New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-29

ene IL case in point II will not reach New
York for more than month TO come. and even
the Pttsburg performance Will only be its first In
Pckwickian sense for the trying process
began days in Wikesbarre. The matter
IL Of no consequence. except for the sake OF con-
serving the eternal verties OF history. always a
matter OF anxiety 20 The Tribune everybody
knows who reads its musical and dramatic columns
Such anxiety. moreover is well bestowed
thing OF much pith and moment as new
operetta and hence the present effort 10 let The
Tribunes readers know all about the operetta be-
fore Il reaches New-York II IL evident from a
sort OF tentative study OF II that in The Wizard
OF the Nile" Messrs. Smith and Herbert have tried
20 create an operetta which shall be funny with
out being vulgar" somebody once remarked OF
NJ Trees Hamlet 1t being a strong conviction In
the minds OF operetta writers that the public pre-
fer things that vulgar without being funny.
there Is here opportunity 10 admire the courage
O, the collaborators In the new piece and In this
case tho admiration may be the greater since MY
Smith recently confessed privately TO friend that
re had observed that almost the only things az
which the public will laugh are those for which
the newspaper critics vivsect the lbrettist. man
who believes that must surely fancy himself IN a
ouandary whenever he attempts to write an oper-
eta book but perhaps The Wizard OF the Nile
will convince him that he has been guilty OF too
hasty generalization Such contamination Is at
least much 10 be hoped. Certain II seems that in
his new operetta Mr.. Smith has abandoned the
elodramatic story which is the basis or the
hooks written for Mr. De Koven. He has tried 10
write what in England IL called comic opera,
and 20 avoid an excess OF the cheap buresque with
which in some other works he threw sop 10 the
gallery Cerberus.
The story OF The Wizard OF the Nile narrates
Oh. adventures Of Kibosh. a wandering NEGRO
mancer who is making a professional tour OF
Egypt The scene is laid in that country during
the youth OF Cleopatra II appears that Ptolemy.
King OF Egypt has invested the royal surplus In
desert lands N and adjacent TO Egypt. He has
been led TO do so by Cheops, a weather prophet
who has predicted that the next annual overflow
n, the Nile will he of such unusual magnitude as
20 fertlze the desert Cheopss propheses invaria-
bly 20 by conraries. and, In this case instead OF
an unusual overflow of the Nile there IL none at
all and a drouih results AS a penalty for his un"
lucky prophecy Cneops Is 10 be beheaded amid the
reio,cings Of a thirsty populace. The perpatetic
weather sharp is the least disturbed OF all the peo
rle OF the story In contemplation OF the m'sfort-
une which seems 10 have overtaken him ne u
delightfully optimistic In his philosophy and relates
his reasons for being pleased at the prospect OF
immediate decapitation In a song with TINS rei'a'"
So I quip and quan and laugh
am too very merry by nail
Why, being beheaded
IL not 10 be dreaded,
IT'S subject for cheeriest chan
7, fact he seems 10 enjoy the last moments OF
his life a great deaf more than the great Pharaoh
who has doomed him TO death enjoys any OF his'
for ptolemy is sadly henpecked tyrant' peme
under The thumb OF the New Woman as she ~
supposed 10 have existed in ancient EsEP" h'