, 1877-01-07
Madame Essipoff7s Concerts---A
Word Concerning Her
History.
The Smith Whitney Concert --- The
Memory Of P. P. Bliss, the
Singer.
whereabouts Of Musical Celebrit1es-.'
Local Observation-Disclosures
Operatic Notes.


IHE DRAMA.
CHICAGO.
soTuERN AND coMPAST.
The engagement of Mr.. Sothcrn at Haverly's
Theatre YVES noticeable for the pecuniary Success
which attended it, and for the inefiiciency OF the
company that supported him. There ought to
he some obvious connection between liberal
patronage and the endeayors of theatrical man
4ger to deserve it.; yet there was not visible at
Hayer1y's Theatre last week my circumstance
Of tue kind. The public had right to expect
not merely provincial company OF average
merit, but an organization that would be al
lowed standing in New York. With New York
prices and audiences, there should hare been
good acting. On the contrary, the company "as
inferior even to the Cleveland mob that sup
ported Miss Nelson. The acting was worse
than it need have been. None OF the plays was
well rehcarsed, and none, With the possible ex-
ccption Of *tDundrcary,'' was decent1y put on
the stage The failure OF "a Hornets Nest "
was due in about equal parts to its inherent
weakness aad to the wretched manner in which
1t was represented. Scarcely any one who paid
el.50 10 see Mr.. Sothern under such unfayori-
biz circumstances could have felt that the mon
ey's worth in enjoyment was returned There
ere excuses offered for the management, such
rs that the lease Of the theatre had nearly ex-
pired at the opening Of the season, and has oaly
Just been renewed There are also large PROM
ises made for the future. We know, too, that
MIR. Havcrly bears reputation for honorable
dealing with the public. But all these consider
stions will not avail to candone the recent Of
fenses at his theatre. There are enough actors
out Of employment in the country to constitute
dozen to1erable companies at short notice, and
many Of them would consent to move to Chica-
20, II assured of occasional work Mt tair COM
peusation. It is not desirable that the Dizzy
Actors: Retreat should be secured to furnish
Ha@crly's Theatre with company; and, when
This policy is pursued. We respectfully submit
That tue price OF admission ought not to be
raised to $l.50. If there. is not asudden and
:.lurouyh reformation OF the faults alluded to,
1ilc public will soon establish an equality be-
tween the receipts and the expenses of the es-
1ablishlnrnt, or cause the balance to be against
the manager rather than SO largely and unfairly
III his favor.
enter u;,oa auy detailed criticism OF Mr. Soth-
erns acting His DundredJ.y, everybody knows,
Is almost perfect picturc,-not that We should
call it an exact copy from nature but rather the
embodiment OF awell-:oncelred ideal. His Sgd
wy .SpooHbW is as vet in the crude stages Of
creation. and not in promising way Of ever
gaining permanent existence The character
is lightly skctcsd. and, as far as it goes is we'll
handled by Mr.. Sothern. His Dartd Garrick
alost p.ayt5ocrs will like and almire, while fu]ly
realizing that it is imperfect acting. The true
lnauhousa AID fine manners Of Gdr7icE are care
1nlly portrayed, but the heroics Of the part in
the mouth Of Sothern scarcely miss being
sSs5ous 81 The t9srp ap'd apd tstTsea t a ns
WHO is only light comedian is too apparent.
Robertson must have known that none but a
versatile actor could do justice to the character
Us he made It: but he intrusted it to Mr..
sothern in confidence that 1t would receive at
least elegant illustration. and the result has
justified tue expectation. In this connection it
Is pleasant to be able to say good word Of
Miss rletz, who, as Ada lngot, was more salts
factory than in any other part. She has the
misfortune OF 3 shrill voice and wants force, but
her dcn,eanor is agreeable and ladylke. The
gentleman who WAS once billed as Cheevers and
afterwards with various other names is bad
ri confidence in himself His obtrusiye "busi-
ncss'' showed rather a laudable en-
dearor to be Ingenious than any ac-
ruratc acquaintance with stage methods
tie representation Of Il Garrick - that tt was
the ,unst even Of the week. The evening de-
voted to it might have been enjoyable had not
The atrocity known as s Dundreary Married aud
Settled " been pcrpetrated as an afterpiece.
"THE LAW OF THE LAND"
1l1S new nelQur0lna was 0l1ph anu uarc-
tieyed failure at Mcvickcr's Theatre last week.
In as many ways US play has the power Of fail
tng-and how numerous are They'll failed. 1t
failed to attract audiences and failed to please
the few. persons it did attract. It is a bad plny
Of It's Kind and OF a bad kind. Only this should
be said in justice to the management, that the
scenery was beautiful, and the acting
not wholly inadequate. II the play had life in
"a
received. Mr.. McVIeker must have been en-
Couraged to produce tsThc Law of the Land ~
BY the fact that it had been purchased OF the
London authors by Mcssrs. Shook s. Palmer, Of
the Union Square Theatre, in New York. We
venture to predict that the PLAY will never see
the light in New York; for, II commonplace
dialogue, absurd situations, questionable moral
purpose, lethasgic dramatic movement, want of
unity and cohcrence in plot, slip-shod construc-
ton. and Z lame and itnpotent conclusion, are
sufficient to condemn play The Law Of the
Land - will surely be a failure wherever it is
scen.
NOTES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
The Adelphi returned to variety business last
night
Dalr's travelling company will be at Haverly's
Theatre next week.
Mr.. C. A. Gardner will fill an engagement at
the Museum this week. a new play called
t.Ka1l Stein u will be produced"
Frank Mayo will act sDavy Crockett" at
Harerly's Theatre this week. He has given the
play In the United States S7> times, and ought
to know how 1t should be done.
A prestidigatateur very highly spoken Of In
the East is Commander Cazeneuye, who is to
begin an engagement at the New Chicago The
atrc Jan. q Many pronounce him the finest
performer ever seen In this country.
Nj. Sothern hes received the manuscript OF
new play, written expressly for him BY sfr. y.
S. Gilbert The title Of it has not yet been
definitely determined upon Mr. Sothern goes
from here to st. Louis, aud shortly to San Fran
cisco, where he will remain several weeks.
Mr. John Mccullough, who has been awarded
Z very high place as a .personator OF Roman
characters, will play Coriolanns at Mcv:cker's
Theatre this week Monday, Tuesday, Wednes-
dar, and Thursday tOthclio' u will be giren
Friday with Mr.. AlcCulloueh in the titular part
md Mr. Thorne IS logo, aud will be repeated