Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-11
"FUN ON THE BRISTOL"


Last Nights Performance ut the Opera
House.
People who last night visited the Opera
house in the expectation Of witnessing a
th-prOvoking performance and one that
would afford play to their risiDilities and
crafty their taste for fun, were probably
not disappointed but it is safe to venture
the assertion thar that part of the audience
who went there to see u refined rs well as
amusing entertainment, one that they
might in future recall with pleasure, left
the hall ut the fina! ringing down Of the
curtain in frame Of mind that was the
reverse Of satisfactory. Durin, tho past
year Or two, owing to the popular favor that
has greeted the introduction upon the legit-
innate stage of such compositions various
ly designated as ''musical Comedies"
novelettes,' Oddities" ''absurdities,"
extriva,:,nZas," and trash of this sort
generally, variety actors and actresses have
been afforded opportunity they did not be-
fore enioy-Of appearing before respect
able audiences, and in one gnise or another
finding the chance to exhibit their various
speciality acts. Many of these are good
and clean, many of them otherwise. Last
nights performance Fun on the BRISTOL
was about half-and half. The company
is composed Of Sc variety stars Of degrees
Of briIliancy, and the effects of early train
ing are plainly visible in their acting;
in many places it was decidedly broad,
vulgar and utterly unfit for pre-
sentation before respectable audience.
Probably the players saw that they were
producing an impression, as they cer-
tainly were un portion OF the audience,
and were encouraged to still further
O'ers:ep the bounds Of mOalesty by the
laughter and applause that rewarded time
and again performances that may be
mildly described as indicate. Some Of
the acts, ~, the other hand. were as clean
and innocent rs they were amusing, but
on the wi,.o the performance was dissat-
isfyin9 to anyone Of refined tastes The
leading character, that of Mrs. d Brien,
"from Tippcrary, a gushing twO-times
widow and candidate for a third term"
was taken by John F. Sheridan, an
actor of some reputation as Il female i'm
personator, but who il no more to be
compared to the late Harry JOsephs, whose
place he aspires to till, than mud is to
marble or !, sinyed cat to 4 Bengal tiger,
to use the language OF gentleman lately
elevated to prominent position in the
service Of his cOun ry. Sheridan's work
is gross, coarse. vulgar throughout, where
that Of the dead JOsephs was delicate, re-
fined. and not the less amusing because it
at all times showed an appreciation of the
proprieties. She idan's sphere is in the
variety garden and while there may
be said to have been some excuse for
his excesSes in tho uproarious approval of
his audience, he carried them beyond the
pale of federation by the decent portion of
it /: he may be Il good character actor, but
his idea Of fun is too closely associated
with vul .arity to furnish any great amount
of ediiicatiun Of to an audience of ordinary
In striking contrast with
the performance of this individual was the
acting Of Billy Conrtrisht, negro impeisc-
natOr, whose work was neat and clever he
scored his most pronounced hit in the
called I" Flcwey- Fiewey." in
of his body were very amusing.
As the steward of the boat, also, there was
. quiet humor in his acting that was alto
gether refreshing. Misses Kate Castleton
and Agnes HallOck. two rather handsome
girls, performed the parts of the widows
daughters with considerable snap and
grace they both sing well, Miss Hallock's
voice being q soprano Of good quality,
whilst Miss Castleton's cOntraltO is fair,
and her singing Of the '' Lardy-da song
brought dOwu the house. One of the best
things D! the evening was the brief trio Dy
Misses Hallock and Castieton and Mr..
Mark Smith, who has fine baritone. Inc
music, what there was of it. was excellent
in quality but inconsiderable in quantity,
and the performance might be considerably
by eliminating some Of tho
coarse hnuor with which it abounds and
therefor some popular operatlc
hrs. As to the piece itself, as remarked
It the outset. it constitutes nothing but
series of variety acts, introducing the per-
rormer's 8 several specialties, strung together
ndiscriminately, without form and void.