New-York tribune., 1876-12-02
LOTTA Ar THE PARK THEATER.

The statement we made the other day, that
the drama OF Mu-ette " is based an English
novel. was made from impression and not from
positive knowledge Mr.. Fred. Marsden. the
author Of Musetto," claims that the piece IA
original in every respect-that the plot, charae-
tes, incidents, construction and language are his own
He has, probably been an Onniver0ds reader OF
novels and the mind tnat becomes thoroughly
saturated with what used TO he called yellowcovered
literature" seldom entirely loses It's fragrance. The
POINTS OF resemblance between Mr. Marsdens Musette'
and sort Of story that has long been usual in the CIR
culatng libraries sufficiently strong TO misead the
observer "NlHsettc" commingles aristocratic titles,
large estates. gyDsles papers" substituted heirs ram
rod mobiles and eccentric peasants, and ha' IS the
whole mixture with farciCal trivialities and thus
the impression that It leaves is naturally
suggestive of Old romance. The thinker upon
such plays must, however tho element Of proba-
bty deal with IL Lady Teazle suggested with respect
to honor, and leave out OF the question. The under
standing is that conduct will be distorted and incident
forced 10 the service Of climax. Musete"-neither
better than many meodramas that have been
accepted and rcmuncrated by the publc-uses the full
license Of meodTlma Mr. Marsden has succeeded though
filling three with movement, contrast, and lights
and shadows of farcIcal fun and soGber feeling; and
though he has not invariably escaped badness in the
serious colOques pucrty in of the wttic!sms,
he has written the piece in straightforward useful Ian
guage. IheTe is absurdity in the heavy
part Of the plot, and thero Is some ute-
ness in the Clmactoro siiuations-notaJly in
the last one and the comic scenes more
prOracted than the advancement OF tho action abso
utely requires that they should be- There il OBJ
scuriy, the story which Musette unfOls. We
are OF noble person who thinks he has killed
another nODcmau, for abductng his wife, and who has
then turned gypsy We perceive still another gentle
man Of rank who is aware OF the conduct or
his fellow arstocrat, and who his knowl-
edge Of this secret means Of personal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We discover that this piotter has sub
stiuIted for his daughter who is dead the daughter
0f real gypsy that he may have an heir for certain
cstate-inore particularly should he succeed in getting
her married to the rgnfu heir This latter person we
lind TO he still another titled esquire, who Is of uucom-
promising disposition, and who privately mar
ries the daughter of the rcputed gypsy, but
really rcmorseful and moribuud nobleman. Thcs fIc
tors become much confused in the mind that tT TO
think OF them, though they do well enough on the ;ne
II VIII surprise 10 learn that these persons ugh
often in direfu situations, seldom evoke SYM. thy.
That is the chief trouble with tie pay-and with any
others OF it, kind. Here ana there it wins g. for
an Old man in trouble and a pair OF overs
bothered but in General II il gray picture and )Dody
can care for it, When tne brighter scenes-wiih which
It abounds-are in progress, Miss Lottt assumes the
prominence; ana then the action has while the specta-
tor il chccred by tins viyacious little FEATURES
haustiuc cbu.0ns ~ animal spirits aud drol clar-
arer. No one else the stage could play
the pranks to which this little lady gives
free rein without falling into coarscuess. There
"a a winninr quality in her pay-best udica ed, per
baps, as the roguishneSs Of Innocent childhood. Mr
John Carroll acted with great yg0r -ad brancy, ana
Mr. Bclvil Ryan gave a capital eccentric character
sketch. Tho psrt hitherto acted by sara Stevens
was assumed at the briefast notice By Miss
Annie Deand and given with correctness
and discretion remarkable in such trying cond
tons Mr. Whfan. though 900 old and too f.rcically
grotesquc for young Bas created the comic effect OF
burIesquc and Mr. =. Morris lent ohnd 2oodnature
to each scene Mr. Anderson. the Old gypsy, made
strong meodramatIc effect with the scene OF th'
apopIexy. Altogether " Musette" " receives a. 200"
handling 49, could be wished and the reception gwen %
II last night Indicated public pleasure and goodwill.