Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-28
A STRAIGHT TIP,
James T. Powers In New Farce Comedy
Joseph Murphy-An Irish Drama-Vari-

James T. Powers In a New Farce Comedy
Joseph Murphy-An Irish Drama-Vari-
ETY. and Novel Curiosities.
When Mr.. Hoyt began teaching the public
to love Brass Monkeys Tin Soldiers and the
like a farce comedy might nave been properly
defined as loosely constructed farce with in
tervas of variety. Gradually the framework
of farce has been dropped by Hoyt's imitators
and the farce comedy rs it is pre-
sented generally to-day is nothing more
than straight vaudeville dressed up in a
little finer clothes than it usually wears in the
houses given over entirely to that class of en-
tertainment. At the Bijou Theauer last night
the latest style of farce comedy was shown in
IA Straight Tip" wrtten-if any of it was ever
set on paper-by John ]. Mentally. 1t is called
farcical satire, but the satire is not very
easily discerned, unless the whole performance
may be taken as rejecting satirically upon the
stage. rather than the race course. The dia-
logue is principally made up of horse jockey
slang and jokes that are chiefly respectable
because they are old. The use of slang is per-
missible perhaps 20 almost any extent in farce
comedy, but 1t should be Ineligible at least to
the general public. Much of tile language in
the race course scene was entirely beyond the
comprehension of the average man, and not
one woman in 4 thousand could see the point
Oh most OF the jests turning upon horses and
racing: For these reasons. if for 10 other, "a
Straight Tip" cannot be considered a piece of
much merit.
places, and, as whole. entertaining-nOt be-
cause of the play, but in spite of it. OF course,
MT. James i or, as he usually is c'lled, Jimmy,
PoWers could not lie on the stage for nearly
three hours without causing at least $50 laughs,
which is allowing but three laughs to q min
ute, very moderate estimate. Mr.. Powers
gives us curious composite character, half
dude, half sport, and makes lots of fun with il.
Two or three sketches of humorous sort in
the best manner that formed part of his busi-
ness IN "fhe Drum Major" last year, he re-
peated with excellent effect last night. These
included his imitation of several dancers in
ballroom, and that of a fair damsel
dong dong up" her hair, and performing
A new caricature of the same SAN sort
brought the famous Carmencitas Spanish
dance into rIdicule But MIR. Powers needs
some new songs. ana his wonderful energy and
comic bent hardly avail to lift good deal of
the play out of the Slough OF tediousuess.
Peter f. DAILY plays racing sport to the life;
IN fac, SO very life-like is he and true to the
turf and The betting ring are his clothes, his
language and his swagger that they are not al
ways agreeable. But he deserves credit for the
verisimiiItude of his impersonation. The same
may be said of most of the other men in the
caSt, though the big actor and race tout pre-
sented by Mr.. Hart is the best of the minor
sketches of life
OF the ladies it can be truthfully said that
they are all young and pretty, and that their
voices are sweet and their dresses extremely
tasteful and often costly. Miss Emma Hanley
makes as much as can be made out of q part
worth nothing. and Miss Della Stacey and in
deed all the ladies are graceful dancers. The
butterfly skirt dance is h particularly bright
feature, and the singing of the Clipper quartet
was unusually good
The race course scene is very realistic in
most of its details. and the whole play is
mounted, as it is acted, great deal better than
1t deserves. An audience that even surpassed
the Bijou's record for size gave generous en-
couragement to Mr.. Powers and his clever
company.