The morning times., 1896-04-12

sing dNHbSt SUNu tllN
The orchestra is limited and lameDtably
weak in strings, but Maestro Hinriehs skill
fHlly coRtroverts that and minimiZes the
effect of Tie discrepancy. Those who wish
to acuuaint themselves with the master
pieces, which are even the popular songs
or the continental peaSan;ry, without sub
mittinG TO a tax beyond their means, have
now lie opportunity. There is no great
treat for the eye, and a musician scorns
ttfe eNtrinSlcs, but the ear Will be treated
to very fine rendering of the masters
choicest works
Mr. Crane comes back with his new play,
The Governor of Kentucky" which was
rehearsed here and has since been seen in
New York and Boston- AS may be inferred
frum the title. hc still associates with the
American tItIed class. but he belongs by
na;ivetalent TO the aristocracy OF comedians
Camille n'Arville brings back "Madeiaine
or the Magic Kiss" The permanency OF
this opera speaks for It's merits Inc
Academy presents a new melodrama, Il ne
Land of The Living" by an author who mas
stirred us many times before. and at her-
mans the boys viii have FIynn and Sheridan.
IN THE wo years past there has developed
a decided interest in Shakespeare's Fal-
staff. Until recently no considerable
attempt had been made TO acQuaint the
generation with the humors or
the fat knight W. H Crane
last year made a notable production Of
The Merry Wives, embodyinS the corpu
lent firi himself and Becrbohm Tree, III
England, duplicated the achievement. Yer
III contributed 10 the revival by composing
q splendid musical comedy with Sir John
as the central figure, saui was fortunate IN
having skiilful an artist as Victor Maui
rel 10 interpretive role The only acquaint
anoc we have hal OF recent years with the
the two parts OF Henry "" is through
the Ia brr production aud William F owens
claracterizat ion. But tue contagion is
spreading. aud we are launched upon a
Falsiaffian era. for in Berlin he Is eX-
posing his amours at three thcaters a this
present time. Italy is enjoying him this
spring v ice lac will appear on the London
stage This spring. aud AugustiG Daily is
planning 10 duplicate the Taber achieve
ment.
IL seems strange that OF the hundreds OF
comedians. from John Henninge. the orig
nal to william 0rrer, the latest, only some
four scores have affected tine ponderous
girthoT his famous chara cter. Shakespeare
must have been fond OF him, for no character
has he written out TO such lengths. As
william Winter points out, you may see
Falstaff. aS Shallow saw him. when he
was a hoy and page TO Thomas Mowbrly,
Duke of Norfolk; you may See him a allalong
the current Of his mature years: his high
way Tobierics at GadShili. his Dragging mar
ratiyc 20 Prince Henry; his frolicSome pater-
nal and seif-iefenSive lecture To The prince:
his ScriC-comic association with the rur-
fans at Coventry: his adroit escape from
the sword OF HotSpur: his mendacious self
gIorifiCatiou over the body or Prince
Henry: his miShaps as suitor 10 Mrs.
Page and Mrs. Ford: his wonderfully
humorous interviews with the chief justice
II. l..-
junketings with Justice Shallow in GlouSt-
prshirc, and his rebuff and CONSERVATION
atthe first and last meeting with King Henry
v: and, finally, you may see him as Mrs.
Quickly saw him, on his death-Ded, when
"a cried out Godi God! God! three or four
times, ;" and when Ibis nose was as sharp
as q pen and a la bbIed o green fields"
After Henninge. Lorriu acted Falstaff
with mighty applause in 1897. Cart
wright. Lacy. Thomas Betterton, Barton
Booth and John Mills succeeded, only in
differently ln the role. but Bet rton was
the best. Ia 1920 James Quin. who had
heretofore been known as the mere scene
smudger. the fagot OF the drama cssayed
the FaIstaff OF THE Merry Wives He
afterward played him in the two parts OF
Henry ". He was the greatest Falstafr up
Ia his time and remained the model to the
lilsl quarter Of the century. When quite old.
after his teeth began to fall out. he was re-
questt.ji la play bis famous cbaractera at Lacy
Ryan's benefit. and replied with the hu-
moraas outburst: There is no person I
would sooner serve than Ryan. but. by God,
III whistle Falstaff for no man" The last
few wears OF the last century. like the last
few wears Of this brought out a considerable
number of Falstaffs. and new play was
written called "Falstaff's Wedding which
survived only one performance by Garrick
and an inconsiderable few by minor inIi-
tators. John Henderson rose from among
these To a place by the side of Quin. 1t is
said that in the frolicsome gay and hu-
morous situations Henderson was superior
TO any man. Succeeding him the only
prominent success was in 1904 by George
FREDERICK Cooke. and he was accused nt
ma king Sir John ''an old lurCbing sharper,
while others said he was 1.-The only tolerabIe
FaIstaff since Henderson,
la The American chronicle all FalstaffS
have been overshadowed by Hackett's,
though many honorable attempts have been
made There were some half dozen cSSa Us
made al the role leading up 10 1882. when.
in Philadelphia, Hackett made the pro-
du.iion that gave him an International rep
utation. He played during four different
Seasons in London with acknowledged
triumph, and was probably the first Amer
can star recognized in England. Since then
william Warren uhe first, Charles Bass
Ben dc Bar, John Jack, John Gilbert. and
Burton esSayed the role. Since 1866
The ouiy American Falstaff Of any note has
Iecn Crane. but lack of support forced his
production off The stage.
Asst Monday night the high thcatef hat
crisis came from 0t'a. 1t was tht
- occasion Of the first enforcement OF
the FOsdick anti-high-hat law. No
tiCts were inserted in Several of the
Cincinnati theater programs requesting g
ladies TO remove their hats. A the Foun
tain Square. low comedy house, the law
was rigidly enforced. and the doorkeepel
called TO oeach woman entering. Please ia Ike
yer hats off, a few were a trifle slow
in complying but they all did so finally
The law was ignored at the Grand-a
fashionable houSe-and the Easter flower;
sproutcd high. AT the other swell play
house The Walnut, the ladies in a large
number complied. Those who kept theil
hats on were the object of denlonstra
tion on the part Of the gallery gods mosl
unusual there. The outcome of the Law
is problematical. The end the Legislators
wish 10 attain is all right, but there is no
end of pros and cons S TO the just ict
and propriety of the means adopted.
This anii-high-hat and anti-any'hat'at
all crusade has been waging during. tht
past month With worthy activity. II hasn'
made much difference in Washington, wher,
women are still found vain and inconsid