New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-16
Ml1SIC AND TIE DRAMA.
RETURN OF MARY ANDERSON.

a. A.. Iyfth Ivenue Theatre last night, Miss
Mary Anderson effected her reentranoo upon 'no
Eew-York stage. appearing as fau"ne, III 'no
"Iaav of Lyons,n and being welcomed with enthu-
.;o.m nv n numerous and remarkably Driiliant
audience "The Lady of Lyons" is an old story !;
bu Miss Anderson. IN her present revival OF IT, mas
suffnsed 1t with freshness by causing its cniei
characters to be arrayed in dresses of the time OF
the First Empire. This simple expedient not only
in,ures correctness it pleaSes the eve ana u agreo
.hIv excites the imagination. The actress herself
A. more than usually beautiful In the hinpro,'
Josephine garb and, accordingly in all Its phySi
,,.I ottr,hptes this embodimcnt of Pculine was an
image of peerless loveliness No woman mas az,
osared upon the stage in our time so entirely anu
admirably fitted AZ Miss Anderson is,-by stature
e.ture intellectual poise and certain lndennapio
tome of codly spiritual refinement.-to represent
Pride. She astonished and thrilled her auaiehco,
last night by the wonderful sincerity ana urn anu
vellyeiled art with which she advanced 10 inc
o,h., e,ioencs of the character. and likewise de-
x;c,ea the passion OF Love. 1t is the struggle be-
tween these two emotions that Bulwer mas Illus
trated in this play and, although we may smile az
the improbabilrties the fantastic expedlehts' tne
lid scbems. and the lingual fustan of the comedy
fhis struggle is one that always will command
svmpathetic attention when shown by an actress
Miss Anderson's expression OF the tranquil ecstasy
of plsased content, in MelRottes wooing scene,
might. in particular, be cited as one of the most
significant subtleties of her Improvisation
Her assumption OF sarcasm. her storm
lof passion and her ultimate splendid self
labandonment-in the cottage scenes-revealed a
variety of power and depth of passionate tender-
ness that well might startle those observers VINO
have so mistakenly accounted her frigd in temper
lament and mechanical in style. At the beginning
with exquisite skill and proprlety, she gave to
Pauline certain tone OF languid artifice but that
was cast aside the moment the character became DOM
mated by genuine feeling and thereafter the treat
ment of the ordeal with Melnote was marked with
the deepest tenderness struggling through righteous
natural, and truly woman-liko resentment. Now
as before the prominence and especial individual
ity of the actress to be tragical-the out
bursts when they came, being somewhat out 0f
unison with the level mood of the part, aud In TACT,
the wild utterances of personal nature mucn
larger broader and deeper than that which II as
sumed So much pathOs, however, such lovely use
of gentleness, and such forlOrD misery. IN the
crushed condition of Pauline have seldom or never
been infused into the part. Miss Anderson was re-
called with great enthusiasm at the end OF acts sec
oDd and third and twice after the fourth curtain.
The MelROtte Of the ght was MIR. X. L. Downing,
and in this performancei was pleasant TO observe 40
much sweetness earnestness and manly rep0se. Ihe
general treatment Of the part likewise had conven
tonal correctness But Sir Downing will be better
Claude when he shall have discarded his Emphatic
manner. mouotonous vocalism, icy sel:-reuresslon.
and ron-bound demeanOr. All these are Glscordaht
in a character that is picturesque with romantic
wildness aud tremulous with passion, whethor OBJ
yious or suppressed. A neat and finished imper-
sonation of Colonel Damas, by Mr.. ii. b. Norman,
than commonly pleasant occasion. The full cast Is
here: