The evening world., 1894-04-24
''CINDERELLA."

ostumes-costumes-costumesi Cart
loads OF them-enough to dazzle the eye,
weary the brain. saturate the mind with
color. and overtax the apprec.ativc fac
ultieH! Compared with these brilliant
clothes that were introduced TO the pub
lie last night at Abbey's Theatre. in the
fairy extravaganza, "Cindcre.la," the
CARDS displayed In utopia" are rags
and tatters. In the scene on the grounds
of the royal palace there was such a
display OF dresses, shown all together,
and with no proper contrast. hat the
eye was temporarily injured. II was
reck!essly magnificent; too fine, In fact.
TO leave any artistic impression.
The extravaganza itself does not de-
serve very much attention az yet. when
1t has been cut into shreis. when huge
clots OF inanity and great wads Of idiocy
have been removed. 1t will be a most
scamly affair for children. New York
babes. however, would be too old for
some OF the jokes and stage business.
Neither Horace Leonard, the autho OF
the book" toh! for the sight OF "A man
who would, In cold type, father such a
bookO nor Oscar Barrett. the promo
ter" OF the extravaganza, seem to know
when TO stop. They get the ghost of an
Idea n work It to death. There was
something amusing In the appearance OF
q black cat presented by ID. Abrahams,
and for a minute or two the audience
dcservedly applauded It's antics. But
this cat kept them up for twenty min
utes. until the audience loathed It and
grew almost Ill. / watched the faces of
the people when the cat came back-or
kept coming back. ! saw Mr.. Abe Hum
mel. most tolerant thentre-goer in New
York. who finds good in everything.
grow suddenly pale. There was also a
little episode with a camera that threat
ened to be amusing, but It occupied the
stage until there wal n feeling of nausea.
All this will, Of course, be remedied.
There will be none OF 1t at the end of
the week. The spectacle that lasted
until midnight must be brought to the
10.@ limit. or 1t will be too much for the
children. n II can appeal only to the
juvenile element. cinderella" came
from the Lyceum Theatre. London. and
that accounts for It's lack OF comic
longs. dances or specialties OF any de-
scription. For New York, however, II
might have captured Il few specimens of
music hall ditties that always go 30 well
here. These would have seasoned the
scenery and occupied the mind while the
eye was greedily %devouring the costumes.
They would have been as peps,n to an
ophthalmic Indigestion.
The story OF cinderella" was rigidly
adhered to. but ! have seen better stage
stories on this subject In the English
provinces. The changing OF the pumpkin
and he mice into n coach and horses
was done without any mechanical eff
fects. and Cinderella's rags became fine
clothes after Cinderella had left the
stage to change them. Miss Ellaline Ter
rlss. a very sweet-look!ng young woman,
played Cinderella, and Miss Kate Chard
the Prince The naughty sisters
were !mpersonated by Seymour Hicks
and Fred Eastman. whose entire abili-
ties seemed to centre In one dance that
they did to death.
The ballet-girls were all young and
pretty, II they wore their clothes
charmingiy. They were very refreshing
after the Terpsichorean fossils to which
Kiralfy has accustomed lis. For once
there was no museum Of antiquities.
ALAN DALE.