Evening star., 1934-08-12
Early Social Days
VIII Be Re-created
By Old Melodrama
Many VIII Attend Perform
ances OF The Drunkard
a, the Willard.

Back TO the days os its very be
Einning-the day1 Of the early flfties
when sszch outstanding peTsonsses
90 the Bonaparte family. Henry Ward
BeecheT. Commodore David q. Fara-
gut and Ole Bull were among It's dis
tinguiSfed guests back 20 this his
toFic period the Hotel Willard viii 90
this week. beginning on Tuesday eve
ming when the opening performance
Of The DTilnkard" win be staged on
the roof. amid all the re-created
atmosphere OF the period. and with
ell the other attractions that the
world famous p T BArnum himself
devised to ternpt the curiosity and
interest Of the great American amuse-
Tnent loving public
The famous hosiery that housed
the Napier ball in 1880. which at
that time wa2 The largest ball that
had been given here except at the
Inauguration Of President. came
into being in 1850 as a real" hotel.
remodeled from q struggling group Of
buildings called "P1llcT's." where
ChaTlez Dickens had had the misfor-
tune TO lodge at an earlier period.
and which he has immortalized in
his American notes Among It's earliest
guests wsA none other than a mem
Der Of the Washington family. John
A. Washington Of Mount Vernon. who
registered there on July "a. 1887. and
another representative of a distfn-
Ruished family. Roosevelt Of New
York City. who was q guest at the
hotel January 6, 1854.
The big ball room atop the Will
lard will be the scene Of this re-
created period, and the drama will be
played in the atmosphere in which 1t
achieved It's amazing success under
the wizardry OF the great Barnum.
The audience, seated at tables around
the room. will actually take part In
some OF the proceedings OF the occa-
sion, to the accompaniment of old
fashioned beer and pretzels, provided
as part OF the entertainment Of the
evening.
The small bali room will be turned
into a Tavern Club. where after the
show Is over the audience may ad-
1ourn for further refreshment, ac-
cording to It's various desires, but not
before IL has joined Joyously in real
old-fazhaioned and yet nev-fashioned
''sing." with melodies of the gay 90s
and earlier times enlivening the oc-
easion. "Old Gray Mare" Put on
Your Old Gray Bonnet" After the
Ball" and Wait Till the sun Shines
Nellie" win be just a few of the old
tunes that have touched the American
heart in times gone by that viii be
revived on the willard roof for the
presentations OF the Barnum master
melodrama this coming week.
The play win be given not only on
Tuesday, but also on Thursday and
Saturday nights. The Tuesday pre-
miere." however. is sponsored by the
Presidents Cup Regatta Association
and will be in the nature OF a benefit
for the regatta fund nov being
raised. Many notables viii therefore
attend the opening night. not only in
the interest OF the revival itself. but
IN the interest Of the regatta fund
Officials OF the committee and mem
bers Of all the civic clubs in the city
will be present on Tuesday night.
Outstanding men and women in
dramatic and art circles of the Cap
ltal will likewise be present on the
first night as well as later in the
week, for the drama world Is agog
with excitement at the Nationwide
success that the old-time melodERrw
Is having from coast to coast.
Among those who have made res
ervations and will entertain parties
on Tuesday night are Mr.. John A
Remon. Mr. Ernest Smith, Miss Car
oline Mckinley, Miss Katherine Riggs,
Miss Margaret Yard, Miss Virginia
True. Miss Elizabeth Sypher, Miss
Eleanor Attwell. Miss Helene Roose-
welt. Mr.. Luther Sleet, Mr.. Clifford
". Kettler, Mr.. <. NJ. Bayiy, Mr.. Ed
ward Norris. Mr.. Edward Talbert, Mr.
Albert Sutton, Mr.. Malcolm Duffield,
Mr. William Huntington. Mr.. Clyde
Worthen, Mr.. william Holden, Mr.
Kirkland Bishop and many others
who viii come from outside the city
for the opening performance.
One of the players in The Drunk
ard" will be Mrs. Charles Holman,
wife Of q prominent naval officer at
present stationed in the Capital, and
many Navy people will attend the
performances, as viii other service
people here.