Omaha daily bee., 1891-02-01
THE LOUNGER In THE LOBBY.
A Story or Two Of Dramatic Interest Taken
from Real Life,
THE WEEKS LIST OF ATTRACTIONS,
what Theater Goers Will Have to
Amuse Them-Italian Opera
in New York-MusicaI
and Dramatic.

Lydia Thompson has made anotaec effort
to get back TO her old place in the hearts of
| the tbeatergoers with a new burlesque called
! "The Dazzer'' in New York.
Heigh no! how the old timers do cling to
| the present, and with what sublime courage
do they attempt to please the present genera
! ton of theatergoers, Notwithstanding that
the age has quite drifted past their en-
! deavors.
| When she was last in Omaha, a season or
| two ago, ] could not help but wondering
whether any of the seams and sun-burned.
| weather beaten cracks in the venerable
Lydia's voice we're ever made manifest
to her own ears. | wondered if she had no
| good friends to tell her the truth about that
voice of hers, but somehow she seems peren-
nial, and like the brook, bids fair to go on
forever
Dear old Lydia we have all admired and
| loved you, our fathers dotted on you long ago
| when we were numbered among the things
| that were to be, and in the first flush of
youths hot temper, in the foamlng and bead
| ing time of life, we bowed before your nimble
| capers. But is there to be no end! Are you
| to go OH forever, smoothing the wrinkles of
time with rabbits foot and concealing
the twinges of age with machine-made
| smilel
No doubt Lydia is a wonderful woman for
| her age; but is it right that we should be
| compelled to make allowances for ages The
silly nonsense and frolicsome capers Of bur-
! lesque are just bit wanton and foolish in
budding girls, but in rheumatic old women it
is clearly distasteful.
What a sad history is connected with the
lives of Mckee Rankin and his pretty wife,
Kitty Blanchard. 1t was quite half dozen
years ago, when Rankin was playing on the
| Pacific coast that a young actress joned the
1 com hpl nv Tai nd
and pretty it was not long before the star
began paying more than ordinary attention
| TO the newcomer, who had been engaged for
| lngenue parts.
Kitty Blanchard, for the sake of her two
daughters, saw the growing affection between
| her husband and the California actress, with
heartache and fear, but not until the season
was nearly ended did she raise her voice in
| protest
Then it was too late The silken chains had
| been wound too tightly around Rankin'S
heart and there was nothing left for Mrs.
Rankin to do but sue for support from the
father of her pretty little ones.
So things went on, the breach between hus-
| band and wife growing wider with the years.
From an ingenue Miss Bert rose to leading
business and the parts made memorable by
the ability of the little woman whom old
| theater goers recall with pleasure, were
played by the young Californian who had
succeeded to the place of the deserted wife.
But as disaster followed disaster when Ma
| pOltOH ueScTltu JpSepulue,SO ldllure followed
failure when Mckee Rankin re-
nounced his wife, and until
The Canuck'' was produced success was an
unknown word to one of the best actors of
the modern romantic school. And this sue
cess may be chargeabe to change of heart
upon RanlSin's part, for l will not be sur
prised to see Kitty Blanchard's name in the
bill next season, and Mabel Bert's place taken
by some other woman, who will show little
more appreciation for the equities that should
exist between man and wife.
Another star has dropped back into the
quietude of private life. Pretty and petite
| Ida Mule. Less than ten years ago she was
| playing in chidren's "Patiencen company,
} doing Lady Jane Next she branched out as
| burleSquer, and what a favorite she was
| She was not particular as to clothes, except
| as to wear as few and as little as possible.
| She was very petite, but eXquisitely moulded.
| The dudes went in raptures overher Jewels,
| flowers, presents of all kinds We're showered
| on her.
Later she appeared in opera and what q
| Jolly, good-natured failure she was Then
| | came extravaganza, and doubt whether the
, | stage will ever see more captivating Gin
| derella than she made in THE Crystal Slip
, | per-" But her husband, Ben Tuthill, has
made stake, so the little woman, who has
| been most conscientious worker has left
E | the stage to her sisters and commenced the
,, , active cares of raising two little shavers that
have been born to the girlish Ida in wedlock
, The LoUNGER.
This evening Joseph Murphy will close
s most successful engagement at Boyd's opera
I house by presenting George Fawcett Rowe
new play, THE Donagh." The prices will
i | be regular
The attraction at the Grand this evening
. | will be the Fisher Ombinaton in "a Cole
. Day, or the Laplanders,' at popular prices
( all the orchestra seats being 80 cents auC
=, the balcony 35 and % csnts The following
| is hrin nf farnn
4 | comedy and musical eXtravaganzeS
The first act of this absurdity is located a
- | Long Branch. photographer is trying Il
u take a view of house; a crowded street ca
y , stops aiiainst his focus, and he gets view o
:, two women, each seated in the lap of a man
10 The rascal!y photographer uses his negatives
- as a means of blackmailing the victims h
- has taken, and breaks up happy home AM
gets everybody in hot water The seconC
IS and third acts take place on board the ocear
n steamer Neversink. The captain has lnvte'
the ladies' on board, and the husbands, broth
~ ers and other male persons follow in variou
). DISCUSSES. They skip the bounds of probabil
'e | ity in such meeting-the cb aracters do-bu
IS they all get there. The most of the fun take
ol place on board the steamer. There is som
Is slang bang and horse play in the farce, but i
seemed to please the audience. Miss Carlott
al Is clever little sou brette and pleasing singer
| | Mr.. Morosco is a good German dialeC
70 comedian. Some taking songs are il
ut | troduced.
3 Bronson Howard's Shenandoah" th
t. successful war drama, is so well known her
S, and has proved so popular that it would b
ie going over old ground to recite its merits a
length will be the attraction at til
le Boyd on Thursday, Friday, Saturday an
"a Sunday next, and few of those who hay
IS, seen it once will be unwilling to see it again
Y, Love and war; devotion and distress are tn
elements that enter into the composition
MT the play, and impart to it that human intel
ne est which is so essential to dramatic success
Of Dealing as it does with the conflict betwee
s. the north and the south, there is, neverth'
1T less nothing offensive to the sympathIzei
at with either cause, yet an interesting story
told and the dramatic situations are strOnl
while clever comedy aud excellent stage Q
fects contribute to its success as whole.
- MIR Howard in Shenandoah" has mad
70 the mlCary element subordinate to charm
O. ing and intensely entertaining heart story ,an
ha there are no invidious distinctions drawn
IL wound the spectator, to whom the war of tt
rlx rebellion meant something more than bit
To- national history. 1t is said that no America
10 drama ever received such careful preparatiC
ch as Shenandoah" For over nine weeks
was rehearsed daily, and the presence
of some eminent gen erals at these rehearsa
i oil thn Of tba