The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-01
THE IHEATERS.
Large and Attentive Audiences
Enjoy the New Pieces.
Nellie McHenry Makes an Impression in
Lady Peggy"-A Merry Bit at the
Bush-Guilty Without Crime.

:" A Pair of Jacks" opens rio tously. The
hrst act amounts to little else than a game
OF rompS among a lot of girls, concluding
with musicale, in which we are treated to
quintet, angels Without Wings" and a
medley with no less than nine subdivisions.
The second and third acts are also plenti-
fully bestrewn with musical numbers. In
fact vocal music of an average quail
ity is the stronghold of "A Pair
of Jacks" The only singer who
rises above mediocrity is Mr.. Julius Wit
mark, the boy, now young man, who for
merly visited this city in the crescent of a
minstrel company. He sang Drinking
Song" very nicely, made his voice heard
with advantage in the "Old Red Cradle i"
quartet, and in the second act gave de-
scriptive song, 'Bring Back My Fisher
Boy in manner that reminded one of
the baladists that used to be popu-
lar in the Eastern States years
ago. This singer carries his voice
up with his years. Mr.. r. G.
Knowles, who is de facto the funny
man Of the company, with his minstrelic
studies and songs, was well received for
the rendering of 81 Got It," and also for
The Breach of Promise" discussion He
is piece Of the burnt-colk tree grated on
to farce-comedy. Miss Winifred johnson.
who is specially engaged, made a very
pretty artistic banjo specially in the second
act, aud generally, the crowded audience
appeared cOntenied with the singing
and enjoyed themselves. Like all such
pieces, plot appears to have
been as absent from the authors
mind as a story was from the ANTI
Jacobin's" knife-grinder, when questioned
by the pseudO-ph phllanthropist. STORY
God bless you'll | have none to TELL SIR"
But "A Pair OF Jacks makes pleasant
evenings ent ertainment, Notwithstanding.
The piece is certainly all that is claimed for
it by the author. when he said he did not
desire to overtax the intellectual powers of
his audience, nor dig up something in the
way OF plot that would startle folks by
ofigl hallty. 1t Is just merry and musical.
The Double Even.
OF Miss Nellie McHenry and company in
Lady Peggy" and the benefit of Mr.. Mark
Thall, Ousiness-manager of the Alcazar.
joined to fill that theater last evening to its
utmost capacity. A better pleased audi
ence, apparently, never assembled within
its walls. Miss McHenry is said to have
made the hit of her life in the heroine of
this piece. 1t calls for all the ami
nation and sparkle of which her breezy
nature has such an inexhaustible
fund, restrained and methodizrd by
more legitimate acting requirements
than in the pretty "Troubadour" trifies,
which at the outset of her career called
public and critical attention to the young
actress possibilities in the future We have
already fully advised our readers of the
plot of Lady Peggy" and it is unneces-
sary to go over the same ground again.
Some of the passages have decided flavor
OF Margery in THE Rough Diamond"
but they are broader in action
and not of such fine Suggestive
ness as the business of the country-wife
in that old-fashoned but sterling comeGiet-
ia. Miss McHenry retains all her old viva
city as vocalist and INDUCED the audi
ence with many pretty songs and also
specialties in the way of dances, etc. Her
enttrta1nIng; ner r1cn Voice gives the queer
old melodies of the Southern cabin and
meeting house particularly agreeable Of
feet. The support generally was very good,
and an attractive feature was found in the
acting dogs, Nero and Zip. Miss Louise
Rial assumed the part OF Mary Sommers,
and narrial IL very uipplV