New-York tribune., 1879-04-09
THE BELMONT Ply4FORE COMPANY

THE BELMONT PLN4FORE COMPANY.
Many things cOnspire to lend credibility to
the report that the recent gathering at the
residence of Mr.. August Belmont, which has
heretofore been commented upon as having
some political significance, was really meet
ing of an entirely different character. 1t beng
admitted that there was such an assembly, but
denied that it was political, it of course
could have had in the present state of
the public mind but one other object: that
was to organize a new Pinafore Company.
Whoever considers for moment the character
of this cOmbinatOn-it Is not necessary TO go
over q list of names with which the public Is
so familiar-and The peculiar gifts and quail
ihcations of the persons composing II, VIII
see at once that it possesses what the way
faring man would call "the git-uD-and-Git OF
"big thing in It," There may, perhaps, be diili-
Guilty in assigning some OF the party III such way
rs to have the fitness of the character recog-
nized at once, and its identity sustained
throughout, but there are other parts that
fall rs naturally to some Of the persons pres
ent as if thev were actually written for them.
Now there are probably not five intelligent
men in forty million who, looking over that
list of names, would not at once pick out
Lieutenant-Goyernor William DOrsheimer for
the part of Little Buttercup. He GER
tainy IS "the rOsiest, the TOundest and the
"reddest beauty in the company, though
quite possibly "beneath his gay and frivo-
"lous exterior there may lurk a canker-
"worm which is slowly but surely eating its
"way into his very heart" Imagine the ef-
feet of his rendering of the lines:
"Youye got your pay-spare all you can afford
To welcome Little Buttercup on board"
How they would recall the past! Especially
to Democrats who remember something SIM
liar to this which actually occurred few
years ago when Alr. Dorsheimer "came on
board"
There's reason to believe that the Dick
Deadeye Of the new company was not
present. Indeed, it is said that Sir Joseph
Porter Belmont deliberately proposed that
the plav be reconstructed and Dick Dead
eve be thrown overheard. lie gave 10 rea-
sons for it beyond those offered III the
play: that he has such "beast of a
"namcn and is three-cOnered too" and
"you can't expect chap with such
&" name to be a popular character" and be-
cause, upon his own confession, from such a
3" face and form the nobest sentiments
" sound like the black utterances OF de-
" rrayed imagination." The throwing over
board was mildly opposed, it Is said,
by Little Buttercup, who thought there
would be a chance to get in we'll
known "gag" by adding TO his three
cornered drawback that he was also cold as
go dam clam" 1t was suggested, as we un-
dcrstand, that in the scene III which Sir Joseph
invites that splendid seaman and re
"markably fine fellow" Ralph Rackstraw
Bayard, to step forward, the "uncOm-
"mon anxiety" which Dick Deadeye
can put into his own eager start
TO respond. would be very effective bust
ness. Mr. DOrsheimer was not understood 10
insist on Dick Deadcye's retention; no merely
said he had heretofore played Buttercup to
the Deadeye of the gentleman in question,
and was willing TO do 50 again. For his own
part it made litlc difference whether they
threw Deadeye overheard or not-what he
proposed 10 do WAS to play Little Buttercup
and put his whole soul in the lines:
"You'vc 60 your pay-sparc a. you can afford
To welcome Little Buttereup OIL board"
The report that Mr. John Kelly will take
the part of Captain CorcQran in the new
company does not lack plauslbiIity. There
are few actors on the public stage who can
say with more truth than he that they were
"neyer known to quail at the fury Of gale,n
and were "noycr. never sick at sea- 1t 10
weil-known fact also that he hardly ever
"swoaIs BIZ, big D." Then, too, how
finely n and Mr.. Dorshcimer would carry Off
the scene in which Kelly plays the man
dolin ard "clrOl3 forth his melody TO the
unconscious moonn while Dorshcimer gazes
sentimcntaly nj him aud wonders OF whom
he il thinking. This scene ought really IN the
reconstructed play 10 be on The City Hall steps,
but there l. q difficulty in having it there and
on the deck of the Pinaforo at the same
time, unless, indeed, the II. ST.. 5. be
represented ~ lying at anchor in the Park
Fountain, with the City Hall in the back ground
and mayor Cooper on the steps, which would
give additional effect TO Controller Corcoran's
conundium 10 the moon, why is everything
either at sixcs OF seycnsi' The question be-
ins raised "a to VITO should play " His sisters
"and his cousins and his aunts,n Mr.. John
f. Hoffman, who had previously expressed
his own desire 10 be left out of
the cast, suggested that it wonld be
likely TO increase the expenses; still it
would greatly simplify tho business. If in
place of his sisters and his cousins and his
aunts they should substitute one nephew, Dick
Deadeye's, for instance at which fifty voices