claim about the world being
his.
Marvellous Ingenuity.
Often while sitting at the ringside
watching a boxing exhibition the
writer has wondered how the partlci- !
pants stood the terrific pummellings
which their profession demands that
they take from time 10 time Sim
ilarly. sitting at the Winter Garden
''Engside' one marvels At the inge-
nuity OF the Shubert forces-the IL
brettists. the composers. the costum- {
and carpenters tto say nothing OF the
producers and the performersl-al OF
whom. year after year. combine 20
give New York these fresh. delightful /
phantasmagoria- /
II is useless. with print paper at a 3
premium 10 attempt anything save
q blanket description OF Monte
Cristo. jr." The extravaEanza is IN 6
two acts and is scenes. each OF which .
rivals the other fin gorgeOusness and .
the belief that Messrs. Shu-
bert must have relocated the island
crypt In which Dantes found his bill
lions. Either that or. as Frank Tin
We pack EN- in every night Wen only
lose $4,000 a week.
Magnificent Dungeon.
Why, even the dungeon in which
Dantes and the Able FariR spent those
Il years IS magnificent
added 10 which the prisoners are Wis
tied. ever and anon. by a flock OF
loveliuess which could easily incite
even n hard headed dramatic critic 20
crime II the Chateau DIFF were still be-
ing used as a penitentiary under
Shuhert management.
As for the Cave Of levels. the Pal
ice Of Mercedes and some OF the more
ambitious sets-pshaw, have you ever
read an adequate description Of Mir
'ana. or Utopia, or any ~ those
Eventually. why not now" places
rhey simply beggar description
bankrupt the English language.
What about the girls9" do we hear ,
-ou ask? Well, what about emp
surely you don't expect Just a poor,
ordinary scribbler TO convey TO your .
mind with printed words, a picture OF
hat vast assemblage OF pulchritudi-
lousness. arrayed in costumes which
make the descriptions Of Solcmon's
curt sound as though IL we're a back .
Hey saloon after closing hours.
The Principals.
Principals? Oh. yes-yes. yes. yes q
here are principals. Ralph Herr, for +
xample, Is there in a comedy charac- !
er Cor series OF characters) which :
ives full scope 10 his inimitable 5
bility as q farceur. The daffy :
)ooleys, the Watson sisters. Adelaide
nd Hughes. Charles Purcell-lawsy
ne. there are coolies OF principals
Adelaide and Hughes, incidentally.
rovide one Of the most delightful sin
lie numbers on the long program IN /
heir new Dance OF the Toys"l. But.
ny gracious, one could 20 on indefi-
itely IL one had rhe time and space
There is only one answer TO Monte