The herald., 1896-03-31
AT THE THEATERS

THE ORPHEUM.-With both the other
pley-houses dark last night, it was only TO
be expected that a bumper house would
open the weeks entertainment at the Or
pheum. although this popular house of
amusement has always plentiful patron
age. Last night there was not vacant
seat in box, parquet, or gallery, and even
standing room was at premium. The
program throughout was full of amuse-
ment and interest, and of several features
the audience could not have enough.
The Rossley Brothers opened with new
sketch and worked hard to amuse their
audience; judging by the numerous laughs,
they succeeded. Some very eccentric
methods of violin playing we're introduced
by the French clowns, the Diantas. and it
would be difficult to conceive more gro
tesque attitudes than they adopt and from
GUS music and some clever limitations.
Frank La Mondue is one of the new peo-
pie this week and he is not only most
skillful but very amusing performer on
the slack wire. A couple of stage hands
are brought on to serve the equlibrist's
purposes and they come in for some rough
handling, particularly the boy whom he
uses as a suppositious prop. La Mondue's
gyratlons on the slack wire, such as waltz
ing when it is in full swing, are little short
of marvellous, and his act was the signal
for loud applause.
Last week. favorites. Charley Ward and
AL Anderson. both scored veritahle tri-
umphs. The Bowery Boy had to sing no
less than six numbers before he was
allowed to leave. His fresh songs were
Mamie Cassidy and Send Back the Picture
and the Ring, the latter by the author of
the Fatal Wedding and sung last night for
the first time. He also gave his own Bow
cry Boy, very clever imitation of Vesta
Tilley's By the Sad Sea Waves. 1t
Don't Seem Like the Same Old Song, and
wound up with The Band Played On.
Wards demeanor is so modest, his charaC.
terizations SO natural, and his voice SO
pleasing, that there is little wonder his
popularity has become as pronounced in
the west as it has been for some years in
the east. AL Anderson was in his best
form, which is saying very great deal,
for he is certainly the cleverest colored
comedian on The stage today. He repeated
his success with the New Bully and his
cake walk was inimitable. There is, in
deed, music in his feet, which are as elo-
quent, as they are large. His partner,
Mamie. has voice that is shriller than
sweet, but she proves capital foil for him.
Willis and Collins introduced a very eX-
traordinary travesty of Pygmalion and
Galatea. There is good deal in the med
ley that is funny, but not little that is
wearisome. Miss Willis has fine voice
and sang couple OF operate airs very ac-
ceptably. The mixture, however, is almost
too incongruous. Some exceedingly clever
club swinging by Aiburtus and bertram
concluded the program. Their dexterity
in Juggling is really marvellous and the eye
is battied in attempting to follow the con-
volutions of the clubs. S -
One of the pleasantest features of the
Orpheum is always the excellent music
provided by Signor Romandy's orchestra,
and last night, in the overture to Orpheus
and selection from Mariana, they espe.
cially distinguished themselves.
4 4 &
Los ANGELES THEATER--For three nights
and Saturday matinee, commencing
Thursday, April I'd, at the Los Angeles
theater we are to have Hoyt's A Milk
White Flag, fortified by strength OF cast
and completeness of equipment, beauty
of costuming, ETC., which it IS expected
will secure for it instantaneous acceptance
at the hands of our local playgoers. 1t has
certainly met with wonderful success
everywhere else, running at Hoyt's theater,
New York. for almost a year and filling
long engagements at Chicago, Boston and
a number of the other leading cities. The
basis of A Milk White Flag is rivalry for
funeral honors between two military Or
ganzations, the members of which, says
the author. are SCARED veterans from the
fields of Mars and the service Of Venus"
They start their fun-making with corpse
which at one time was an Objectionable
feature of the performance; but Mr.. Hoyt
has fixed all that. What was indelicate
has been made amusing. AS a result the
farce is thoroughly enjoyable. By a ne.t
perversion of popular songs, too. there is a
more acceptable score than If the music
was original. In this respect A Milk White
Flag is much better than some of the Hoyt
productions. Pony Luce is a queen of
song. Then there is the general, the
colonel, the major, the judge-advocate, the
lieutenants, the standard-bearer, the be-
reaved but beautiful widow; and nearly all
of them sing. And shapely girls. The
company is full of them, aud numbers in
its ranks about fifty people. The old fa-
vorites included in the cast are John S.
Marble, Charles Stanley, William Distin,
Lloyd Wilson and Frank Lawton. The
new members of the company include
Clarisse Agnew, f. 5. Wentworth, George
A. Beane and Charles Warren. Numerous
pretty girls, splendid scenery, superb cos
TUNES, and All excellent band are part and
parcel of A Milk White Flag. Nothing in
the Hoy. line has ever before come within
viewing of this play, in the way of magni-
ficence of costumes and stage settings.
The private quarters of the officers of the
Ransome Guards, tine reception room at