The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-01-22
NEWS OF TIE THEATRES.

play sunicient agility 10 suit Imrs Kirslfy, who had i'm
ported him. A new p~antomimist, an American, has
taken his place. What q clown Francis Wilson Of the
Casino would makei But after all, Kiralfy need not
have tempted Wilson for = nrst class clown, nor hunted
so far as France, for the best living actor OF clowns to-
day Ia idle in tho city. His name Ia james s. Mant Up
to a few years ago he had long been q constant partner
Of William II Bartholomew, who, oddly enough, has
been with Kiralfy ever since he left Mafft and In now
playing Pantotoon and the villain in "Mazulm." MaGlt's
clown ia not the species Of clown that George L. Fox
used 10 make laughs with, nor II he, the inexpensive
Grimaldi portrayed in the hsrlcquinade of the present
spectacle Ma6lt's clown Ia lAnk. loose jointed, but al.
ways and thoroughly intellectual; that is to say. there
Ia thought even In his nonsense-the result of long expe.
rience, intelligent study, and thorough appreciation Of
his difhcult art. Notlong ago he left "Evangeline." in
which he had been inimitably playing The Lone Fisher.
man, and even on the very night Of Kiralfy's opening he
was a star at one OF the variety houses in the Bowery in
an Indian pantonime.
In the way of various and ludicrous facial expression,
the stage comedian, no matter how industriousiy con.
tortive his own features may be, has decidedly the best
Of us. II you look about you In an audience. at q time
when something amusing is being done at tho other side
of tho footlighta you will SEQ many kinds Of curious
countenanceA, but when these arc vie we'd from the stage,
A. they may be when the house IL tolerably light, the Of.
feet is well worthy OF instantaneous photography. Ono
man scowls nercely at Joke, as though angcred or in.
suited by It. although at the same time he may DO In.
wardly enjoyingit Another Affects q blase manner, and
will not let his expressionless oountenance betray that he
80 much AS hears anything. Between these two may BIT .
man who laughs unreservedly when he feels like Il.
Then there is a wide range Of smiles, from the neat one
OF . pretty girls red lips and white teeth to the terrible
grimace Of an ugly mouth. Joseph Jefferson said, when
asked how he kept himself up to the work Of playing
RIP Van Wrinkle" nightly for twenty years. that ho
had recourse to two expedients. First, he knew exactly
when the laughs ought to como in, and IL they didn't II
was q warning to him that he was sighting his Job.
Second, he found unending diversion in watching one or
more of the faces before him. He would pick out either
very pleasant or q very %grotesquo visage, close enough
to tho stage to be clearly visible. and he rarely failed to
get amusement out Of that face by covertly Watching 1t
throughout the evening.
There has been discovered recently a really modest
man. who, at the same time. has something to do with
writing playa He is the one who has made the English
version of Sardou's LA Tosca' for Fanny Davenport.
He actually prefers to remain anonymous,a and will posi-.
lively take no credit from Sardou. His name is not
Maurice Barrymore. This modesty is not his irs, offence.
He likewise refused to court popularity when he put
Fedora" into English. LA Tosca' as The sun has al.
ready told. will be acted for the first time in America by
Miss Davenport at the now Broadway, on Feb. ~. with
Miss Davenport in the title role. Melbourne Mcdowell ~
tho hero. and Judith Berolde as the queen
"The Wife, is having audiences so large at the Lyceum
that 1t would be folly to withdraw It for anything now
Just now. Yet 1t Is necessary that Daniel Frohman's
stock company shall possess y repertory for their road
tour. Their contracts with some out Of town managers
contain q clause to that effect. Presumably, then, be-
IOro tnoy unlsn their teaSon nero, WElcn VIII De on April
%, they will have made known another play. and 1t will
probably DO one Of the two pieces they have been re-
hearsing. Their places at tho Lyceum will bs immedi.
ately filled by E. Il. Sothern, whose travelling season
under Frohman's direction will end in Brooklyn on April
%. enabling him to ono directly to the Lyceum with q
new play.
Prosperity seems to attend the early days of the Battle
of Gettysburg at its convenient homo at Fourth ave nue
and Nineteenth street These battle pictures last so
long nowadays that, unlike theatrical managers. their
proprietors never hint At souvenir nightA, though prop
erly they might do SO.
Do you wish to buy the Great Eastern, the famous big
gest ship ahoatf An agent is In New York trying hard
to sch her. aud 1t is probable that she will soon be brought
to this harbor. She has for some time past been used as
a museum anchored of London. Tho enormous old
vessel has been divided into large apartments and bril-
liantly lighted throughout Flaming signs that cover
her broadsides and gay aags that noas from her mast
heads inform the public that inside cau be obtained
plenty of amusement and refreshment- A museum in
the American style. q restaurant, and other attractive
features occupy the different apartments. When Eras-
tus Wiman was in London he visited the Great Eastern,
and was much struck by tho success with which she was
managed as a floating resort. It was said that he In.
tended to anchor her off Staten Island. He tells THE
Sun. however, that he does not believe that the Great
Eastern could DO made to pay In this country. "In tho
first place." he says the expense of getting her hero
would be enormous and then she draws 30 much water
that there are few harbors that she could enter. The
expense of fitting her up would be heavy also. and I do
not tn ink that enough people could be attracted to the
water except In summer to mako any appreclablo return
for the outlay"
Manager Eugene Tompkinss first production in this
city since his purchase Of tho Academy. and tho an.
nouncement of his lease of tho Fifth Avenue, is "A Run
Of Luck" now drawing strongly at Niblo's. II his future
ventures are to be judged as to their attractiveness by
this one, we shall have things veil worth awaiting. 1t Is
q hopeful sign when expense is not spared, and intelli-
In ANhihitAd In the praparafion nf n hu drana
nowadays. "A Run of Luck Is a melodrama with
powerful situations, a tolerably clearly defined plot and
q number Of interesting characters. This with its com.
pany of wellknown and favorite actors. makes a per.
formance Of interest. aside from the horse and dog in.
terest, which serves for a realism not heretofore sur
passed IL even equalled. Certainly tho race scene is
close to actually. Probably as much Is seen as many
see Mt a real race. and with far more comfort, The de-
parture for the hunt also, Is true to nature in Its essen.
tai respects. For the proper working of this
piece fourteen extra stage hands are required,
three large car loads Of scenery. seven horses, seven.
teen dogs, a large number OF extra women, and a small
army of supers. 1t Is only on 4 big stage like that Of
Nib!o's that a piece like this can be shown. The remark
OF the habituss and attaches Of the house is that no
better production of this kind has ever been in that his.
toric structure. The piece has . fortnight longer here,
and then 1t will visit several large cities. OF course,
short engagements In the minor towns and theatres arc
out of the question. new announcement as to Niblo's
coming novelties mentions " Upside Down q rip tear.
ing farce from the pen of John j. McNaliy, dramatic
editor of the Boston Herald, u journalist by training and
experience but by no means u novice at writing for the
stage. Ore of Edward e. Rice's earliest successes was
made with McNallys burlesqus " Revels." for which
Dexter Smith wrote fippant music.
Maurice Grau's brief visit to his partners here brought
out AT least one fact OF widespread Importance. 1t Is
that Sarah Bernhard intends to visit the United Sta tes
again three years hence with q now play by Dumas.
The profitable favor nightly accorded to tho revived
and effective old Ravel pantomime, "Mazulm, the Night
Owl" at the Academy, has thus early moro than full.
filled tho most sanguine expectations. During the week
some interesting and attractive new features have been
introduced. Under the personal supervision of the lat
ter day Kayel, Imre Kiralfy, all the elaborate settings
aud numerous intricate movements In this spectacular
pantomims have been ingeniously perfected. No bitches
or prolonged waits now occur, bit each accessory moves
smoothly and promptly within its allotted time. The
Wednesday and Saturday matinees are remarkable, for
then the auditorium OF the Academy looks not
unlike = huge nursery. Aware of tho grow
ing juvenile patronage, the management have
wisely omitted during the matinees all the more excit-
ing scenes and incidents In tho spectacle, such as the
,hrIuino dron nv tho younser Of tho Vaidix sistsra and