Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-02-14
TaHy.
THE UNUTTERABLE COMPOUND BY JEROME
HOPKINS UNDER ToOTHsOME TITLE
SCORES A FAILURE.

THE UNUTTERABLE COMPOUND BY JEROME
HOPKINS UNDER TOoTHsOME TITLE
SCORES A FAILURE.
Jerome Hopkins Is attempting to cram
the ears Of as many people as may be UNI
consciously inveigled within hearing dis
.ance with a remarkable production Of his
own, entitled "Tatfy.' OF all the unut-
terable shallow, weak, disgusting things
unloaded upon the public under the name
of "operetta," this Is about the worst.
Mr.. Hopkins evidently intended to re-
present something Of child-life, but this
hodge-podge has nothing in it truly char
acteristic Of infancy except In Its portray
al of the remarkable childish ideas Of Mr..
Hopkins. 1t Is absolutely unrelieved by
single CLEAN of wit. Upon his pro-
gramme Mr. Hopkins states that, Given
ty eight ycal Of New York musical life
have so soaked me with the nastiness of
the lyric stage that my very bones cry
out for something pure and innocent in
the personnel as well as in the sentiment
of opera" The bones Of Mr.. Hopkins
did him positive unkindness il they
cried to him for the production Of some
thing "pure and innocent in sentiment"
The very admission Mr.. Hopkins makes
that he has been soaked with nastlness
for twenty eight years should haye con-
WINGED him of his unftness for any reno
waiting undertaking Of this kind.
The characters in Mr. Hopkins "Tafy"
are Taffy, Old Munich, Sugar, Candy, Pep
per, Cake and Syrup. Munich is a can
nibal, with an appetite for little girls, and
particular pcnchant for Tafy. After
the stupid play drags itself into Its last
agony, it develops that Munich is Tafy's
father. The first scene opens with a
chorus Of children wondering where
Taty is. Taffy suddenly rushes In, look
ing quite fresh, gives her stocking Il
hitch, and states that Munich has tried to
catch and kiss her Then the chorus
sings that
40 lorous smells in the dclls
All our nOstrils greet"
After which the following elevatiug by.
play occnrs:
Pepper to Sugar. "Open your mouth
and shut your eyes, and I'll give you
something wondrous wiSe.' Quitting her
finger into Sugars moutl.)
sugar Opening her eyes and pulling a
acorm out of her MOUTH "Oh, you horrid
thing you" (Sputters and spits and
thro VS. the worm at Pepper, who only
laughs y
All; ooh. Pepper; you nasty thing!-
Amt you ashamed !"
Pepper Qaughing) '-"Qh, ! only did it
for fun. It's a very clean worm. Re-
sides, worm is not as bad as il had put
myself in, is it, Ell? Pepper would have
been worse than worm, wouldn't it?-
Red pepper, you know" Can laugh.)
All--"Not quite; bat worm is bad
CROUCH"
Then follows disgusting song BY Pep
per, from which this is an extract:
"Now if you wish rhyme for punch,
You'll find it in good Mister Munich,
A gentleman just all at woncb,
And that is me.
Some, like f tender mutton chop;
And other, beef just from the shop;
Or, freshly, flash, flip, flap, flop,
But don't you see
That dimpled cheeks just wasted 50,
Or luscious lips of Tatfy, o!
Are better far, and '.iust the 60
For hungry me-"
Later Ia the rubbish Munich steals Tahy
out of her bed, and then it develJpes hat
he Is her father, long supposed to have
been dead. At the close Tatty sings this
highly intelligent song which excellently
indicates the highly cultured poetic genius
Of its composer, which, it must be admit
ted, Is uot of common order:
.Ty name is LITTLE Taffy,
Because am so laughy.
s'pose it Is 50,
For laugh will flow,
And so my name Is Tntfy
II am a little lady,
Although to sing I'm fraidy,
My uncle sam
Says that am
A pretty little lady,
1t is incredible that u sane man could
write such stuff and nonsense as this, yet
Hopkins has not only written, but set it
to music, and it was performed yesterday
in Stenway Hall. The children acted
their parts yell, but many OF them were,
doubtless, as Disguised with the affair as
was the audience. They were II they
were ordinarily bright children.-N y.
Musical critic.
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