Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-08
BURLES0UE AND BALLET.
Fausr Brought Quite Up to Date in the
British style-The Web for Many Flies
True Irish Hearts-Irwin Brothers and

Faust Brought Quite Up to Date in the
Britt sh sIyle-The Web for Many Flies
True Irish Hearts-Irwin Brothers and
Other TheatricnIs.
THE English burlesque, "Faust Up to Date" I"
was played last night by the London
Gaiety Theater Company at the Grand Opera
House. 1t is a curious thing, unmistakably
British in every way, and fairly reeking of Lon
don. The burlesque ITSELF for which M essrs.
George r. Sims and Henry Pettitt
are responsible, is unmitigated rot
The lines are rhymed, as is usual
in the English burlesque. but they
are also devoid of wit which is neither
usual nor to be desired. Presumably, to sup
ply the place of wit carload of execrable puns
have been pitchforked into the piece hap
hazard. Whenever a real, crying need for
humor arises Mr.. Sims hands out pun. Per
haps. with thought for the public's digestion.
Mr.. Sims has taken care that every pun shall
be stale. Stupidity might be more easily over
looked if vulgarity did not link arms with it.
The two together are enough to condemn even
burlesque. At times the vulgarity of Faust
Up to Date runs to sheer indecency. 1t is
always disagreeable to deal with such matters,
but Faust UP to Date" could be cleaner with
advantage.
There are plenty of opportunities to praise
Faust Up to Date" Miss ST. John is a very
charming woman, graceful and sweet-voiced.
She has ri diculously little to do as Marguerite,
for their beauty. Her voice is of singularly
great compass powerful, and she manages it
well Her beauty is of ran good English isl,
Mr.. E. ]. Lonnen is, like Miss St. John. new
conner here. lie belongs to the London school
of comedians, and has all its mannerisms. But
he has an original bent of his own that is hu-
morous enough, and he works with a will,
which counts for good deal. Mr.. Lonnen can
sing though he has very little voice, and the
Irish song MCCARTHY of Enniscorthy,7 which
he gave with a delicious brogue, Tickled the
audience amazingly. Another song which had
Mr.. HAslem, described the analogy between
childIen's games and their occupations later in
life. 1t must not be forgotten, either that Mr.
Lonnen is a graceful dancer.
Dancing is a strong point of four 1.-THE, slen-
der and piquant English damsels. the Misses
Lillian Price, Florence Levey, Maude Wilmot
and Edith Rayner, The accordion skirts of
skirts were disturbed abnormally it vas al
ways done with a lightfooted ease and artistic
abandon that brought 'encores'' by the half
dozen.
OF the rest of the company it can be
truthfully said that some of them are
pretty girls; and that they fill
in the background of the burlesque very well.
beauty and there are number of tableaux.
which show good taste in the combination OF
color. The scene illustrating the Paris Expo
sition at the base of the Eiffel tower is well
done, and the scenery as whole is good.
Taking Faust Up to Date" as the lghtest
kind of theatrical attraction it is worth seeing.
The audience received it last night with great
generosity. Perhaps it will be seen to greater
advantage when the orchestra comes to under
stand the music