St. Paul daily globe., 1889-09-03
ADJUSTMENTS.
The Harris Theater Opens Its
Dramatic Season-First Night |


Dramatic Season-First Night
Echoes.
Patti Rosa, the famous soubrette,
made her first appearance before a
Minneapolis audience last night, at the
Harris theater. in her musical comedy
drama. written by Tom Craven, en-
titled 'Margery Dow" The play is, as
its compound title indicates, COM
pounding of music, comedy and dra-
matte situations. They do not always
articulate, and the play could hardy
be denominated success on Its
own merits. The plot, the stock one
for dramas bullta about sOubrette, and
the practical theater-goer could easily
guess it from this description of MAR
gerry Daw" in the play bill: "Our Hero
ine," Light AS Air." 'sTrue as Steel"
and Good as Gold" There is dread
full lot of dialogue in "Margery DaW''
intended to be amusing, which is really
flippant and pointless. Its principal merit
is that it gives Patti Rosa chance to
be impertinently cunning. She is an
airy creature. She sings like lark
anu frisks like a lamb, winks like a
hOyden, and laughs like happy girl.
She is horribly impudent in the play.
and her features scarcely cease to be
made up to mock some one until she
takes up her banjo to play and sing.
Her songs are like herself, cunning.
The best of them is, Hannah, Ii
You Come Out Tonight" 1t brought
her numerous recalls last evening.
The double kick that Patti Rosa gives
when she sings:
Jump right over the high brick wall
And | will catch Won if Won fall. y
must be seen to be appreciated. The
heroine was the recipient of some
splendid floral pieces last evening and
awakened so much enthusiasm that she
promises to become general tavOrite
before her engagement ends. The sup
porting company might be called rocky,
but the English gentlemen who assist
10 reduce it to that macadamiZed state
would not understand. There are
one or two exceptions. Tom
Craven, the author, who plays
Cutie, an old family servant, is
clever, has gratifying self-restraint
and evidently understands the authors
thought in creating the role. Mr.. Hal
stead's ''Roland Bird" is a good type of
the weak-minded young English fop
translated In America, ''dude." He does
not wear a sash, but he has, oh! ''such
y
know"
During the interval since the Bellini
Opera company was here the Harris
theater has undergone important iml-
prOvementS. The old carpets have
been replaced with new, the
walls retouched, the old draperies of the
boxes exchanged for new and brightly
eolored hangings. The house has re-
juvenated appearance. The patent
automatic opera glasses have been put
in place, and proved quite success.
The glasses are good.
Rice'S spectacular and operatic bur-
lesque, the ''Corsair, was put on the
boards at the Grand last even
ing to a large audience. The pro-
duction this year is a great
deal more elaborate than ever
before and some of the scenic effects
are truly wonderful. The singing was
also better than last year, as tina chorus
entire play is one piece of whimsical
nonsense, interpersed with some really
fine operatic music, new jokes and
witty dialogues. The harem scene
is a beautiful one, replete with
pretty faces and shapely forms.
Miss Martha Parleous as the
Corsair, the Scourge of the Sea, played
her part for all it was worth. and won
generous applause for her efforts. Miss
Gertrude HOyt as Medora was also good,
and her singing was excellent. The
AleXandroff brothers, who enacted the
parts of the PaSha's testers, caught the
gallery gods with their funny pam
tomimic antics. Their perform
ance on several different kinds
of musical instruments was clever
piece of work, and encorel several
times. In fact the whole performance
was an excellent as we'll as unique
one. and the audience went away well
pleased.
People who like broad comedy
will have an opportunity to in
dulge their fancy this week at the
Biiou. ''Larking" is the name of
an Old-tlme farce, embelliShed
with some new and taking features,
in which stock baby is the pivot
around which the excuse for plot de-
wolves. John W. Burton, as the retired
contractor who likes to get out with the
boys. is funny, dut not more so than
kit Speakup," the butcher impersOn-
ated bp Ii. j. Mortimer. The two pass
through series of domestic incidents
that occasion many ludicrous situa-
tiOns. Some musical features are in
jected, together with dog, and that's
all there is of it. The attendance last
night was fair. The piece runs for the
week