The Portland daily press., 1881-11-29
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
ROBSON AND CRANE.

1t Is no matter what the name of the play
may be in which Robson and Crane appear,
any more than when Lotta plays Musette, or
Zip, or the Marchioness Their comicalites
and their fun carry everybody along with a
rush, just as a torrent sweeps everything be-
fore it. To attempt to criticise the farce-come-
dy of ''Sharps and Flats would be absurd I;
fully as ridiculous an effort as the play itself
is. The first two acts are almost dreary, and
1t requires all the comicality of Robson and
the delicious fun. of Crane, to make them
bearable. The third and fourth acts are bet
ter although 1t is the situations there, ir stead
of the wit of the dialogue, that floats them.
The plot, or rather story, we have already
published In brief 1t is intended as satire
on two California brokers. The incidents are
pose of making everybody laugh. And laugh
they did. They shook over the excruciatingly
funny appearance of Robson after his visit to
the editors sanctum, and they screamed when
the two brokers pitched into John Pemberton
in the last act, and hurled him out of the
window. They smiled all over when Crane
gave such an artistic picture of the thorough
delight OF man reading puff of himself in
the newspaper, and were exceedingly tickled
when Robson made love to Nellie. The duel
oSoho WOO FOkJ iuHbys dh0 AZ iaopf OH 'liO oit-
uations, even the most outrageous ones, ex-
acted their tribute in the shape of a laugh.
Both comedians were called before the cur
tain.
The other parts were all taken we'll but they
really amounted to little. Miss Alecia Robson
played the ~idow with considerable sprght.I-
ness, and MIR. Lipman was a handsome Cap
tain Everton. The piece was very handsomely
costumed, and the orchestra played their pro-
gramme with their accustomed skill. A very
lars nd brill Iia nAi nnf md
the receipts, at the advanced prices, must
have been something handsome.
wHITMoRE AND CLARK
Whitmore and Clark's M nstrels appeared
at City Hall, last evening, before small but
we'll pleased audience. There were seventeen
performers in the first part and the singing
was very good. The banjo specialties by VIM.
Huntley, trombone solo by Nathan Carl, clog
dancing by the Delmannings, and Irish spec
ialties by the Favors. were all well received
aud eLcored. Hank White, as one of the end
men, created lots of laughter. The show was
a success.
THE voKES.
The sale of reserved seats for the perform
ance of the Vokes Family in "Belles of the
Kitchen" at Portland Theatre, Friday night,
will commence at the box office this morning.
The New York Tribune speaks truthfully
when it says:
The Vokes family--the acknowledgements
in the Union Square Theatre last evening, af-
ter an absence of several years, and large au-
dience assembled to welcome them. They are
old favorites now, and their merits are too fa-
miliar TO stand in need of description or praise.
They are the originators of the particular kind
of entertainment in which they appear, and
have had many rivals and imitators, but none
to equal, let alone excel them. They have
lent dignity to folly by lavishing upon it the
of theatrical art. 1t Is common to
see comedy converted into farce; it is most
rare to see extravagant farce interpreted by
Vokeses do, and the result is delightful. Their
fun is the b. oadest the heartiest, tho most
spontaneous imaginable, and the whole per-
formance is romp which makes the spectator
laugh until his sides ache and the tears roll
down his cheeks, but yet it is raised above the
level of horse play by the methods employed,
which are distinctly intellectual and artistic.
THE CECILIA ouARTETrE.
The Cecilia Qaartette tickets are meeting
with ready sale at Stockbridge's and there is
every prospect of a fine audience in attend
snos at City Hall Thursday evening. Misses
Bartlett, Bryant and Mrs. Morrison |
are all solo artists of repute and as quartette
nave given great pleasure in the towns of the |
State BERTHE Webb is known as talented |
loung violinist, and Mr.. Lindall has earned |
considerable reputation as a cornet player. |
The concert will be given under the auspices |
If the Y. M. G. A.
SONG OF THE BELL
The illustrated tabeaux Schiller's "Sopg |
If the Bell to be given for the benefit of the |
,hildren's ward at the Maine General Hospi- |
al will come off at Portland Theatre next |
Saturday evening. The object is an excellent |
me and the house should be crowded.