The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-18
AM USEM ENTS.
Wallaek's Theatre-"LondOn Assur.
amce.v

remarkable performance announced to take
place in this city this evening. We allude
to the representation OF that brilliant society
comedy London Assurance The play itself does
not so much command attention, although of the
highest order In construction and dialogue as the
cast advertised to embody its characters Here is
an array Of names Lester Walack as Charles
Courty, Charles Mathews as Dazzle, John Brougham
as Max Harkaway 1.-THE genial Max by the
genial john, John Gilbert as Sir Harcourt
Courtly, Stoddart as NEEDLE, Polk as Dolly Spanker
Plessy Mordaunt as Lady Gay Spanker Helen Tracy
as Grace Harkaway, Mrs. Seton as Pert. 1t would
be indeed hard matter to match such an ensemble
as this In any theatre where the English language
is spoken Taken collectively, the artists are great
and viewed singly they are wonderfully fitted to
the parts they assume. We all know how Mr.. Wal
lack will play Charles Courtly-a finely drawn i'm
PRESERVATION Of gentemanly ease, immense
impudence and mock humility; remarkable
fact connected with this gentleman's assumption OF
Charles Is found In the Importance which is given
to 1t by him In the play, even when surrounded by
the other characters. AS general thing it was
considered an inferior role, until Mr.. Walack
showed the public and his brother professionals
how much might be done by delicate elaboration
and fixed purpose in acting. OF Mr.. Mathews
Dazzle, those who have seen it and those who re-
member Others in the part accord him the high
praise to which he is entitled Is he not
in Ii the very personiicaton of unblushing inn
pudence and well-bred tuft-hunting9 and although
the character has no further relation to the plot
than is to be found in its accidentally having
drfted into the society of the Others, it becomes In
the hands OF such an artist as Mr. Matthews Of
great Importance to the incidents. We have called
Max Harkaway genial, and who that we can name
could play such cordial, hearty old squire John
Brougham, from whom delighted public expect
nothing but geniality and CHEEKY humor. Sir Har-
court Coz County, WIS Is fittngly to be assumed by
now be admitted as the present representative
Of the elder Farrens Characterization. Sir Har-
court Is the modern Lord Ogilvy, and while we
smile at the old beau's pedantic manner and petit
mature ways we admire his somewhat cynical view
of men and manners Stoddart will be, or we
Judge him wrongly, the very perfection of med
has been played by many great actors, notably by
the late Mr. Blake, but we believe that Mr.. Stod-
Will give us broad comprehensive, comic
picture, in admirable contrast to the other d,unats
among whom the pettifogger has strangely drifted.
Mr.. Folks Dolly Spanker ought to be capital since
this gentemans speciality has, in our opinion,
always been the eccentric line OF dramatic char
acterization. Miss Pessy Mordaunt's Lady Gay
will, we doubt not be all that could be desired
She has a handsome presence, a clear musical
voice, plenty of spirits and certain pe,re and Joy
BUSINESS which should carry her trumphantly
through 1t. Miss Tracy as Grace and Mrs. Seton as
Pert viii give us cabinet pictures, carefully and
cleverly executed.
We should not have amplified on this subject but
that other and more important facts connected
Herewith. The production OF a play might at any
other time be passed over in few lines, but the
present occasion seems to demand the significant
attention which we have given it. The public has
grown tired OF attempts on the part OF those who
cater for its amusement to put Off with hasty or i'll
considered selection of artists for the presentation
OF comedy or drama, and even In opera we have
seen how absolutely necessary It has become to
bring together as many great artists as can be as
sembled. The effort is always well rewarded, but
the difficulty hitherto has existed in the great Oh
lection raised by artists themselves to work to-
gether In equal grounds-an objection which the
"star' system has aggravated. 1t Is only In
theatre like Wallack's, and under such
manager as Mr.. Lester wallack, that
men OF high position In the profession can afford to
lay aside their individuality sufficiently to enable
them to assume r0,es in any one play, an abncga-
ton Of self, In which they find worthy precedent
on the part OF Mr.. Waack who has often assumed
even subordinate part for the proper presenta-
ton of high class dramatic works.
1t is in this that the production of "LOndon
Assurancen at wallack's is a notable and hopeful
sign.
Booths Theatre.
On Tuesday night Miss LIE Clercq appeared as
Annie Carew, in Tom Taylor's very heavy drama
"A Sheep in VOLTS Clothing" With such piece it
must be difficult to keep an audience awake. The
creation of anything approaching to interest is GER
tanly next to impossible II contains the usual
amount of cheap sentiment, rendered more
fatguing by the labored effort to be humorous, as
If the writer felt he was doing an injury to the
public in giving expression to so much trashy
stun. Fortunately there is but act, and in this
Mr. Taylor has been merciful for we should not like
to answer for the life of person who would be eX-
posed to the danger Of listening to two. In
is quite matched by the dulness of the
actors. Miss LIE Ciercq, of course, acted
the stage generally acts, but those who expected
more than well exercised actress could not fail to
have been disappointed. The stilled and unnatural
delivery Of the lady quite destroys the effect of her
action, which is careful and appropriate enough.
Her characterizatons lack naturalness and SYM
pathy and can therefore excite little enthusiasm in
no arIip n on Uou nanf tar m.
mates this week, and Mr.. Booth will reappear in
''Ihe Iron Chest' on Monday.
Union Square Theatre.
The debut of the vokes family at this
theatre Monday evening was one of the greatest
among our minor theatrical sensations for
some time past. Heralded by the most enthusiastic
accounts of their talents they proved to be even
more amusing than had been reported. The house
was crammed to overlooking, and from the outset
was In continuous roar OF ecstatic laughter
The piece was a well written sketch, entitled
the "Bees OF the Kitchen" depicting
the merry making OF houseful Of servants
in the absence OF their employers. To eclipse
former party in neghboring kitchen they deter
mine to get up some amateur theatricals including
comedy tragedy, opera and ballet, and a dress
rehearsal is at once begun All the wonderfully YER
satile powers OF the Vokes family thus find con-
genial field Mr.. Fred. V0kes capered and sung and
knots; and the other Vokeses assisted him to the
best Of their ability, which even with the least OF
them is Of very high stand of excellence. OF
course the whole performance Is only high form
of bufroonery, but It is bulroonery instinct with in
tegence and living humor, not the miserable horse
play and routine fun with which we arc so
sadly often fooled. Nothing seems forced and the
natnraness and ease OF the drollery give 1t fresh
ness and vivacity singuarly pleasing. 1t was, in
deed o9 70 ~ Wa.c the deshbed d as
struck something very far above the or
binary plane OF comic stage business. The
house was time and again carried away
by an uncomfortable burst of enthusiasm, nor did
the interest ever drag for moment. The sue
OF the VOkes family Is assured beyond all doubt,
and they will certainly make brilliant and
| heightened run.
Steinway Hall-Sarasnte's Concert.
| Bcneiciarics-in the concert hail. at east-have a
| hard time nowadays, as the multiplicity OF at
| fractions, both musical and dramatic, dazzle the
public mind to such an extent that it is frequently
Indifferent to the claims of deserving artist. An
| examplc of this was shown on Tuesday night, when