New-York tribune., 1884-01-27
THE LONDON STAGE.
PRINCESS IDA-MRS. KENDAL AS SUSAN
HARTLEY.

HARlLE1.
frpou THE RFGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
LONDON. January II.
The continuing popularity of the Pinafore style
of opera may not be easy to explain, and perhaps
does not natter whether it is explained or not but
of the fact there be no doubt. Any nonbeliever
| in Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan had only TO SIT
through the performance of " Princess Ida at the
Savoy Theatre on the first night Saturday, Janu-
| ary 81 and he would have passed over into the
ranks of the believers. He might not admire the
piece but he could not be unaware of the enthusi-
asm of the audience. No doubt the audience con-
tanned goodly proportion of the personal friends
and admirers OF the two authors, but the critics
were there too and so was the general public IN
considerable numbers. The same phenomena were to
be seen which occurred on the opening night of
"Ioanthe" In the house while the piece was
going on, unstinted applause In the lobbies, be-
tween the acts, much sharp criticism. Not few
bold men said outright they thought the play dull.
But the bold men were not bold enough, when tho
curtain was up, to DO anything more than refrain
from applauding
Nothing could have been more propitious than the
prologue. 1t is called prologue, apparently, for
no better than to keep to the tradition of two
acts, which has been observed by Messrs. Gilbert
and Sullivan from the beginning. In the mind of
the playwright there is, suppose, important dis
tnction between prologue and an act. The audi-
ence are less impressed with it. However the pro-
lOgue had this advantage, that 1t went off well.
From the first note there was sparkling rapidity
of movement and melody which delighted us all.
There were no grumblers after this act but the
next was felt to be dreary Sir Arthur
Sulivan's music was, if anything, too excellent for
the lbretto TO which he had worked, and was adj
mred throughout. Mr.. Gilbert, it soon per-
81, 81 \ I;,,og Tba
story of the Princess he had borrowed from Mr..
Tennyson the was not then Lord Tennysonl; and
he chose to call his ravesty of that beautiful poem
n respectful perversion. Possibly it was more re-
spectfu and less tresome in the original perverson
done some fourteen years ago. of which this is new
version, new perversi0n. Now, 1t Is fiddle with
one string There is one idea in il, and all Mr. Gil
bert has done is to play endless variations on his
one idea or one string The raw girl with mission,
with an enthusiastic belief In herself and her sex,
with conviction of her superiority to mere man
and of her ability to get on without him, who ends
by falling in love with the first man she sees IS not
now a heroine to whom the charm of novelty can be
ascribed The metaphysics with which Mr.. Gilbert
endows her do not add TO her attractiyeness Moth
ing bored the house more than his elaborate jokes
about the conditional and the subiunctiye. Every
body felt that the long second act, filed il
with misapplied ingenuIties, would have to be
shortened. 1t dragged. All the friendly goodwill
in front could not keep back the yawns as Mr.. Gil
bert went Oh spinning ard rcspinning and spinning
again his one poor little threadbare pleasantly. 1t
was spun so fine rs TO become invisible. The halr
was split till nobody could say whether there was
any longer anything which to hang. The third
act was better because it shorter. The curtain
came down amid vocifcrous cheers The piece was
success" beyond all question. But good many
of US were not sorry when it was over
Mr. D'Oyly Cartes share in the success is an im
portant one. He has mounted the piece literally
and set it in a framework of scenery which is really
pretty. The dresses are snowy but do not harmon
ize in color. 1t is odd there should be nobody at
the Savoy capable of composing scheme of color
This was q symphony as Mr.. Whistler would say
in which there were more discords than c0ncOrds
As Mr.. Gilbert IS understood 10 take pride in his
stage management, he might apply his powers to
improving this distressing condition of things. Sir
Arthur Sullivans musictis full of learning and even
of freshness, spite of the attempt to work again in
the same groove and by the same methods which for
years have marked his work in conjunction with
Mr. Gilbert. Somebody has called him the Oifen-
bach .Of tEngland, but apprehend that he would
think this questionable compliment. Sir Arthur
Sullivan, though he chooses to put his pen tif that
be the right world at the service of Mr.. Gilbert's
complicated nonsense, is musician of the most
serious kind a master of the technique of his pro-
fesson who has shown himself capable of sustained
ana serious composition.
The cast is much what 1t always is at the
Savoy, except that acceptable new tenor appears
in the person of Mr.. Bracy Mr. Grossmth is the
same clever actor making believe sing, as ever Mr..
Darlington makes believe Also but less successfully.
Pretty girls have been found 10 replace Miss
FOrtescue, who looked from q private box in
company with Lord Garmoyle Miss Leonora Bra
ham is not in person quite the ideal PnoessIda but
sang her music with skill, and acted with that re-
pose which stamps the class of We're dc We're Our
cOuntrywOman, Miss Lillian Russell, would probably
have acted the part with much less distinction and
possibly more to Mr.. Gilberts taste which rms 70
vulgarity. But Miss Lillian Russell could not he
rehearsas. She prefers the excitement of lawsuit
for breach of contract 10 the professional success
which was thought to be within her reach.
The performance best worth seeing 'at this mo-
ment in London is the Susan Hartley of Mrs Kendall
in the English version Of NJ. Sardou's "Pattes de
Mouches" to which Mr.. Palgrave Simpson has
given the name A Scrap of Paper" This is a char
acter created long since by one of the most
complished actresses on the French stage. Nine.
Fargneil, now retired. ! saw her play II two or
three tines and always with fresh admiration.
Mrs. Kendsls conception is her own and not Nine.
FargueIps, yet she has to deal with type Of