New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-13
Z. EISNETn AT THE HERALD SQC JAKE.

August was cruel 10 "Ksmet" last night inc
Harry Askin Opera Company set forth IN the heralu
SQUARE Theatre what the programme sa'u "as
Turkish operate comedy, entitled, hlsnet' Or i"o
Tangled Turks" The music was by GustaVe A
Kerker and the book by Richard F. Carroll. me
Turks have alwavs been a harbarous and ferocious
neope Since the days OF Mahomet their watch-
words have been "Punder. Murder Rape torture
CThis Is a quotation from Mr.. Gladstone recent
address on the atrocities In Armenian Inc singers
and players on the stage and the men ana women
who occupied the seats and the boxes last evening
49, IN torment Rut not from 'Kismet' or from
the Turks They were tortured in casing OF quick
lime by the internal neat which the miserable surfer
ers who remain In New-YOck In August are So'"e
times compelled undergo. THIS capitu Il d. Une'
delightful as n summer resort. when the 'herii'oi-
eters set hounds 10 their celestial Nights an" "hc
tho breezes from the Atlantic temper the neat 20
the shorn lambs who stay In town. But there are
DAYS in this metropolis now and then, and there are
nights also when the agoHized victims OF the ecceh-
tricities OF the American climate envy the ien0's
az Arctic explorers whose hAal messages were
congea.ed into frozen goOules and whose Winning
sheets were thick glaciers The audience III 'i'e
Herald Square sighed for ne extremity OF cold at
which the mos, obdur4te of gases converted into
snowflake They sighed for ice and for Poiar gaies
but coa.s Of mr. were all they got
He l. A daring atvcnturer who deh@s the con-
suu1ing blasts Of the furnace which devouis Man
haitian Island Ike refractory ore, a. II mas Nv"
doing in recent days and nights. If a cool wave
comes quickly "Kismet" may do well in the Her
aid Square Theatre But II the present fumes
from the Valley of Death hold possession OF TINS
,ovn for a time "Kismet' Will vanish utterly
II will have been consumed as chan or stuoole
would be destroyed In the clutch of crematory
.Kismct" is bit OF grotesque nonsense with plenty
~ entertainment in H. The fun is often coarse
but II rarely drags Richard +. Carroll, the writer
of the book takes a womans part in the affair
He is not delicate and refined In his acting as Hal
deez" but he Is frequently funny. and at worst ne
Is never hideOus and revolving, as some dsgustihSy
effsminate impersonators of women in New-iorK
theatres have been. These base creatures nave
been seen i'm some performances on stages tnat had
a certain mask Of so-caed responsibility Inc
proper place for them prison.
Mr.. Kerkers music not distinguished or mar
vellous or memorable But there "as no reason
why it should be- "Kismet" is only skit OF the
moment Mr. Kerkcr as a composer may not be as
deep as a well or wide as a church door. But
he will serve for such a trife as "klsmet. Inc
piece will probably prosper II the mercury SINKS.
But even great work OF art c0uld hardly VIII
now filling New-York with August and agony
''Kismet" is nimby acted. with abundant spirit ana
zest by MIR. Carroll. Miss Lizzie Macnichol. harry
Davenport. Aubrey BOucicault. MISS Jedhnette -.
Henry Miss Rose Leighton and others Full jus
tice is done 10 the music. Mr.. kerker can nave
no grievance against the company. Inc singers
II. In fact. he ought to be grateful to them All.
Taking every ;hing into account by and large his-
met as summer snap deserves fresh airs rom IN
the ocean. Much worse things have succeeded IN
this town. But II this appalling heat lasts little
longer. "Kismet' has no chance. II VIII dissolve
and deliquesce and disappear.