Show If Points Other Other Points of Vi View w T TI I AS ts A CO COMEDIAN Henry Clay Barn boe who riled lied near Boston recently of or hl his at the ripe age of or five eighty years left memories complete art as a comedian and public entertainer Nobody No No- hod bod body who ever saw him will forgot forget him that him that Is to say S1 nobody who had the rare fortune to see BOO and hear henr that delightful artist when he ho was at his prime primo and whon when he the aforesaid nobody was at lt the age of or fresh en enJoyment enjoyment en- en of ot genuine sta stage e fun run plus real Intelligence and minus old fashioned horseplay pla The m maturity of Barnabee Bar Bar- extended youth to nabee nabe a as a comedian must have n old It ago for or there are arc persons who ho heard him years ears ago and who heard him after aller and they will ill testify no doubt that age did not wither nor nor custom stale Hale his Infinite carl de development development de- de the early arlet variety was 09 Identified with of oC comic or light opera in iii America lie ITo Wn wa was contemporaneous with the Gilbert and Sullivan era be beginning beginning bi- bi ginning with the tile appearance of ot the Immortal Pinafore wherein he played Sir Joseph Porter but It I Is in true enough that he ho was best and longest known for or his association with The Bostonians and with the the- to be Robin Hood The o of Nottingham m wa wan the Barnabee role and to most of or the American people the tho Sheriff of or Nottingham died with the passing of or Barna Barnabee Barnabes bee The Bostonians company was Wag organized In 1387 wI with h Tom Karl as tenor William H. H McDonald as baritone Henry C C. as comedian Marie Stone Stono as prima donna and Jessie Bartlett Davis either then or later as contralto Barnabee stayed with ith tho the organization from first to In last t. t He lIe was Its chief artistic stay during Its money making days day and he was Its leading financial resource when tho the box office needed strengthening from rom the tho inside There the savings o of his prosperous years wore were spent and thero Is the reason wh why this fine old comedian died In comparative poverty The Tho Bostonians Bostonian came along after tho amazing success of or Pinafore and The Mikado both here hore and abroad with Robin Hood and with The Tile Serenade Tile The Ogal- Ogal lame lalas and others not so easily recalled But It was In Robin Hood Tood that the organization found round its chief chlor ap appeal appeal appeal ap- ap peal to the public It is said that tho the music of or Dc De Koven Ko was as too reminiscent reminiscent cent and that it did not deserve its name or fame t as 15 asan asan an ln original Amerl Ameri American n light opera It mn may have been so but It Is 11 quite Quito true that the audiences enjo enjoyed ed Its beautiful songs Its sprightly ensembles Its Us amusing situations and Its fetching retching humor because they thoy were not over the heads of or the tho average appreciation and be because because because be- be boisterous nor cheap It Is cause they were ere not vulgar s e easy to suspect that the rel reason reacon o of the failure allure of or man many operatic productions seeking a place as ns American opera Is that the they are lre not reminiscent of or anything anyone mone ever h heard ard before and some of or them no one In his right mind ever wants to hear again We e suppose that O 0 Promise Me has been Rung sung many math million times b by those who heard it first t from rom tho statuesque and lovely lovel Jessie Bartl Bartlett Bart Bart- l lett tt Davis Dals In Robin Hood We Wc will not venture a a. guess at the number of times It has been sun sung at lt weddings nor WIly why h it ha has come chien chiefly to be bo associated with happiness happiness happiness hap hap- and a n roseate future but so It Is Ie Probably It Is because e It breathes faith love and tenderness though other songs song do that that but none In tones quite so appealing appealing- or reminiscent It Is not easy to classify classIC Barnabee 3 as a a. comedian He lie was B. B master of or diction with a quaint twist of or humor Impregnated with Ith an atmosphere of oC pseudo melancholy He Ho was tall and lithe and pen pervasive nil when on the stage He gave ever every word In song or speech ch Just the right emphasis He lie could and did create creato laughter without without without with with- out horseplay ho he could coull and did lid create always the Il Illusion illusion il- il lusion of ot genuineness In his most grotesque character character- The Sheriff of or Nottingham was quite a n r real person whose troubles were vere made mad for the world to enjoy enJo through Barnabee The Bostonian group roup flourished In the days of or stars but the productions 1 as a I. I whole hole were singularly complete It had no foreign prima donnas no imported chorus but it sought to make its ita effects by legitimate and straight- straight out methods It carried with it an atmosphere of ot AmerIcanism Americanism Amer Amer- though In Robin Hood there was really reany little of or America We e suppose Barnabee did not succeed after The Bostonians had passed on because ho he did not belong In the environment en o of the modern musical comedy But Hure surely there is a place In tho the American Interest and pride for tor some such organization as aB Tho The Bostonians and for or such another comedian as ns Portland Barnabee-Portland Portland Oregonian tn n Yz In |