The record-union., 1892-11-12
music And THE DRAMA.
Good Plays Before Metropolitan
Audiences.
''The Family CircIe'' Makes Hit in
New York-Lillian Lewis and the
Letter L-FIashes From the Foot
lights of Many Theaters.


City, under date of November 5th, says:
although within a week of the Presi-
Dental election, usually a period of tur
moil and political sideshows, during
which the play houses are neg lected, the
theatrical business has been fairly good.
In fact, the life and death struggle be-
tween the two great parties have done no
harm, this time, to either the theaters in
the metropolis or anywhere else. 1t has
been the qUietest campaign ever seen in
New York, and If the big daIlleS did not |
spur the voters on to do their duty at the
polls on election day with accounts of
the contest, ornamented by 'scare
heads" no one would imagine that the
greatest nation on earth was selecting
chief for the next four years. The mana
gers, who as a rule, do not risk new pro-
ductions at this time, have also been
bolder this year, and although three or
four big productions are due the week
after the election result is known, there
was enough novelty on Monday evening
TO make Gotham proud of itself as a
theatrical center. The best of the new
things was brought out by Charles FrOh-
man, at the Standard Theater, following
the great success OF Jane 1t is three
act comedy from the French of Alex
ander Bisson, but Americanized by Sgd
ney Rosenteld. 1t was received with
hearty approval, and from the time the
curtain rose on the first act until it fell on
the last the hearty laughter was almost
incessant. The Family Circle will only
remain at the Standard for TWO weeks,
when it will be removed to make room
for The Masked BaiP and John Drew,
which is on the top wave of big success
at Palmer's, but it could easily have done
good service for many weeks to come at
the Standard.
''At the Bijou an old favorite not seen
in New York for more than Il dozen
and "
and shekels both in England and Aus
tralla, made his temperance in Mrs.
Bridget o. Bren, ESQ., To those that re-
member Fun on the Bristol the play is
not exactly new, but the opportunities Of
the widow have been increased as the
mother-in-law of the young husband,
whose love-making began on the sound
steamboat. She occupies the stage most
OF the time, except when the rest of the
cast do their turns but her lines are ex-
ceedingly funny, and although Mr.. Sher-
idan in the tile role did not make a strong
hit, neither did he make a miss.
1.-The Dark side of a Great Citv.'
brought out at the Windsor, is a sterling
old melOdrama, new at least in name, but
good enough to make a great deal OF
money Tor its owner. 1t was cleverly
acted throughout, and in it Miss Lizzie
Derious Daily began to twinkle as q star.
She was received with great enthusiasm.
and played the part of Wildcat very cIev-
erly.
"The beginning of the regular Tony
Pastor season at his own cosy little thea
ter began also on Monday, and great was
the revelry for nearly three hours, until
Maggie Cline, Bessie Bonehil, or our
own Tony Pastor dawned upon the stage,
and then the house swelled into vocifer-
Gus chorus of welcome.
''On Tuesday Edward Hugh Sothern
begar his performance at the Lyceum
Theater with a short sketch entitled The
DlSreputable Mr.. Reagan II Is after
one OF Richard Harding Davis short
stories arranged into half-hOur mono
logue, and tells how a New ork thief
being repulsed in an attempt to rob.
stabbed man and escaped over the
housetops. lie descended through a
Scuttle into tenement where little girl
had been left to starve, while her drunken
parents went to serve a term on Black
wells Island. The thief was moved TO
pity. and he undertook to sneak out of
his safe refuge to fetch food for the child,
but the police detectives were on the
street, and so were neWsboys selling
papers containing accounts of the death OF
the man the fugitive had wounded. Thus
it came that Mr.. Reagan must either let
the girl die or reveal himself 10 the officers
of the law. He accepted the alternative
of the gallows, called in the police, and
then, alter all, the little one was dead
AAA0 SUI - iCCAAi5lg anu SlADI1tIliN
told, but Mr.. Sothern's Interpretation OF
Mr. Reagan is sorry mixture of New
York " hyO and London costernonger-I
in tact, a composite thief of Pell street and
Whltechapel. MIR. SOthern did nos save
the mOnOlogue from monotone, nor did
he make the changes in Mr.. Reagan's
moods distinct. The curtain raiser was
a distinct failure, and Mr.. Sothern
gave positive proof Of just how bad an
actor he Is.
The week of November 14th will be
theatricaly important. Mrs. Bernard
Beere Will open the Manhattan Opera
house, Manager Hill will produce The
Fencing Master at the Casino, and
Charles Erohman will make known Bron-
son Howard's new play, 'Aristocracy,'
at Palmer's."
LILLIAN LEWIS LAUGHS.
Lillian Lewis is not superstitious: who
ever heard OF an actress who was E? But
they have pet ideas about luck. Here's
q new one. Miss Lewis has discovered
that combination of names commencing
with the same letter, to an individual or
firm OF individuals or a play, is a sure
adjunct to success. The fad is
now the topic of gossip; on the
corners of the Rialto, at the dramatic ex-
changes and hotels affected bv the merry
BOhemians, squads are heard exchang-
ing names which have the happy COM
bination. They even go back to Colly |
Cibber and follow up with Joseph JEFF !
fersOn and Roland Reed. Lotta reioices
that her name is Charlotte Crab
tree, and back up the charm with
names of Charlotte Cushman and Char |
lotte Champion. Margaret Mather saws
ME, too,H and Marion Manola was so |
impressed with idea that she added Ma
son to the combination. John Russell on !
being interviewed offered for example |
Russell Il Rosenquest, Harrigan Il Hart, !
Booth IL Barrett, and Lily Langtry ad- |
mits that her successful career is all luck |
and due the combination. The new piay
which Lillian Lewis produced in New
y ork, and which is without question the
greatest sensation of the year. is entitled
"Lady ILL.," and Miss Lewis is bubblinp
over with joy. 4 believe in L." said she,
and then she laughed. Just fancy
Lillian Lewis, Lady Lii, four of them.'
And there you are.
FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.
Manager Henry Greenwall has gone to
New orleans.
Adelaide Detchon is on the Atlantic. re-
turning to America.
Agnes Huntington is to wed brennan
Crayath on November 18TH.
Billy Birch is TO have benefit at the
New York Bijou Theater November 18th
Sir Augustus Harris has engaged Pau
lus for the London Palace Theater at $3.50
a week.
Bronson Howard is experimenting the
rehearsals of "Aristocracy" at Palmer's
Theater.
MascagnPs new opera, lies Rautzau,'
Will be produced in Florence on NoVem-
ber 10th.
a Ceylon, India, exchange says that
Alice Shaw is whistling herself through
the etfete East.