New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-06
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
t,tNDERELLA AT SCHOOL.

CINDERELLA AT SChooh
,r,,s extraordinary production with wh'cn 'nis
.,a,c was last night favored at DAYS ihea'c, se
ssh;cb emarates from the pom OF tue Riseu mn
su,,,lsop Morse Is described as an originai nus'ou
so.neay paraphrased from Aschenbrodei'' on wn'Sn
N. T. w. Robertson based us oon't ~.
= .schoalr This description may oe
-. 40 far az it goes, but it fails to DO
800 70 this astonishing work. Mr. Morse does
-. sssm 10 be unite clear in his own mind as 70
$50 As ,ntended to do when he set out TO wri'e IT,
s.,s,t n il A coarse and stupid travesty OF Roo-
100. otsroinqiy poetic and delicate comecy'
m. characters are the same though masqueradlhg
.,,sr athar names The situations are ldenticai
-;sh the exception Of the last act "hero
-. aramatist has dragged In Dy
tbe ears q college boat-race, apparently Ior .n0
.o,a purpese of attracting the patronage Oh 'no
.taae,,ta of Columbia College, aud IN many places
- h.. rs.d en-. very lines of Mr.. Robertsons ola-
,oua At first sight 1t would seem that he mas oone
ara sor tbe purpose of burlesquing them;
INIT IA in the second act IN the scone
AZ Relta,s expulsion from school I'm Oin-
dura,l.p the heroine is called Niooe however,
he has employed them to create pu'elS
usthetjc situation, 90 Mr.. Robertson ooes III liz
comedy. Mr. Morses purpose IS again ihVoiVou al
ths uiists of obscurity. In other places ne mas
sIirhtly modified Robertson's Dialogue by injecting
into il current slang phrases OF this time ana
locality, and by causing his characters 10
converse in fashion not popularity supposed
!. ~ ba In general use among college men, or
vmnp women of good breeding and education.
to his satisfaction the destruc-
t;on Of the fne favor of poetry and refinement
,-btcb perysde School and which give 1T such an
s,fpte charm, he proceeds to turn the school
,;,,. into chorus which resembles those In Pima
s,res and "Bilee Taylor" and to interlard MS
oieoe with large amount Of music which has
rather beauty nor appropriateness and to distribute
number of songs among his principal characters
whatever Nh. Morss's ain. he has achieved work
- rnnsral,eled tresrness. ALI the art of scene
paiptsr. the costumer and tho stage manager.
which has been freely lavished upon, 1t could
NOT mako il entertaining OF attractive Inc
dialogue is without wit, humor or broad fun MIS-:
CiIbert and Mrs. Lewis contribute some clever
baffoonerv: but il is not an enlIvenng OF an In-
spirtinc sight to see such actors wasting their Ell
forts on such utter trash. and one ID moVed' not W
AZ Co the music. the programme leaves Us in doubt
a TO which We are indebted for it-Mr. MOI
ienhauer the MUSICAL director o. the ne, 'ne "a
hope for the credit Of Mr.. Molenhauer who is at
least musician. that 1t Is MI H.. Morse sSa
sh Ss,Iiss hey Sya daisy Clock
~SilYer threads among the gold, "-baliads much
affected BIZ the contemporary variety show
Alike without consistent character, musical
merit or catching qualities. and which reaches
its highest DEVELOPMENT in chorus accompanied by
twelve xylophones One of those instruments OF tor
ture has heretofore been considered enough IN q
theatre; what shall be said of genius which hnds
room for the employment Of dozen
sCinderella5 has been chsrmugiy put upon
the stage The scenery is pretty. the dresses
modelled altar designs in Kate Greena-
quaint and picturesque, aud the chorus
has been carefully chilled. Much of It's business
has been copied from Bllee Taylor'-notably a
rovipg chorus like the YeO" chorus in Mr.. Solo
mons opera. but it is none the less
effective for that This, and the ad-
yentitious interest springing from a
Columbia College victory In boat race. may gain
il an evanescont popularity. But the work is
utterly devoid of merit, If we except two or three
toerably good songs which created little effect last
night.