Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-19
rlusic and the Drama.

The enduring quality of "Charley's
Aunt" which opened for week at the
Grand yesterday afternoon, is scarcely less
remarkable than the original hit OF the
comedy. Its very. amusing situations con-
vulse an audience to the point OF distrac-
ton, and repeated hearings of the play do
not seem to lessen the enjoyment of thea
tergoers This is the third engagement
played in this city, and the first at a pop
ular price theater. Although the comedy
has been entitled to the consideration of
the managers of the first-class houses be-
cause of it's great popularity, yet in char
acter it belongs particularly to the middle
class theaters, for its comedy Is of the
ludicrous rather than the subtle kind. Ger
tainly yesterdays audiences at the Grand
came as near getting values out of the
lines and episodes have any of the prev
ious gatherings in this city. The cast this
season is quite up to previous companies.
Mr. John DAILY Murphy follows closely his
predecessors in his portrayal of the bogus
aunt. Harry Lillford is particularly clever
as old Spettigue, and Arthur Lay and John
Lancaster play the embarrassed college
boys effectively. Miss Grace George and
Miss Rose Hubbard are the niece and the
ward respectively. and both are pretty and
acceptably talented. Poor, abused Babber-
ly's sweetheart. Ella Delahay, is prettily
The familiar farce, "a Green Goods
Man," opened a weeks engagement at the
Ninth Street opera house yesterday after
noon. It is one of those plotless entertain
ments in which several speciality people
take names and characters merely for the
sake of variety. In this instance some of
the specialties are good, others Indifferent,
but the bill, whole, pleases the Glen
fol Of 10 hOnSp
ticular feature is Edwina, a dancer. who
counts more on the swing of her drapery
than on the nimbleneSs of her feet. Frank
Gillette and Lillian Akerman are a clever
comedy team. Gillette enduring popular
amount of knocking about Barry Maxwell
sings songs in which he dwells on current
politics, complimenting both Mckinley and
Bryan, and through this interesting me-
dunn attracts attention that he would hard
ly win through his vocal methods alone.
The performance is as good as has hitherto
been given of the play.
Mr. Richard Mansfield and his company
arrived yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Mansfield
has taken apartments at the Midland The
engagement of this great actor. during
which six different plays will be presented.
will open at the Auditorium this evening
with "The Merchant of Venice"
The engagement of Augustus Pitou's
company in Mime. Sans Gene will open
at the Coates this evening. Sardou. the
author of the Napoleonic comedy, has al
ways commanded large following in this
city, and 1t is said that this is one of the
most interesting of his plays, while the
production in which Miss Kidder is starred
is declared to surpass even that of "Cleo-
patra" or "Gismonda" in artistic beauty
and complete furnishing.
| London, Oct. 1S-The Haymarket theater
under the new regime opened last night
under the most auspiciouS circumstances
with Weyman's "Under the Red Robe"
The Princess of Wales, Princess Victoria,
and Prince Christian, of Denmark, occu-
pied the royal box. Lord Russell, Conan
| Doyle and Anthony Hope Labourche Mrs.
John Hare and Lady Greville were among
/ the audience. The play closely follows the
book, but it has been dramatized skillfully.
The staging and mounting were beautiful
| in the extreme. The acting of Herbert
Waring, Winfred Emery and Cecil Maud
was excellent. The recalls were numerous.