Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-31


CLuPER THEATER. McCafrey-Dempse Company
GRAND OPERA HOUSE.. Louis James
ACADEMY OF MUsTc....,....Ada Henry Company
DAVIS FIFTH AVENUE MUSEUM. curiosities. Etc
The success Of Mr.. Charles A. Gardner
has been unmistakable; the Bijou theatre
has been crowded, actually crowded, all the
week. As has been said in these columns
before Mr.. Gardner's' success must be at
tributed to his magnetic personality, his
jolly traits and his singing, rather than to
any histrionic ability. No doubt Mr.. Gard
ner is content, as any man should be, to &C
cept success on these terms. The bank ac-
count is a very pretty salve for any de-
fciencies in the artistic line. And, more
over, 1t is due to Mr.. Gardner to say that he
does not claim to be anything more than he is.
and therefore be merits his success
rxs
1t Is always a grievous thing to see . good
actor like Mr.. Edgar and a good company like
that supporting him houndering away to disas-
ter in such miserable attempt at a play As
"The Banker" What has been said in THE
DISPATCH cannot be unsaid as TO the original
nrOQOCLlnn OF Inc bdDkef.' out mOO1HoR-
fion of some portion of the adverse criticism
is permissible now that the play has been
condensed and altered In several places
principally as suggested in these columns last
Tuesday. The second act which was mere
dead weight at first has been hacked into toler-
able shape. The overplus of dialogue and bus
mess has been cut out: the masquerading-girl-
newsboy episode being omitted as entirely ir-
relevant, and about 20 nlinuIes of talk dropped.
After this heroic operation the second act went
great deal more briskly on Friday night
The last two acts saved by their undeniabiy
strong situations. The first act is very poorly
cons ructed. and the story is given miserably
involved start. To enIven it the soubrette
Introduced on Friday night lively wing dance.
which delighted the audience. But when was
q drama saved by such devices as thesef "The
Banker" cannot be made an interesting play.
The public has decided this-not the critics or
newspaper writers who are envious heaven
save usi of Mr.. Schonberg because he wrote
THE Banker"
In 81 days Mr.. Harry Davis has transformed
q dingy little den into what have fair grounds
for believing will be the prettiest place of the
Sort Pittsburg has ever had. A description of
its decorations may be found in another place,
but it may be added tina; Manager Davis prom
ises that his house shall be really and truly
place to which ladies and children may go with
perfect safety. In short, the Fifth Avenue
Museum is to be decided novelty in many re-
spects.
The new theater on Grant street and Seventh
avenue, which Mr.. James NJ. Peet the manager
and proprietor has named the Clipper, was
opened for private press view yesterday. The
public will be- permitted to examine the in
terror of the Clipper on Monday afternoon and
have no doubt that the public will be pleased
with what they see. 1t is ground floor theater
entirely - no galleries. The auditorium is
wide. and rises gently from the orches-
ira. 1t is very sensbly and neatly furnished
hardwood seated chairs in iron frames The
chairs are fairly comfortable. The walls are
opening is plainly ornamented. Incandescent
lights are to be used, and the exits appear to be
ample. A stock Of scenery has been painted
for the house. and handsome drop curtain
giving view Of New York harbor with the
Bartholdi Statue of Liberty in the foreground.
The stage Is roomy, and the dressing rooms are
better than some OF our first-class theaiers give
their actors Tai ,ng the Clipper Theater as a
whole il Is as attractive and comfortable as a
place of the kind can be. 1t is a little out of
the way of travel. but persistent advertising
and good management will induce the public
20 go to the North Pole In search of amuse-
ment The prices will be rs. so and 25 cents.
There are seats for 200 people.
-
When it was announced six months or more
ago that Fay Templeton would star in bur-
lesque under the management of William L.
Lykens, the dapper young man who attended
TO Maggie Mitchelrs business affairs until hus-
band Number Two bobbed up, nobody who
had any knowledge of theatrical affairs envied
Mr.. Lykens. 1t has turned out as everyone
expected The Templeton made her debut
with q great flourish OF trumpets at
the Fourteenth Street Theater in New York
two weeks ago, In "Hendrik Hudson" All the
critics agreed that the burlesque was bad the
company none too good, and the star considera-
bly, less lovely and ethereal than of yore. In
fact, Fay Templeton Fay no more. Moth
ing, IN reality. that the TempIeton ever did in
'Evangeine," or anything else, warranted her
being starred. She was never more than a very
pretty girl who took it into her pretty head to
run away with one of the Chicago ;eunesse
doree tO Paris-and even those undeniable pre-
tensions to theatrical glory are two years old.
Now her remarkable nerve is being tested by
her hacker and her manager, who are fighting
over her. L is probable that the Fay Temple
ton tour will never take place; and the moral
of the whole business is that mere beauty and
notor1ety must he fresh-'live," newspaper
men say of news-to command success on the |
stage.
The senseless, cigarette-smoking, spider
legged DUDE has been caricatured to death
upon the stage, and it Is good news to hear that
Helen Dauvray, IN the new play sydney Rosen-
feldt is writing for her-"The Whirlwind''-has |
insisted on q new departure In the way of |
dudes. am going TO have that buoyant |
character called the dude in my new |
comedy" sic said the other day. "He |
will he dude in the popular sense. but /
minus the drawl of voice, dragging limbs. /
and attenuated frame comLpon TO Stage por. /
traits. On the contrary, he will be broad-shoul- /
dered, strong-imbed, and man of manner as /
pamDered son of wealthy parents whose physi-
cal growth has given him strength and fine
presence. but whose feminine association has |
given HIM taste for small talk and q rapid ut
terance. whence proceed the humor of his at
tendance Now, see IL he doesn't furnish as
much entertainment as the caricatures of flesh
ndspirit generally put forward on stage pict-
uresn /
Last Wednesday night John l. Sullivan
made his first appearance as an actor. Hitherto
he has merely figured as . pugilist incidental
TO the drama. The scene OF Mr.. SulIivan's
dramatic debut was Proctor's Opera House. at
Bridgeport. Conn.,. and the medium employed
was a drama by Mr.. Duncan B. HARRISON en-
titled Honest Hearts and Willing Handsn
he played the part of the virtuous blacksmith,
VINO thumps the villain al proper intervals
throughout the piece, and spoke about dozen
INES win GruH earnestness that pleased the
AUDIENCE. He was overwhelmed with bouquets,
MIN 70 make speech. The speech is
gem. and greater actors than John
4 may at least adopt its brevity
with advantage to their auditors.
Booth or a Jonn Mccullough" said Mr.. SuIlI-
van. but Pm dong the best can. I've Quit |
my other profession and Pm going to stick to
tnls ana some DAY hope to be star with my
partner here I'm glad to see your smiling
after"
In connection with Mr.. sullivan,s success 1t
ay ma pe tSs noted also that be drinks ginger beer
might Try temperance JUST for . change.
The United States Mall" iu its revised form
and In the hands Of q hrst-class company. made
a successful start at Wilmington. Del. last
week. There is no doubt this time about the
merits of Mr.. jerks farce comedy and its
Actors. The company passed through this city
yesterday en- route for St. Louis, where they |