The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-10-11
LAST NIGHTS PLAYS.
"a jolly Surprise" at the Academy
May Howard at the Opera
House.

"
In spite of the couuter attraction of the
Brooklyn Bridge fireworks, Fanny Rice
and her company playe ed TO q good house
at the Academy last night, in "a Jolly
Surprise" There may have been plays
in this theatre that brought the audience
10 as wild a pitch OF merriment as "a
Jolly SURPRISE" but surely none that
kept 1t there SO long. The secret was that
every mem Der of the company was really
funny, and that the head was the most
magnetic little woman on the boards.
The result was that the W ait between the
acts were quite necessary for people to
gather strength for a fresh bit OF laugh
ter.
Fanny Rice. There is a sort OF gurgling
chuckle in her voice that indicates that
she knows what she is talking about; n
frankness in her smile, a seductiveness
in her dance. that quite takes the audi
ence by storm. She personates Violet
Grey, a stage-struck young woman, who
is to show her powers TO a manager. She
shows him how she would bid her lover
goodbye. n how she would leave a
sleeping child, perhaps forever. There
was NO sleeping child in the chair over
which she leaned. the look of fearless
anguish in her eyes fell on nothing more
than a plush cushion, but the house was
hushed. and there were tears in many
SAV HPVAA NO ACt Al u
rehearsal Of the trayesty. and in imIta-
items of ChevRlier. the coster-singer, Miss
Helyett. and a small girl In a pink gown,
who sings 1.-Two Wobbers" and brings
down the house.
Robert Vernon, az Charles Cavol, ex-
husband of Violet, was principally occu-
pied in looking handsome, with CRAFTY
ing success. Two actors, Charles Brad
shaw as David Bradbury, and Mark Sulli-
van as Hustle, shared the honors after
Miss Rice. The former is O Victim to a
mRmma-in-law, the latter q gifted actor
and author. Bradshaw's portrayal Of a
man beginning to succumb to the in1u-
ence of eleven glasses Of champagne was
so far removed from the vulgar as to be
almost pathetic. Sullivan initiated vari-
Gus actors with great applause. Frank
Jones' really beautiful voice would lave
received more attention in 1.-THE Moon
light s~erenade," had not Beckle Haight's
pretty eyes been so near by, but in 1.-The
Soldier and the Maid" he was recalled
again and again. Charles Lawler and
Harold Leslie appeared at home in the
characters of two real actors, and Nellie
Hawthorn and Oracle Mellon as
two real actresses" Eva Randolph was
Mrs. Ten Eyck, the mamma-in-iaW. and
her daughter Lucy was Olive Evans.
Nellie Morse appeared as Mary Anderson,
and Carl Rice, a huge Newfoundland
dog, PLAYED a heavy thinking part.
The music was unusually good, all the
selections being tuneful and timely. with
the exception OF the character duet. "The
Upper Ten and the Lower Five" which
has clearly escaped from some Seriptural
panorama company, and had better be
returned. One of Miss Rice,s best songs
is Where Shall Find Himf"
"a jolly Surprise" will contin ne for
the week with customary matinees.
May Towards Company at the Opera
| House.
May Howard and Ter company fur
nished lots of amusement for a large au-
dience last night at the Opera House.
Miss Howard is supported by u unusu-
ally good troup. each performer being
| proficient In his line OK work.
The curtain raiser last night WIS a
mixture OF fun and song called Greco
Roman Folly" A dozen shapely women
rendered topical songs and performed
unique Dances. Miss Howard rendered
songs specially arranged for her, in a
and the famous Harry Morris Kept the
audience in good humor throughout.
The Washbnrn sisters. two very
| sDrightlv young women, shapely and
pretty, held the boards for several minutes.
They sing and dance well, but they mar
their performances by singing out indi-
viduals in the audience and performing
directly at them in a manner which makes
the hapless occupants of the front seats
unconfortably conspicuous.
james Hallies' explanation of the
merits of a telephone. in which he was
assisted by Miss Sadie Lane, was very
funny. The "Tin Horn Sports,n Messrs.
Harry Morris. Frank Fowler, Charles
Hanley and Thomas Jarvis. prodnce a
pantomime sketch illustrating amusing
incidents during a festive game of
"iraw." A pretty interlude is produced
by eight women entitled "Beaux aud
Bellies" Frank Dare aud Frank Forbes
received we'll merited applause for their
grace In the performance OF difficult ac-
crobatic feats.
Waste no money. Buy Salvation on, she only
Rood liniment out, Salvation Oh. ~