The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-16

Maggie Cline received a right, royal
reception at the rockingham Satur-
day night where she appeared as the
heroine and the bright particular star
of "On Broadway, Il melodrama which
is all that the word implies and more.
The curtain had been up but a few min
utes when Maggie dashed on the stage
like the fag end of Fridays blizzard.
She was given a hearty hand" and
soon after delighted the audience with
"Arrah Go On, Your Only Teasing"
which evoked thunders of applause.
1t was in the last act. however, that
Miss Cline aroused her audience to
display of it's latent possibilities in the
way of demonstration.
Throw Him Down McCloskey" did
the trick.
That classic dtty in which the prow-
ess of one Dan McCloskey Is told in
language chaste and choice, has been
sung before in Scranton without caus-
ing much of furore, but it was alto
gether different Saturday night.
Then Maggie Cline sang it.
Her voice is nothing to brag about:
in fact, it would be difficult to say in
Just what way 1t should be classified,
but she imparts what the novelist
would term local color, with u skill that
Is unsurpassed. it is this faculty that
has made Maggie Cllnes singing ia
nous Notwithstanding her voice.
When she had related the first stanza
of the adventures of McCloskey a mild
wave of applause swept over the house.
and when the second stanza was COM
pleted the manifestations of approval
were more than enthusiastic. When
the dtty was finished and McCloskey
had been gloritied. the applause swept
through the gallery like the whistle Of
a West Indian hurricane. The balcony
and pit were scarcely less demonstra-
tive. Miss Cline tried to speak the
lines of the drama that follow the song,
but the audience would not have it.
They wanted to hear more about Nc
ClOskey. Finally the singer walked
down to the footlights and begged the
audience to excuse her. 1t was one of
her characteristic little speeches. She
had worked SO hard in the song that
really she could not sing another line.
She hoped the audience would excuse
her; she knew it would. and 1t did af-
ter one irrepressible individual made a
demand that Miss Cline sing MARY
Ann Kehoe."
AS to the melodrama it Is of the high
ly improbable ultra a-melodramatic type,
but no one pays any particular atten-
ton to that. In the opening act all
kinds of characters are introduced at
lHt UOIIle VI tHe Diuuy ., away uOWu
town. The authors evidently saw no
incongruity in bringing them all to-
gether again in the fashionable home Of
Mrs. Scarborough. on Madison Square,
nor in having Mrs. Scarborough accept
the proposal to marry Thomas Brady,
broken down contractor
Miss Cline was supported by fairly
good company, which included John G.
Sparks, George w. Howard, John T.
l,,rly. nj of bar
Isham's "Octoroon" company gave
two performances at the Academy Of
Music Saturday and Saturday night,
and highly pleased two large audiences
The singing of Nine. Flower and Mr..
Fihler was roundly applauded at both
performances.
At the Academy Of Music tonight
John Griffith. young tragic actor will
bC seen In a magnificent production of
Shakespeare's tragic idyl, "Richard
Ill.," which Mr.. Griffith has this season
added to his repertoire. and those low
ers of the legitimate drama who attend
will be treated to something new and
original In conception. Mr.. Griffith Is
conceded to be the greatest imperson-
ator Of Mephistopheles in Goethe's
Faust" on the American stage. and
1t is his ambition to place his perform
ance of the hunchback Duke Of Gloster
far above his impersonation of the
Prince Of Darkness. The scenery re-
quires special car for its transporta-
ton and is said to be the handsomest
used In the tragedy. He comes well re-
commended by the newspapers in the
towns in which he has played.
Rich and Maeders comedians will be
seen at the rockingham tomorrow
(Tuesday) evening in that very funny
farce comedy. "a Pair of Jacks" direct
from its triumphs in Washington.
Montreal and the leading largest cities
Of the country. The plot hinges on the
remarkable similarity of Dr. Jack and
Judge Jack, who make love to two
seminary girls. who in turn. believing
them to be millioraires, accept singly
the proffered love and declarations, ap-
point meetings which are attended by
the doctor and Judge, each in turn, but
! unknown to the other. This makes
complication of events so funny that
| the audience is forced from one situa-
tion to the other so fast that the plot Is
almost lost in the uprOarious fun occa-
stoned. The cast Is one of the best
ever set to this successful comedy. and
includes Udell and Pearce. George
Ricketts,, Sol Aiken. Jessie West. Julia
Aiken. Marion Gray. Nellie Blanchard,
One of the most famous and elabOr-
! ate spectacles known to the American
stage. Hanlon's "Superba.'' comes to
the Frothingham next Wednesday and
Thursday evenings, and the manage
ment Of that beautiful theater promise
their patrons the most elaborate stage
/ production ever offered in Scranton.
"Superba" is a pantOmime extrava-
ganZa, and is brim full of bewilderng
tricks and transformations. People
disappear and reappear mIraculOusly
from somewhere else. walls turn inside
out, and inanimate objects walk around
the stage with grace and speed. There
is said to be no end to the wealth of
new tricks running all through the
piece. Among the surprises is the En-
chanted Mirror"
Sam T. Jacks famous CreOles will
open at Davis theater this afternoon
for three days. They are presenting an
entirely new bill these days. and among
the nobbiest and most original of many
novel features is brief but complete
comic opera. with these dark children
of the Southland singing every role
from the sweetest soprano to the heavi-
est basso. The experiment of Creole
opera. something never before attempt
ed, originated with Mr.. Jack, was tried
in Chicago, and proved so immensely
successful that 1t was retained, en-
larged and made on of the best features
of the show. 'Pinafore" was the opera
selected and the way the dusky singers
memorize and sing the lines and act the
varied roles is enough to win the hearty
applause of the entire audience in any
theater of the country