New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-08
MUSIO--THE DRAMA.
.THE LADY OR THE TIGER? ?"

1EL l<<ADA Oh lib iAOi<h'
It was a somewhat checkered opening OF the fourth
summer season of the McCaull Opera Company at
waacks Theatre last evening with The Lady or tho
Tiger' The curtain raised with promptness
somewhat startling, for the wallaok audiences are pro-
verbally late, and the opening words OF what sydney
Rosenfeld calls his original musical comedy drama were
spoken with many empty seats. Put when the piece
was fairly under way the theatre was crowded with
good humored throng. DeWoh Hopper was well
coined In the heartiest manner, the applause keeping
the popular comedian bowling for long time. Madame
Cottreily was also greeted with marked enthusiasm.
and the return OF Eugene 0utn Madeline Lucette and
Others to these boards suitably recognized. Tho
newcomer In this company Miss Catertna Marco, was
also well received Her voice Is rich and strong, her
figure stately and she met the physical requirements OF
her position as the daughter OF spartas
King with becoming nien and bearing. And what
King Sparta had when he Wolf Hopper held the throne
against all corners Surely never moro rolickng big.
voiced all pervadng, funloving laughter-proVohhs
ruler held sceptre, not even when the nanees' Oh
monarchs made whitehall resound with qup and jest
and repartee nor when immortal sancho Panza swaYed
the destinies of his unruly island Without such an
Interpreter illustrator and expOunder, endowed with
richest stores Of genuine humor, much OF Mr. hosen-
fields efforts to amuse would have fallen nat bus
Pausanias, King Of Sparta, as Hopper portrayed him.
set his court all astr and left one in the audience
a chance to get dull weary while ne was on tho
stage. Complete success may also De recofuco loe
Madame Cottrelly, Miss Lucette and JEFFERSON DAa'
CELLS But as to the play
The title of an Original musical comedy drama
seems to be an instance of vaulting ambition hardly to
be commended When Mr.. Rosenfeld attempts 10
arouse serious interest he always sets people ya"hns'
II he had styled this production farce comedy with
musical passages had made effort to ov0srp tbs
hounds with which nature and art alike have hefnmed
him in the effect would have been far better
farce comedy with musical interludes-n that way ana
that way only should "The Lady or the Tiger %
regarded and handled. To act and sing In II with
sincere soemnity In place Of Transparency assumoo
gravity makes parts Of 1t serious infections mat
is the mistake Miss Marco made. Her acting at oess
LACKS charm although that may not have been con-
sidered q necessary attribute Of dlgnihed madens OF
sparta,s royal household No stress should DO pus
on the musical features Of the piece, for tho music -
nowise remarkable Tho ambitious NUMBERS IN ths
work of Messrs Lyons and Nowak' VINO arc
responsible for the musical setting were rece'ea WIZ
direction of emotional acting. But inc eccen.m lily
dancing and singing of Messrs Hopper and De Angeus
and of Madame Cottrely and Miss Lucet'e ~er0 eon-
II IS not necessary 10 detail the plot describe the
Mr. Rosenfeds sckieysmens are inferior to tho
Ingenious tale with which Mr.. Stockton set so many
R n 5Passned and absorbing but mr. RO.sI
fields hand is clumsy IN comparison s,s WIN ~
so much that is trivial and nlmsy
in the thing and much Of 1t falls so far below the
level even of clever burlesque that II becomes .
nIystery-almost as great that which Mr.. Stockton
embodied In his story-why the Aronsons ard Francis
Wilson should ever have quarIeed over H. As 70
the manner In which Resented solves stockons
riddle the explanation would be somewhat long and
tedious . , 80, -,..
THE piece was put the stage and costumed with
generous expenditure and good taste. The scenery
and all the appointments were handsome and sAi-
fully devised the arena scene In tbs last act being
triumph in its way. Colonel McCaull and his merry
,1en and women have given this metropolis during
the summer seasons OF recent years much d'ight-
full entertainment Of the choicest sort that IL Is mat
ter Of sincere regret that their opening proauG.oa
on this occasion cannot be set down an unqualified
success