The record-union., 1892-04-23
music And THE DRAMA.
Bad Weather and Holy Week Spoil
Business in New York.
Two Very Poor Plays Presented to
Metropolitan Audfences-The Mis-
sion of Dunlop's Stage News-Marie
wainwright in 'sAmy Robsart'' and
s'I4ondon Assurance',-stage Notes.

A. P. Dunlop, writing from New York
under date of April 10th, says:
Winter has, as usual, been lingering in
the lap of spring, and the persistent old
CHAP has daily been stroking his frozen
whlskers, sending spray of feathery
crystals that have looked more like apple
blossoms over the sunny smiles OF the
maiden. This picturesque tumultuous-
ness in eight or ten successive squalls
every day, and Holy Week have COM
bined TO make things theatrical exceed
lngly queer, and yet on Monday two
managers had the pluck to bring novel
tles to town. 'Spooks,' play that has
been seen on the road as 'Cynthia's Low
ers,' is a series of New England char
aeter bits with very thin and conven-
tlonal plot and no interest outside the
quaint personages who exhibit an ex
aggerated form of Yankee pecuiiaritieS.
lt was written by Charles Barnard, who
is SAID to be the dramatist of New Eng
land, but, as acted at the Union Square
Iheater, 'Spooks' failed, and the pro-
gress OF the American dramatist had
another temporary rebuff. 1t will, how
ever, not damage the repute OF MIR. Bar
nard badly, fof The characters are sharply
drawn, and one of them-Cynthia-w
aDsurdly delightful. The play, how
ever, lacks interest in motive, and grows
wearisome before ii is half finished.
W mt oil tllG III ldIlldllC 6ultOIS were
looking at the newest dramatic study of
Tie Down East on Monday, the most
curious show ever seen III Broadway
theater was going on at the New Park
Theater. The Golden Ladder which
broke down in the middle of last week,
was to have been run through this, and
Ut the eleventh hour Manager Dunlevy
tllled his time with composition with
the mysterious title OF 'O'Flynn in Mex
lco. The play is so hopelessly bad as to
be amusing, and it illustrates just how
good natured a metropolitan audience is,
or 'O'Flynn' would have been laughed
OIL the stage. In justice to the company
II must be said that the New Park The
ater orchestra was quite as bad as the
cess in Mexico, but in New York he is a
dreadful frost.
Just word. L was asked not long
ago why DUHtOp'S Stage NelCS did not
butter its editors bread thicker by prais-
ing all actors. Aside from the fact that it
is not puff Sheet the majority of actors
butter none but their own bread as a
rule, and wouldn't butter mine if they
could and couldn't if they would. Dun
tops Stage NetCS is printed exclusively
Tor the benefit of dramatic editors and not
for actors, and is never seen by the theat-
rical profession nor the public, except
through the medium of other newspa-
pSlS. W Itn a lew uOu care
Il rap what the actors think or say of it,
1 publish the dramatic news of the week,
and have never yet published false
statement, and this has become so widely
known that the little sheet is used from
one end of our country to the other and
far beyond the seas. Not intrequentlv a
paragraph cut from its well-printed col
umnS has been used by 200 newspapers
whose total circulation add up 100000
copies. No dramatic editor has ever
found himselfin error by virtue of using
one OF its items, ard for this privilege
have paid the United States Postoffice
alone over Sll, 500 for the nine volumes
just completed. The news given has
often been weeks ahead of any other pub
lication, and time has shown that it was
true every time. The little sheet has
lived long enough to have been praised
and damned by the same people many
times over, but it has 'bobbed up serene
ly' every week telling the truth just as if
nothing had happened, and during that
time 1t has never printed an adj nor sold
a single copy. Beside the butter is quite
thick enough, and perhaps it would be
preferable to eat dry bread than puff bad
actors and nasty plays. l may be an
honest herald and hilarious harbinger of
happy hours to be passed in the play
house, but | am not hooter and hoI-
lower for humbug or hoodlums, hoisted
4OI Ilt nOuI dDON6 Lie nOWlS
and hundreds-all with a big IL, and the
last with string to it.''
MARIE WAINWRIGHT.
That charming acrtress, Marie VAIN
wright. will be seen at the Metro
politan Theater next week., On the first
night she will present her gorgeous pro-
duction of Amy Robsart," in which the
scenery is said to be the grandest ever put
upon the american stage, and on the
second evening .Boucicault's greatest play.
London Assurance" Miss Vain
wrights production of Twelfth Night,
here last year will be generally remem-
bered, but her present venture is said to
be far more beautiful and elaborate She
brings with her a splendid company, in
Guiding Barton Hill, William Ingersoll.
Il. Y. Backus, Edward Elsner, Wallace
Bruce, Sydney Booth, Blanche Walsh
and Kate Blancke.
SHE sCoRNs DUDES.
1t is rumored, nay, more than rumored.
1t is affirmed, that the queens OF comic
opera, burletta and the like are in dancer
OF having their crowns of laurels rudely
shaken from their heads by the advent of
new element into the ground. They
have disputed others, and each other. as
their particular pastures and royal pos
sessions. A young Boston girl has been
making sensation out in Chicago.
where curiously enough Lillian Russell
ana Marie tempest are playing at the
same time. This young lady is Marie
Bell, hitherto an unknown, save as Ida
Mules sister. Now with a rush she is
becoming known as prima donna So
prano with marvellous range, sweet
voice of considerable strength and most
charming personality. She has sung am
Infinite variety of parts and has been yery
successful IN grand opera in London.
Her advent may be looked for with nm
usual interest, for what would the du0ies
do if Lillian and Marie should die? Miss
Bell, it is known, however, seorns dIdies
and only lets them worship at a distance;
good sense, this.
PATRIOTISM AND CASH.
Miss Fanny Davenport closed her two
weeks engagement at the Chestnut-street
Theater, Philadelphia, to the LARGEST
business ever known in Lent in that citv.
laa week Sarah Bernhardt was playinp
against her at the CheStnut-street Opera-
house. changing her bill every night.
Miss Davenport played ''Cleopatra,' the
entire week, and yet, though the French
actress sold her seats at s. apiece. while
Miss davenport played at regular prices.
81 Oh, the receipts OF the American artist
were far in excess of her rival in the
great roles of Sardou. There is a tinge OF
patriotic sentiment in this steadfast an
preclation by American play-goers of an
American player, which naturally proved
very profitable to Miss Davenport
THE BIDwRLL FAMILY.
The wonderful story of the now cele-
brated Bidwel family is being told on the
lecture platform on this coast by George