The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-19
THEATRICAL ADJUSTMENTS.
A BURLEsoUE CoMPANT FROM
LONDON nv "a GhIETH GIRL.D

mhs WI PAhhhHAl1 bhu plihOAPoAiJ [" bhOW VI
women. A dozen were remarkable beauties,
and another dozen were handsome. Most Of
them possessed no acting ability whatever eth
err in speaking. singing. or dancing. and were of
no use except 10 look at
Several we're diverting, and all had the inter-
est OF novelty. for they were wholly new to New
York eyes. They had been exported TO us from
London by George Edwardes and consigned 10
AuRustln DAILY for exhibition. Most Of them
might about as well have been quite inanimate,
for they were nearly llfeless, and preferable
when they were still.
But there were admirable exceptions. Decima
Moore, whose reputation had crossed the ocean
before her. sang excellently, danced with MIN
BILE grace. and acted with zestful humor. Maud
Hobson. also known here by hearsay, proved TO
be a very clever and engaging actress. Cissy
Fitzgerald, the chief dancer Of the party, was
exceedingly spry and supple, but her dancing
was vulgar In manner and costume.
Blanche Massey. who looked like Mary Ander-
son turned blonde, will probably be regarded IA
the most superlatively lovely creature In the
lot, and she could act IA little. These gaiety girls
are sure to gain a great vogue with the people
who commonly support burlesque. and. besides
that, are likely to he taken to by those who fol-
low London's lead In theatrical affairs.
There Is more Of a sensible plot to "A Galety
Girl" than is commonly found in pieces played
by London burlesque companies. The author
ship Of the prose IL attributed by the bill to
owen Hale, and It may be that he wrote in the
hope that his piece would be interpreted sincere
ly as a comedy. lie made a heroine Of a Gaicty
actress. gave a Life Guards Captain to her for n
lover. let her be accused Of theft under con-
yincing circumstances. but finally indicated
her character and left her "a bli-sful matrimuny.
The work bears further evidence Of serious in
tentiun Ia Its satire of the British legal. medical,
and military professions. Whatever may have
been Mr.. Hale's original intention. however,
"a Gaiety Girl" is now almost wholly
risky. Many verses by Harry Grccnbank
arc sung to music by Sidney Jones. and
its success Il entirely with Grccnhank and
Jones's matter. That Is to say. tine hurlCsguc
goes well aud the comedy badly. the sober - encs
getting in the way Of the Others. and making
only an impression Of incOngruity and tedious
ness.
when 4 Gaicty Girl was half through the
people were saying that they liked II very much.
They had seen a representation ~ u garden
party. To which both society girls and gsycty
girls had been invited. and the failure Of these
two kinds OF guests to harmonic had been anus
ing. Three droll comedians, Harry MOukhousc,
Lecdham BantOCk. and Fred Kaye. hal been
irrcsistibly ludicrous rs a family doctor, n di-
vorce court Judge and a bantam Major. Charles
Ryley and W. Louis Bradfeld had sung and act
ed acceptably In Juvenile roles. The costumes
and scenery had been snowy, and at the same
time in equisite taste. The movement had been
brisk. pretty, and generally funny.
The second half was n disappointment to the
expectations which had been raised. Here the
legs Of the women were for tho first time dis
closed. The scene was at the seashOre, and the
women were displayed in ~fanciful bathing cos
tunes. There used to be a variety-show bur
lesgue. a fsvorite with female minstrel"
troupes. in which the actresses were caught by
men In scant bath raiment.
The episode in a Gaiety Girl +" Is refined and
slightly. instead Of coarse and repulsive. but the
same sort OF viciousness is in 1t. 1t Is better to
stand such exhibits out on view brazenly. and
with no mincing or mock shyness. than u give
% them a scmbIanc- OF shame by mcans Of non
concealing drapertes wantonly uncOvering what
they make a ~pretcnce Of hiding.
A brief carnival scene. however. closed the
performance in a seemly and sprightly fashion,
and partially relieved the bored feeling which the
second act had engepdersd. The eGtertainmert
porous in New York.
The classification OF "Th New Boy" at tho
Standard as a farce must be modified a little.
on account OF a fine streak OF genuine comedy
that runs through IL. The success Of that ele-
ment Il due TO "A charm OF naturslness with
which IL Is acted. The small man who figures
MS a schoOlboy is sentimentally assailed by a
schoolgirl, who has begun to take notice - the
opposite sex. She has had a love affair with the
bully OF the institution and another i In prog
ress with a tutor, but she promptly fastens upon
the new boy. and hustles him into a Irritation.
IL Is Venus and Adonis over again, except that
the feminine wooer and temptres- Is az guile
as an infant and her aggres,iOrs are the
acme OF righteousness. II the part were acted
by a soubrette OF the GOO goo and prattle kind.
the authors purpose Of introducing a typical
schoolgirl would he defeated. but Miss BI-l"y,
hitherto unknnwn 10 fame. makes 81 tht uncon;
sciously audacl0us creature q real, trnr, and
humorous character, the best artistic
success 81 the production.
The n.u,ica! comic. pay coEtihte 70 prosper
The Devils Deputy AZ Abbey, has been con
~ the fun by Mr.. Wilson or hi fellow
romedisns ka- ben Io't nor sGs Of The S1as'
ped from the company. and Amanda Fahir- Is
ih- melDlIous Princess. bella Fox, with The
invp.ri With Doctor |SyntaT." at The Broad.
way. are pretty h7nly placed a. The front Of ap;
~ AZ IL, Garden. and then be- followed by
. Little Christopher I%olumbu-,' long Ia London
isL b,irie.Guers h.t been formed. and tie piece
: being rewritten 70 eliminate f'Tr,Sn g'.nts
he Fifth Avenue. contains the Ll!puulaL- aud
.thsr thing; 70 MAKE gpa eiS. nriih5 nov, ..
pectArGlar revival at the Academy Of Music is
Indefinite. There can be 10 idea 0i "Ed!ngL I - I
o9E as i holds pa big attention a. = d.; IhiI ,
: NiAG shNA Us VI - - - go se'AA '
4 Fanny Rire in Mis- Innocence Abroad Al
he BiiIu. Buffalo Bilr- Nild Ne.t l. near the !
easOn's end at Ambrose Park. iiagcuhetS's
raiRed animals perform in a partly new p-i- !
az the Madison square Garden this :
week. &
That familiar hut n, WORKOUT drama ~ IN"
prf, The Prudigal Daughter, has returned 70
he American for the weeE. J. h. fHmct il
Hing III fatLer's role IN Fritz In Mad
ct tie Peoples. The Harlem Op-Ta
iSTss, eI and I BHr! r.5a'H q n NsS YORK ES III, ~aich
al = long sea -On AZ the tAs!ao.
What next in melOlTamaf III Tide0f Life Z
he new piece at Ntblo's. makes a Criminal leaD :,
rom a building To tscape arrest, He means ~ /,
AtCh a Geographic wire ia his descent and '
hereby save his lie. but the RIre i a live one. a
nd the spectacle ~ a man slowly tortured 10 a
cath by electricity IS afforded. fhe SPECTATORS. !,
eneTaly ike IL, too. !
or the two other realistic dramas put forth a. 4
ew. The brooklyn Handicap al the Grand Z
'peFa House, l. the work 81 Alice 3. Iyr- 5
hOugh her name Is not printed in the BILL,
Old Glory" at the Columbus. announced as b
.merlcan IN ~authgrskip. Is an alteration ~ an :