The Sunday herald., 1886-12-26
AMUSE NJ ENTS.

the name OF "lota,n by virtue whereof she doesthe |
most riSque things not merely with impunity, hut to
the widest delight of her audiences, No one has |
ever seen loita sit on chair when inc noor or the
table was equally available. She was never known |
TO stand still when by any possibility she could he
dancing or kicking. Her sparkling eyes and sunny
curls seem to have solved the PROBLEM OF perpetual
motion; her agile heels TO have adopted for their
motto Excelsior Years ago John Brougham |
called her the "dramatlc cocktalN OF tho stage OF
hls day. Had Lolta been q Frenchwonan the cock |
tall would have had It's dash OF absinthe. As 1t Is,
absolutely dreadful as are of the things she
does 1t is all frank, 50 open apparently spon
ancous, and free from the slightest drriere.peH-
see OF evil, that the drearlest prude could not nnd
heart TO chide her. There lie nothing suggestive |
about her art. II is all there Just as you see H.
She is SAD little "tom-boyn aud rowdy, but good |
and true to the and You love her and laugh at
her simultaneously. OF the scores of imitators who
have sat tables and kicked their heels and made
saucy faces and hit ont from the shoulder with their
Intellectual, small fists, in emulation of the we'll |
known little cutenesses OF the Lotta repertoire, the
public has mostly very speedily weared. Their |
hoydensm soon seemed impettinent and vu- |
gar, their slang coarse, their engaging |
kitenishness vapd and silly. 1t has re-
malned for the clever little originator OF this
somewhat daring and dubious line of feminine i'm
personation to carry of Its angularlties with
herself. "Bob" is perhaps the most pleasing of
the plays wherewith she has confronted her always
crowded and enthusiastic audiences during the last
week. IL served on Monday night TO convince the
public that their little Solferno-hared favorte had
returned to them as funny and frolicsome, as
blithe and breezy as of old, fresher in voice, and
with an added charm of plumpness that made her
appearance In short sleeves n boon and benson.
The fact was also very speedily manifest that she
had surrounded herself with company OF unusual
merit The vainous French adventurer OF MIR.
Anderson was an admirable bit OF character acting
which he followed up on Tuesday with horribly
effective Quiip In Little Nell aud the Nurcioness,
ami throughout the week, by series OF widely
varied roles, which fully demonstrated his versatility
and power as an eccentric actor of extraordinary
ability. The Professor sharp of Mr. Coote and
the Dick StrireHer OF Mr.. Lenox were also charac-
terized by humor of a very wholesome and enjoy
able KIND, while Mr.. Mahony, a promising young
actor from our own city, was almost painfully
realistic 10 his portrayals of age disease, aud death.
All OF the plays OF the week, in such competent
care, were given with very gratifying completeness
and nnisn, aud Miss Lottas engagement, as Is gener
ally the case, will be pleasantly remembered, both by
managers and public, as one of the wholly saiisfac-
| tory events Of the dramatic year
A play by Sardou, with authentic costumes, acces-
| sories, and stage business from the boards of the
Porte ST. Martin Theatre and personal instructions
| from the distinguished author, was an announce
| ment that should apparently have filled the opera
House each evening last week, from the expressive
coat-tais of the energetic baton-weder In the or
chestra TO the genial smile OF the popular ticket
taker at the main door, That, after public curiosity
was somewhat abated, such was not the case, is
| probably due to the seemingly paradoxcal state
ment that "rheodora" is considerably too heavy for
Miss Olcoit, and Miss Olcott ut the same time too
| heavy for Theodord. The more than repulsive
story and incidents of the play elaborated cheny
| through the medium OF succession of iurgid ora
tions, which the drdndtis persona indulge in on ali
| occasions in apparently inverse proportion to the
| prompt and vigorous action demanded by the
| situation. Meantime, while whoever holds the
floor Is talking against time and eternity In the face
of mobs mutinies, and murders, 1t Is TO be noticed
that the rest OF the people on the scene generally
very sensiby sit down till the cyclone oftalk has ex-
| hausted itself. To these long agones of declama-
ton Miss Olcott brings voice scarcely sympathetic
or melodious, while in the serpentine poses
| OF the love-scenes designed by Sardou
for the sinuous Bernhardt, the Lama of
the stage, her figure lacks the hexlle and
artistic abandon, which alone could render
such efforts endurabe. OF the company 1t is
sufficient 10 say that Mr.. Gimour, who is rather a
hne-looking fellow, and gives evidences of ability,
Is apparently bored with the intermnable
speeches allotted to IndreaS, that he rattles them
off with the vociferous volubiiiy of an auctioneer
with bad cold. The JustiHtan of Mr.. Liston Is
sufficiently repusiye creation to make us forgive a
great deal in the conduct Of his, TO say the least
somewhat mprudent and unconventional spouse
The rest of the cast strntted their brief hour OF
minute on the stage with becoming siSth-century
stiffness of the legs, and wore as well as they knew
how their altogether gorgeous raiment. The cos.
tuning of the play and the strongly conceived and
executed scenery cannot be too highly praised
Miss Olcott has, however, discarded the menagerle
feature of her performance. Not lion nor tiger
nor even ''harm!ess, necessary cat, was there tc
''roar as gently sucking deve,' SO as not &c
alright the ladies'. In general, perhaps, II may bt
said that Washington's verdict ''Theodora' vii
mainly coincide with that of Boston, for the two
capitals of American culture are in some things
| very greatly alike even to their mutual worship o
| lawrence Barrett and John Lawrence sullivan
Here there, II will perhaps be conceded that tht
ever matchles5 NJ. Sardou mad best stick to comedy
and tnat there are probably many things In liz
which Miss Lillian olcott can do Infinitely bete
, than so disagreeable a role as Theodord.
Next Monday evening at Albaugh's the Tempt
! Theatre Comic opera Company Will present for th
first time in this city the American comic opera
"The Little Tycoon" by willard Spenser, whicl
mad run Of 0nghts n Philadelphia and 2O3 night
IN New York, Boston, and Chicago. The music o
the opera Is bright and catching and Is easy TO re
= | member. The number, "IOve Comes Like a sum
Iner Sigh" ia the first that is whstled on the stree