The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-24
THREE STAGE PERSoNAGES.
.c,rpEREILk," "WIELLE,S AND
.RORT or TEE HILLaS

r-.ort.s rro-, H,ssssu s-s Tee 80
-.,,,s. Mske-A Fairy Extrsvsss~ss,
r.r,Iesi Co-ssy, srs - Trish nrs~s
-. Ts.,r First New Tork Performances.
.,t.,t.inuent given stAbbey's Theatre
...n,inv had been brought from London
~ ,,s sntire outfit OF performers. costumes
S...rsrv AtHenry Irvine's Lyceum. where
~ - t.sn very successful. II had been called
..rtomine, in obedience to an English
,.Sopsr OF the stage In this country
.,.usr shows are denominsted burlssaues.
80 that 1, no more accurately descriptive.
TN. importers OF the present affair
"a corrected both foreign and domestic
n.ase By announcing IL ss fairy extrsvs-
s,pza It's title. like that OF many another
-. q, its kind, was Cinderella" and. like
,hsu, again. it piled large quantity OF frolic
- ,oolery, ballet and spectacle. music and
.nsci,ltes. upon the old nursery tale. OF
.our.. Il began with fairy odmother's APP
r..r,nce In the guiss Of q begRsr. whom the
.,,I az the einders bsfriended. and who as q
s.,ompense fitted her out for the ball In due
...ordancs with the juvenile legend. Then the
,.rious elements Of modern English "psnto-
nine" we're disclosed. not so rapidly as will be
dons on ensuing evenings. and 1t was not un-
Al midnight that the curtain fell on
IN. final and very gorgeous transfor-
nation There was q vast deal OF scenery.
and IL was not handled quickly or smoothly.
som. OF the tricky changes defeated
their purposes Of illusion. there were
awkward moments OF waiting. and small
mi,hsps were frequent No doubt these de-
fssts will disappear even In the second repre-
s.ntation. and then We shall have this Gin
dsr.lls" In perfect duplication OF its London
condition. It will then be an extremely
ornate. and. in many respects, exquisite
ambition Of theatrical pictures The
scenic painting IL excellent throughout.
and the best taste IL shown In the wealth
az costuming. The ballet dresses are
beautiful arrangements - to colors. and
often within sicalty graceful In shapes.
stsseful after staeeful Of people are
displayed In PROFESSIONS and tsbleaus. Col
umns would be filled II the writer were to un-
dertske to describe all the sights afforded. We
have probably had nothing mounted with so
much cost In . long while at any Of our the
atrss-esrtsinly nothing in the way Of Spec
tscuar ballet so richly and gorssously
arrsyod.
But nobody should 20 70 Abbsy's In the ex-
pectation Of finding American "burlssaue
IN an English ''pantomime." The two things
are essentially different One 10 brisk. quick.
hght-tooted. keen witted. and full Of
verbal wit The other IL comparatively
lazy. slow. heavy Of step. dull Of
humor. and worded as though the author
were afraid Of getting above the comprehen-
sion Of children Il 10 London pantomims I"
ct It's very best that may be SEEN and highly
enjoyed. too. in "Cinderella" at Abbey's.
but It IL DOT nearly 80 lively - American bur-
lesaue" and was never intended to be. "Adonis"
was hootsd OF tho stage when It was tried
a ss sA .H. You'd .ns fSqS ,ni
eosqO Dolital in our theatrical habits. =, A
dsrs!Ia,' and viii lot ourselves be amused
By it, though We will accord our preierenee
viii smile . little. but not much. e the come
dians. and remember how heartily our own
q the Ssks high "
ysliness IN the ballet and think OF the come
lier lots COMMONLY gathered by American ex-
ceDt i ali as the English sort OF thing. how
ever. sneer more or less at some OF IL. unrs-
ss S's Whole Is resDiendsnt and ND msSnisudin.
The only member Of the i.rs. foreign com
fsfr N IN shS Ia: t
Be pretty: sfacs!ul. and yinsoms &C:
it,, To dS e .hsa debu TSsS
sIsesdI mention Cd. nearly al were N sSifsstiS
frightsre cd out OF some OF their abilities In fac
inga foreign audience. and 90 1t would be we'll
to wait to Judge OF them until ease has over
come awkwardness.
There was not much experim emit In the farce
which was offered last night at the Bijou
Theatre under the silly title OF Willie" The
Incidents and situations are dated from some
early age OF playmaking long enough back in
the history Of the drama to have made us
familiar with them long ago. and their
value has long since been demonstrated. The
question of their arrang cement was all that
the author. Mr.. Charles Klein. had to look
after: but this was badly done. So the result
was. that after the curtain had been up for
only few moments the story OF the play lost
all clearness. the Eincidents accum ulated
without reason or explanation. and the
idea Of the Author-not especially distinct
1.-THE outset-was lost In meaningless COM
pncation- The. relations the characters bore
o each other and the general trend OF the
gl.ss disappeared early In the action. leaving
De diseonn ected episodes of the farce.
The characters which the play introduced
among them a bookm and his sister set
ued IN the household OF apuplisher OF relig-
rSSSesd Si% 20 tie IU5 sos
nsn-dsscribed as AN artist and a singeSn
the chief humor Of the piece OF course. these
people along with some three or four others.
are eontln uAlly mistaken for each other. pre-
tend 70 be Insane themselves. Or say others
Es.iAnd do the familiar things which are sup
posed to unravel the various entsngls-
nsnts OF such unoriRinal farce May
% there are no longer any gitua-
tons in the lives OF human beings
Iay until they have 6seoms sntirsiy eOnysS-
nonaL Whether this is true or not would be
a Interesting question for discussion. and
NE general run OF farees produced on the New
iotk stage OF late would be a strong argument
Tor anybody VINO opposed the proposition that
SSrslnality was still possible; II there is NO
longer any creation beyond what arrangement
leeomDlshss. even that Is rare now,
Inc dialogue. which explained In some
measure the complicated incidents OF last
nlgnrs piece was at times bright, more often
commonplace. and rarsly vulgar accentuated
N tnls respect once or twice by coarseness of
ssu9n Il was spoken In the mein with very
good effect. To MIR. Thomas A. Wise, among
ne actors IL due the greatest praise His
ineeFsonatlon OF the race track gambler was q
sse0lney humorous performance. natural and
Gasiaggerated. Mr.. Charles Dickson was live
As the mendAeious hero. acting with
spHt aud finish. The PLAYERS were all