The evening world., 1892-02-18
JUNGLE CELESTlN."

From "Cayalleria Rusticana" to Uncle
Celestin.' Bang NIan! "Sickening thud"
isn't strong enough to express the awful dive
OF the desert. The two works represent the
extremes indulged in by the Casino. Mr..
Aronson has never presented anything so
artisticaily worthy as "Cavaleria Rusti-
cana" or 50 artistically unworthy as Uncle
Celestin." The former was comparative
failure; the latter, II a few hints are accepted.
will probably be success.
can understand why "Uncle Celestin &"
made great hit In Paris. It's "a merry
trifie, with one or two very pretty musical
remnants, and 1t has that subtle quality
known as atmosphere. The FIRST act as play ed
at the Casino, is very funny indeed. The
audience went into commissions last night at
the incident OF the automatic piano, which
could not have been given more amusingly.
The piano has been ound up to play The
Blue Danube The Countess Pontaillac being
pressed to play something by her guests
wakes coy. She has not practised, she Is II
little tired. but II they insist she Will play
them something and do her best to amuse
them. Up she goes to the automatic piano,
touches the notes lightly, but they do not
sound. In agony she calls her husband. Has
the piano been wound up? lie tells her to
| press the pedal. She does this, and " The
| Blue Danube" issues. She gets up too soOn
and the piano goes on playing just the same
| I hen Herr Rederpowski announces that he
will play one OF Rubinstein's sonatas lie
| goes to the piano, touches It, and The Blue
Danube" again makes Itself heard, where
upon the unfortunate piano is plucked tt
pieces and Its inteslines thrown to the winds
The second act begins with the Installation
OF the relatives In Uncle Celestins hotel II,
has LEFT them two million 1raucs on condition
that they keep the hotel for six months
They are temporarily thwarted, and this |!
the plot OF the piece. Unless something I,
done TO reduce the deplorable horseplay o
this act =" Uncle Cclestin " Will do grea
deal to ruin the prestige OF the Casino. Com
pared to this act "A Trip to Chinatown" 4
Shakespeare, and "The City Directory,
Mollere Jefferson dc Angels, an aero
bat, apparently, falls over tables
knocks over glasses, and rampage
through the scene very much lk
the clown in the harlequinade Of an Engllsl
pantom,ne. So amusing does this become, a
1t Is repeated u dozen times, that when tn
regular Casino patrons see "rncle Celestin
they will scarcely be able to believe they ar
In the "home OF comic opera" Mr.. d
Angels should he sat upon by Heinrich Con
ricd, whose artistic soul must surely b.
offended by display that would be astonish
ing in a Bowery theatre.
See 1t, Herr Conried, II you please, 10
"UnCle Celestin" is n jolly, original littl
comedy, and there Is no reason why 1t shou
not be played legitimately. The third nc
again is good, the letter song being eXtremel
catchy and agreeable.
No prcttier stage pictures have been see
at the casino, and the cast, with the eXccr
tion OF De Angels and Macdonough, is quit
satisfactory. Annie Meyers is charming an
Jennie Weathersby funny. Jennie ReifTartl
All artist to the fnser tips, creates mucl
mirth, and villa Knox sings very prettlIy
MIR. DE Angels can do very much better II h
, tries. sooner than permit the avalanche q
hUrscplay TO overwhelm the brightness @
the comedy should cast Mr. De Angels 10
the part OF Uncle Celcstin, or whom we hca
!, great deal but whom we do not see.
Miss LOie fuller's serpentine dance Is In
deed pretty-lar prfttier than this youn
: wcman's serpontine seli-assurance. Mis-
, Fuller has at last "struck ie." A role /
which she Is not called upon to speak lin
suits her admirably. may say that the SCI
: pentinc dance would have been Just as aC
! ceptablc minus the lree advertisement whic
= heraldcd It's advent. ALAN DALE.