The record-union., 1892-09-10
music And THE DRAMA.
The Theatrical Business Booming
in New York City.
''Robin Hood'' and the Friend Of the
nlustrious Curran-The Romantic
General Stage News.

under date of September Sd, says:
1--WE have had halcyon' days of late.
DAYS during which the nature-loving
Greek betook himself to the shady trees
and sought babbling brooks where the
nymphs and dryads whom he met were
not always essences impalpable; or he
perched him on rocks and peered at the
blue Mediterranean. The Gothamlte,
while he may have watched the blue At
lantic dashing on the sands, in daylight,
has perched him on a soft chair in one of
the numerous play-houseS, and the man
agerial heart has swelled with delight.
Weather in the days OF Socrates, or our
own, the poets seem to have missed
name for the supernal time between sum-
mer and autumn, sharing the charms of
both and free from the imperfection OF
either. But whatever it may be called, it
has given an impetus to things theatrical,
and all the play-houses have been well
filled in spite of the ugly reports that it is
more than probable that cholera will OBJ
tain a Judgment on our island and that in
a few weeks the dread pestilence may
keep empty every theater in town. Peo-
pie, however, feel confident that our great
city is too clean and healthy for a great
epidemic to be produced, and the great
multitude just returned from their sum
mer wanderings are amusing themselves,
and between acts hoping that the Presi-
dent will, temporarily, at least, stop the
IL
is certainly much, even at this early date,
to be amused at in our metropolis. Pay
your money and you may enjoy nearly
all kinds, from the gilt-edged play to the
brass-heeled variety, from the star to the
frill dancer.
1.-The most important production dur
ing the week was no doubt Robert Man
tells The Face in the Moonlight He is
one Of our best romantic actors, but the
stalwart melodrama, cast in the old, old
mold, did not make a success, and did not
show him at his best. The drama is the
work OF Charles Osborn, a skilled Eng
fish play builder, and the theme the Oft
used counterfeit resemblance Of two half
brothers, one OF noble birth, the other an
outcast and murderer. The play moves
dolorously, all its misery hanging upon
the girls belief that her lover was an
assassin.
SAT the Windsor Theater another new
play called The Shamrock was brought
forward on Monday. 1t is of the regula-
ton pattern and full of horse-racing and
sport, very popular at present owing TO
the nearness of the New Orleans fights.
1t will no doubt do well on the Bowery.
At the New Park Theater, which is
not managed nowadays by William Dun
levy, but by a. ii. Ellis, season of very
good variety was begun on Monday. 1t
is to be continued throughout the season.
For the first time in the annals of the
g. strong
enough and popular enough to run at two
theaters in town during the same week.
This honor belongs to Charles Il. Hoyt's
"A Trip to Chinatown which continues
its run at the Hoyt Madison-square The
alter, appearing there on Monday for the
3ood consecutive performance, while it
was also presented at the HammerStein
Harlem Opera-house. Both theaters
were packed, and it is hard to tell which
Is the best company Of the two.
ION Tuesday Mr.. Dizzy brought out
Patience at Palmer's Theater and on
Thursday The Black Crook was revived
at the Academy of Music, of which more
hereafter"
THE OPERA OF ''RoBIN HOOD"
The editor OF the Dramatic News is
happy in satisfying the querists. He
writes: From the Western art center.
Anaconda, Mont, comes the following
query, which has to be weeded out of a
long and complicated sentence:
Editor OF the Dramatic Ne1CS-DEAR
SIR: Being exceedingly gratified that
the opera OF Robin Hood and the Bos-
tonlans met with such signal success in
New York, success which the magnifi-
cent Interpretation of the opera by this
eminently talented company COM
manded, | am curious to know-as some
honOrs must be accorded to the composer
and librettist of Robin Hood'-which.
the papers tell me, is "a new and original
creation (as if creation could be other
than new and origina), how much of a
difference there is in the present libretto
and score from the opera of Robin
Hood written by the famous Irish bar
rister, Leonard McNally, and the friend
OF the llluStriouS Curran-which Opera
was originally produced nearly one hun
dred years ago at the Crow-street Thea
ter, Dublin, and the same seasons was
translated TO Covent Garden, where it
became an instantaneous success and had
one OF the longest runs in those days
I ours, respectfully, j. MAGUIRE.''
If Messrs. DeKoven and Smith have
utilized the work of any friend of the
INDUSTRIOUS Curran the public should
know II, so III. {. Barnabee, that inimita-
BILE Sheriff Of Nottingham, was asked:
How about the opera produced by the
friend of Curran hundred years ago ?r
II remember the first production well. -
replied Mr.. Barnabee. 1.-The Bostonians
Were then known as the Boston Ideals
and were under the management of the
revered Miss Ober. You remember.
Tom?" queried the comedian of Mr..
Karl, the tenor. 81 shall never forget
that gala night at the Crow-street Thea
ter, Dublin" responded Mr.. Karl, "but l
am bound to say that Messrs. DeKoven
ana Smith were not present and | don't
think they know about the work of the
luustrious Curran's friend, McNaIly."
1t is likely that there have been half
hundred stage versions of robin Hoodn
Just as there have been of Robinson
Crusoe" and Cinderella" In England
there have been so many robin HOods''
that when the Bostonians' piece was
given in London its name was changed
TO Maid Marian, under which title it is
now being played in the English prov
lnces. The success of this latest ''Robin
Hood" shows how much may be done
with modern treatment of an old subject.
Mii1Glan ~,
Anaconda, does well TO stand by the art
OF Erin, the illustrious Curran and the
famous McNally, but Dekoven and
Smith evidently have gone further back
than hundred years for their material
which is made up of the ballads of Sher-
woods outlaw found in Ritson's collec-
lion.
MURRAY's NEW COMEDY.
Few people are familiar with the word
~ oodoo" or its meaning. 1t is an
African superstition or worship mixed
with conjuring and witchcraft and still
exists to great extent among the negro
element of the Southern States and West
Indies. FRANK w. Sanger, one of the
most prominent theatrical MANAGERS in
America, and Gus Bothner are the pro-
pritors of a new musical comedy. called
the "Noodoo: or a Lucky Charm" which
they Will put on the road the coming sea-
son, with the celebrated Irish comedian.
Thomas +. Murray, as a leading feature.
supported by an excellent company. The
plot OF the comedy hinges on Voodooism.
a widow anxious to become wealthy ap-
plies to Voodoo woman for some charm
by which she may gain riches. The
formula she receive is: To get seven hairs
from the face of a man possessing red
whiskers, attach them with a seal of
clarified wax to a lottery ticket, which
viii draw the capital prize, providing no
OIL IN rot IL iS