The evening world., 1894-01-16
THE MAID OF PLYMOUTH"

There was a good deal of talk about
n certain Tom at the Broadway Theatre
last night. ] heard about him on all
sides. a distinguished looking dame sud.
denly called out Dear Toni! / wonder
where he is" A young silk-clad girl
mourned because TON feels 80 ervous.
don't you know" A dud rushed up to
n couple and remarked in u haw-haw
way that "rom was going to make
quite II bcastly success Of II. don't you
know" ! couldn't make II all out. They
all seemed so friendly with Tom. Who
was Tom? Then n dreadful, n genuinely
tragic idea flashed across me. Perhaps
they were abiding fiippantly to r. Henry
French. / burst into an agony OF per
SEPARATION. If people call MIR. French
Tom, the world may still be fun Of brave
men. lie might even deteriorute into
Tommy ere long.
The truth was explained later. Tom
sat in u box wearing n pale smile and
eyeglasses. lie was the composer of the
music OF THE Maid of Plymouth" He
was different from other Toms. because
he happens to be "in society" as the
saying IL, and. being rich. doesn't care
whether his royalties amount to $40
per week or $2.75. In fact. to put It
very rudely-even vulgarly. which please
forgive-he wasn't "out for de stuff"
Poor TOM! ! feel sorry for him. The
librettist of the opera, Clay NJ. Greene.
had gone a-sailing. lie was IN his way
round the world and poor Tom was
alone to bear the brunt of 1t all, on his
own pleasant, well-clad shoulders.
The comic opera is founded IN Long
fellows poem. The Courtship OF Miles
~Standish,' and each character is ex-
planned by Mr.. Greene, on the pro-
gramme. with an old-fashioned face
]tiousncss that used to b. much In vogue
years ago. For instance, Sir Lovesby
Montague Is announced as the first
Puritan masher, who can hardly be
termed a fiction of history. since there
must have been n first OF his class
while Masconoma Is "a very much ideal
lied specimen of the aboriginal maiden
There are portions of Mr.. Greene's IL
bretto that are very good. There IL no
h~orse-play at any time. and there Is
some genuine humor, as far as the char
acters of the terra-cotta Masconoma and
| the elder are concerned. The fun Is sup
posed to occur when some very mod
tTllS Rd1D'l IhdSil'l W i ~ iti'''A'
and fan in love with the Puritan maid
ems. A worldly young person named
Primrose fascinates the elder, and the
dance she does for him, much to his
establishment. Is one OF the best things
In the opera. John Alden, Miles stand
ish and Priscilla furnish the love ele-
ment.
The music supplied by Thomas Pear
sail Thorne-who was Tom last night
is light and exceedingly simple. not to
say primitive. The numbers are pretty.
and the most artless piano-player who Is
just able to carry n toon" will be able
to whistle nearly every number to-day.
One of the principal airs suggests the
nursery melody. Here we go round the
mulberry bush,' and the other tunes are
equally ingenious. They are neatly
finished off and rounded up, and while
they will move nobody to emotion they
are not at all unpleasant to hear. There
are too many OF them. and they were
encored in n most desperate way. Near
ly every number was sung twice, and
while this was very nice for Tom and
the Tom-ites. 1t was a triie rough
upon the rest OF us.
Miss Jessie Bartlett Davis was in
splendid voice. and sang admirably. She
did full justice in every way to the role
Of Masconoma. Eugene Cowles had few
opportunities as Miles Standish. and his
herculean tones were not very much
used. Edwin Hoff. who was suffering
from a sort Of Metropolitan Opera-House
indisposition. did remarkably well with
the role of John Alden, taking all things
into consideration. and Miss Margaret
Reid. who cannot act, sang most blithcly.
bertha Waltzinger was very vivacious
and successful as Primrose, George
rockingham was funny as Hobomok.
and Henry Clay Barnabee as the Elder
made Il distinct hit. and n less distinct
speech. Each of the ladies In the cast
must have spent n weeks salary in the
purchase of flowers. ALAN DALE.