The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-05-18

monarch. ne does this, ana nc tne feasU On
the sun he is transformed into young king
by Paquita. This delights the populace,
enrages the grand vizier and ends theopera
u mean the ola podrida-
There is no danger of being contradicted
when l say that "Panjandrum" Is the most
,elaborately mounted musical concoction
ever seen in the United States Money, or
rather the disregard of 1t, characterizes ev
erything cop lected with it. Costumes,
scanery, properties, all are magnificent,
and no finer or more elaborate stage pic
ture can we'll be conceived than the finale
of the second act when the people are as
sembled for the festival of the sun.
In the second act some specialties are in
'troduced by DE Wolf Hopper, Della Fox
and Samuel Reed. One of these is a bur
lesque Of the famous serpent scene in
'''Aristooracy." 1t was fairly well done by
the two men, but Miss Fox's imitation Of
Blanche Walsh's acting as the impossible
wife of Mr.. Howards play fairly took me
of my dramatic pins. 1t is q gem, not
whit less artistic than Dixey's bur1esque ca
Henry Irving.
Ihad never before suspected that little
Miss Fox was anything more than very
clever light opera soubrette, but she has
genuine dramatic ability, and If she could
secure the proper vehicle she would be as
successful as star as De Wolf Hopper
now is It is unlikely, however, that she
will soon attempt this. The large salary
which she receives makes that unnecessary.
Still there is rumor afioat to the effect
that Miss Fox will join the stellar galaxy
within n few years.
Miss Jeanette st. Henry, the prima don.
naof Hopper's company, also did someexcel.
lent work and sang two not particularly
dihicnlta airs beautifully. This lady is COM
ing to the front rapidly. Her grace, ease
and the freedom from artificiality of her
methods combine to win her new admirers
at every performance.
1t is impossible to criticise "Panjan-
drum" Making no pretentions it practi.
cally defies criticism. Perhaps the less
high sounding designation hodge podge'
would givethe masses more accurate idea
of its caliber than the eminently aristo
cratic term "olla podrida" which the au-
thor has selected. But it's go" and as
that is what the manager was In all prob
ability looking for the lack of "artistic at
mosphere" and sequence will bother him
very little. .5
Thomas Bailey Aldrich is the first OF the
story writers whose play has made q hit.
His 2-act drama--perhaps IL would better
be called Observation-Disclosures, }" has been
favorably received at Palmer's theater 1t
is exceedingly grewsome, and at the end
nearly oil of the characters have been killed
off. But it is conceded that the story is
well and directly told and that It possesses
q strong heart interest.
In the company of Wilson Barrett, who
is nov playing an engagementat the Union
Square theater, there Is a young man who
Is certain to become great actor If he will
continue to work as conscientiously as he
is now doing. His name is franklin Nc
Leay, and he plays the Deemster in Ben
My-Chree," the Ghost in Hamlet" the
Tetrach in "Claudian' and the Bat in
Pharaoh" He has the "divine afflatus"
and will be prominently heard from before
many years.
Mr.. McLeay was born in Watford, Ont.
He was educated at the Baptist college at
Woodstock and the Toronto university.
Before he had graduated from the latter he
accepted the mastership of modern Ian.
guages in the Woodstock collegiate insti.
tute. During vacation he met the vet