The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-20
ABAD Play BhDLY ACTED.
The Gorgeous spectacle and the Bounding
Ballet at Booths Theatre.

nished me by the management OF Booths
Theatre insists upon II.
That being the fact I naturally approach the
consideration Of to-day's rs .rdanapalus with
dnidence, not unmixed with awe. fear shall
not please Mr. Calvert; a matter OF regret, for
he IL an exceedingly handsome man, with long
flowing locks OF jet black hair, tragic ewes, "A
large breas pin. and several rings. And he dis
likes criticism. on course he dislkes ridicule.
And yet really cannot fairly consider the pro-
duction Of = rdanapilus from his standpoint
without subjecting 1t to both criticism and
rdicue.
In many essentials " IL the most creditable
representation Messrs. J,rrett & Palmer have
ever given. As a spectacle 1t IL gorgeous. As
ballet It Is voiuptuous. As an exhibit OF color
blending 1t Is artistic.
But, bless my heart, as a drama, acted and
developed, II IL bosh.
Absolute bosh.
There Ia beauty enough In 1t to attract the eye
for many months.
The music will entrance the ear for ages.
| There arc sh pely legs enough to make 1t run
an entire season.
| hut there is no action-and had almost said
no actors.
| may have to, yet.
| Huge posters. parti colored h1ndbiIls, inge-
| Nous paragraphs and columns In the daily press
have for some time past stimulated public curl
osity. and reused contemporaneous human in
terest in the forthcoming of Byrou's tragic
verse.
"How much have you expended. Mr.. Palmer,
| In getting 'Sardanapalus in sh Ipef"
| "Forty-lye thousand dollara, cash"
| "what Is the nightly expense of producing
| IT."
| About thousand dollars, rather over than
| under. You see we have over 800 people en-
ploy ed, and then there's the advertising, print
| ing. incidentals aud heaven knows what all, be-
sides"
81 see some OF the critics don'tlike IT,
"oh. damn the critics. The public can't help
liking 1t. There never was anything equal to 1t
before. It's go, and bet on it,"
"Go II Is. rne house has been packed every
night since Monday evening last. aud the au-
dience assembled on that occ ision was one OF
the most remarkable ] ever saw"
"sardanapllus" Is the sensation OF the hour,
| and men who haven't seen Bible In ten years
are now quoting Scripture to prove their theo-
ries IN re Nineveh, Bibylon, Assyria, and the
Nnrod line
But Is SIrddndpdltis the man, or " Sardanapa-
lus." the play, the sens itionr
And II 1t be tue play, what part Of II Is worth
considerinef
Ask any intelligent man to-day who saw the
| play last night in what its charms consist II
he be honest he will say, Scenes and Legs"
| Precisely.
| That's what say.
Byron l. relocated TO A back seat. Calvert aud
| his New York managers come to the front.
Sdrddndpdllts and Murrhd. ostcnsioly presiding
az festival. sit almost out Of sight at the ex-
IRENE rear of the stage, while the bounding
bellies Of the oewildering ballet civort and dis
port In front-an unconscious comment on tho
relative importance of the actors and the dan
GERS.
Mind you don't object. and 80 far as the
other free and equal American citizens are con-
cerned, they don't object.
The dancers are good and the actors are bad.
First OF III let me tackle Bangs "a Sdrddnnpdlus
Mr.. Calvert has provided him with miniature
edition Of Byron's verse, a series OF costumes
whose magnihccnce my pen fails to portray, an
amount Of costly regalia 10 which verify be-
lieve the Queen Of Sheba was a stranger-aud 4
wig.
Then he said to him, "Study YOUR part and
act IT,"
As near a. I eau get at II Bangs has an ide'
that SnridnlplllLs was a bandy-legged cross he
tween Lohengrin and John the Il BAPTIST. with
sickly simper he sings soft nothngs to his slave
; with a sentimental whine he bandies words
! with the dre-eater. Stlcmencs. At all times he
makes him unmanly, rarely invested with tru
dignity utterly at sea in the nicetles Of chvalry
and without the slightest apprehension Of gen
tleman-likc bearing.
Some one says, Posish is everything"
a And Bangs acts so.
r Whoever saw man with his nip everlastinglS
:, stuck out and up, like hump on dwarf
The regular, od-time Sdrdindpdiis may have
been self-indulgent, sybaritic, womanish in fact
bur he was also imperlous, magnificent In man
ner. princely, and a cheyaiier.
j It, not Mr.. Bangs's fault that nc is rather oil
4 looking for the part; although should imasin
l. the "cornate arts" OF his toilet might aid hin
In that respect; but It affects the beauty OF hi
:, personation. II Is not his fault that the per
4 spiration from his heated cntice flows freely
II TO the ruin Of his magnificent costume but h
a should so dress as to preserve somewhat the de
d cencies not to say prophecies Of life.
II II Is his fault that his tone Of voice Is mono'
: onous, unelec .ric, devoid OF feeling. He talk
/ TO his consorts angry brother precisely az h
u chats with MS favored slave. He reprlmand
Is his Gladden. uricst 10 the same tone he use
/ when parting from his wife forever. lie order
re herald s d &c agitation with the same voice
calls for his dancers.
AS More antony Mr.. Bangs was idiotic. A
Sdrd.lndpd ilis he is only silly.
To the crowded gallery the S1lemenes Of Lou
)" Aldrich is a treat. Imagine bully butcher bt
from the Blooiy sixth costumed like a fa
l. king Crown him with gold. Dress him "a SIX
= hrocades. gold bullion, four short swords, an
IL a gorgeous tunic Let him chew soap and p
,d blank verse in his mouth besides. and YOU ha'
~ Mir Aldrich the SIlemtncs Of the play. broth
- Of the Queen, and nero general OF the entertal
-. Now both Bangs and Adrich are men
! parts. MIR. Bangs has even some reputc as
IA Suakespearian reader. lie IL doubtless posii
or aud mon ltonzing for purpose, should
N il due rs an artist t. attribute intention to hII
Is 50. too, with Mr.. Adrich.