, 1876-04-16
4 Fine Field for Mr.. Booths Elo-
cutionary Powers
What They Think in New York OF the
New Play ''Twins.o
Torpor il Chicago Musical Circles
Organ Concerts, ct al.
Musical Notes in This Country
and Abroad.

IN CHICAGO.

IN CHICAGO.
xR. BooTH's MEET IN +'E1cHARD n.
The principal dramatic event o. the week. II
10. OF the season, uas the production OF "hsca-
I'D H." st McVicker's Theatre VIC are not DIS
posed to strict commendation Of AR Booth for
The work he has done in this play. His connec-
ion with it, from first to last is creditable to
aim rs q ran and as An artist. He conld have
made more money By sticking to his old repet-
;ory In doing SO he nould no: have 1lsked 1epu-
:ation en- the hazard OF the die, and he would have
roEsul.cd his own ease and the natural self-coua-
,,lacency which oyertakes ali men in prosperous
circumstances lie chose to do otherwise for
tno reasons: first, because he loved his art and
was willing to make sacrifices for it. and second
lv, becauee be felt continual and fresh study to
DO necessity Of his own artistic nature. His
devotion to art Eas shown in his choice Of
Richard H." for his new study; there we're
othe, plays lees e1acting and more promising
which he might have undertaken: but there VAS
none in ahich he saw mere possibilities Of doing
service to Shakespeare. Enlightened selishness,
bis second motive, would not Of itself have in-
vited him to the study Of this play. It urged him
uniy to study something new. 80 that his genius
might not be c1auped srd fettcred By p!odding
in old parts; it could not have suggested to him
task go enormous, and apparently SO hopeless,
"a the resurrection Of play which has been
pronounced fy many generations OF shsk-
eysearezo students cadtted for stsss repEesen-
t.tlou.
Mr. Booths SUCCESS, though not complete has
been most tlatter1ug. His rendering Of the part
OF Richard H. ls orEnal, graceful, and iol clble
The elocutionary powers wh1ch he olspaye IN
tie finer poedcal passages are OF the h1ehess
Tn IN ft%11x o741%{ m
speech beginning - 'Discomfo1table cousin, and
ne cannot too much udm,re his delivery Of tne
concluding sentences:
Not I'll the nnte. in the rough, rcde saa
Can wash the balm from xuoiuted King:
Tho breath OF worldly men Cannot deposs
Tho deputy elected ty the Lors,. ..
To lift shrewd steel against our golden crown
God for his Rsehayd hath IN heavenly pay
4 glorious angel .tksa, II angels d7at,
Weak lluss fail; for aeasca still guarts tas
right.
These sentences ara not 30 truly poetry ~
those which pxecede iu the same speech:
SO 1hcn taia thief, this tzaitnr, Bolngbroke,
Who Ill this while hath reveled II the night,
NltlGt were wandering with the An!ip 1da4-
Shall rec ciA;uE in our throne, the East,
His treason Will ait blushins in his face,
Not ahle to endure the sight of day.
But the first Of these two passages furnishes
the finer opportunity for the ACTOR, aud Nr.
Booth improves it fully Lis ac:lug Is also es-
<eilent III the scene Immediately following tue
return Of Richard from Ireland, in which tha
nlteyuations Of hope aud despair IN the Alng are
beautifully exhibited. Tbs catalogue Of Booths
norits in the elocution VI tnls part might bs
continued indefinitely bat VIC have only space
10 allude further TO his 6us speech from rhe cas-
ue-Eall:
The King shall do It. afus: lie Ia de;osed@
The Eing et2ll be eouteuted; must he iqse
The .,z1ae ot KinSc e Gol:s name. Let tt 50:
x'u give my jcHels for \ &C: Of beads
ny sceptre for ral,ner's walking staff,
aud E's la1ge Kingdom for htte grzve'
L lit:lc, little ggavc I'll obscure grave.
Tho business With which. Hr. Booth has in
vested the part ia, in tie main, good. Tie
do..bie e7uendrc in Lis rendering OF the iines-
Dosrnf Down come; Ike clustering phaeton1
Wanting the clan1Ge OK cnruly 1Adss-
ia perfectly iuBs,iablc, and produces beautiful
Effect. The spectator can easily imagine Ricn-
ards kingdom tusnbling down about his care as
be stamps down the steps leadlug from the castle
walls h.c1e open to cavil aud criticism tg his
Acuon n the prison sollloquy Sheu a. he re-
pests the ltDcs-
Now. sir, tina sounds tina. :en what hour tits
Are casao.ous g-oauf, thlt strike upon my hs1rt.
Which 10 bell
be actua.lv beats SLOW and le.vy blows upon
bis cbest with his c.enched fist. Tue effect Of
this upon tho avcrsge audience il cortain1y
strong, aad it III mere question OF taste
zhetoer the seton ia naturally implied in and
suggeeted by the Eords. We are 1nciiuec to
1htnE i: is, and to praise Nj. ,Doo.h's teea Of
ehould be said: his make-up in the part ia Gp-
{ropriate ard poelical. EhoTing discrimination
AID taxte.
To con.,der tha auccess Of aIr. Booths per-
fornance ls one thing; to decide whether tile
pxy good setting drama is quite another:
The general verdict is against tbs latter branch
Ut the inquiry. One cultivated person calls
.'Richard IL" in the new version beautiful
1nonoloSue-in stage pnrlzuce, It IL ~ olle-Iars
piece;" another private critic Of taste End judg-
nent desc11bes'Lis feelings during the perform
auce as those which he would experience IN
listening to 3 mastery recitstlon- Iae move
1neut Of the play, it must be confessed = SLOW
and spaEmodic: and the action not sqit1e'en1 81
either in amount o. variety to secure Tor the
tragedy permanent place upon ths stage, or 10
the repertory Of Ar. Booth
Tho other plays Of the week were '' Tbs Mer-
chant Of Venice, Othello:' The Stranger,
-.kstherine and Pet1ucho," and ''The Apos-
tate.' The last three, being played yesterday,
are not included in the present review. The
Mo1chant of Venice /" was in every respect
II creGltabIe performance, from Ghutock down.
MR. Booths playing OF the part Is ne2rly perfect
allowing his conception Of it to be correct:
..Othello" was not so well done, though full OF
interest The great want OF Mr.. Booth In this
character is Tepose.-reposo Of body. even When
sents much better than A{r. Booth the simplicity
Of 011euo's character and the partial power OF
sef-control which is 10 essential IN element OF
his composition.
NOTES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
The Minetreis this week present programme
aluos. entirely neT. NJ. Emerson. in tue first
part, sings Hiidesbraut NontroBe," and Cot
1ea reyiyes ''Tommy Make Room for Your In
cle." t'The Arrival Of Lucca" will be repre-
rented with Rice as Luccu, and the performance
will close with the sketch entitled " Cremation"
"Iesr" will be given at Mcvicker's Theatre
Monday. Tuesday, End Wednesday nights, with
Mr. Booth as Lear, Ml. Wards as Edgar, Mr..
Gossln az Edmund, hiss Cummias as Cordelio,