The sun., 1897-04-21
THINGS AT THE THEATRE.
FRANCOIS OoPPEE As TRANsLATED
BY JEROME X. JEROME

The Tiresome Excellence OF "The violin MAKER
or Cremonn "a Vaudeville Comed,ett.-A
Poster show At the Eden RHusee-The Easter
Rrbound from Lenten Duiness on the stage.
"Thc Violin Maker OF Cremona" 10 one of
Francois Coppee's admired plays. It's story Of
the deiormcd young musician. who loved his EN-.
ployers daughter, and fairly won her as the
prize offered by her father for tho maker Of the
best VIOLIN but gave her up to a sightlior suitor.
isscutely pathetic. Its exposition OF unrsquited
and yet not resentful passion is an analytical
study OF human nature. It's diction in the
original French Is imaginative, fluent and
richly expressive. In short. II Ia a good
example Of the dramatic poets art
Whenever efforts 10 make our people
like Coppee's work in English at our
theatres have failcd. the translator has been
blamed. even though the wording In our tongue
may have hcen scholarly and correct. But there
isa really felcitous translation by Jerome X.
Jerome OF " The Violin Maker OF Cremona." It
Is hard TO find any originality OF thought or
grace OF IN inner In Copp6es French that is not
transferred in Joromos English. This Jerome
version was performed at the matinee for tho
Rose Hawthorne Lathrop fund at the Fifth Ave-
nue. Theatre yesterday afternoon. The role of
the misshapen violinist was played with
good clocution and fair illustrative action
BY Herbert G. Bostwick. and tho three
other characters were portrayed tolerably.
Nevertheless, the single act of not much more
than a half hours duration seemed inter-
minable. The rhnpsodic tributes to the beauty
and power OF music. which arc delightful read
INK matter, were tedious as spoken In play.
The audience was of q high grade intellectually.
AMI, while it paid loyal attention to the play Il
was manlfestiy bored by its slowness OF move.
mcn,. The proof was positive that literature
for the American stage requires ii the merits
OF literature for looks and more too clsr it will
not command the interest OF n discerning and
exaclinG New York audience.
The Easter rebound from Lentcn dulness 10
positive at the theatres The bills OF the week
are uncommonly attractive. Palmer Cox's
Brownies" is the brisk. bright, and unique en-.
tertainment Mt the Grand Opera House, where
It is performed with spirit OF vivacious humor
by the Jefferson. klnw. and Erlanger company
with freshcned scenery and costumes and with
many interpolatod speoialties. At the Broad
way. which was closed during tho latter part OF
Lent, The Wizard of the Nile" is being played
by Frank Daniels and his companyot comedians
and singers. Mr. Daniels is as funny as be-
fore in the adventures OF the fakir in
Egypt. Adele Ritchie joined the party for this
New York engagement, and she makes dainty
Cleopatra. The cast in other respects is un-
isingly among the current comic operas. At the
dlIin Ameritan 1ne reopSnns S, play Is the melo-
Duprcc and Jessie Busley as the pair Of win.
some boys. Mr; Ra!cIitfe and Miss Fischer are
retained; and Amelia bingham is new in the
Street, the week OF closed doors was utilized for
the rehearsal OF q new act in Sweet Innis-
pakesa plunge from the deck Of warshtp
Edward Fl. Sothern is at the Harlem opera
Siaia Harmed sothefn " has has taken up up the
part Of the heroine again. James J. Cor
sn s%s is 81 M5se f5s%a's s EXHIBIT Naval hs AGaa and
in the gymnasium scene he gives an example Of
pagiiisin that delights the crowd. Charles Hop;
%i g. Vow at Tie h Sih
eyer at the iEsa Empe
Serenade,,, at the Knickerhocker, The Wed:
s"G G Ssa''P l9e GSuff the
sf HsEa se ss9TfFs by the Of Gs sso
Mammalian at Walack's The s; new pie pieces are are
. The Mysterious Mr. Bnglc " at the Lyceum.
Belgraff " at the Garden.
Although new one-act farce ut Eeith's is de-
scribed as d littIc comedietta, and although its
authors name and even its title arc not placed
In the programme 1t has enough of plot to outfit
afarce OF an evenings length. and its theme is
not a hackneyed one. But the grip of anony-
mousness is strong upon it. and its I've partici-
pators are announced merely as the Five Castil-
ians They are three men and two women, all
In picturesque Spanish costumes. This attire
dominated their christening for the stage.
and and the burr of one actors speech in
Gisstes Gs s,tisto that some good old Irish , name
spanlard He Is a graspng and unprincipled
otd chap. and when his impecunious nephew
rich mans daughter the old man eagerly plans
10 secure the girl for his relative. He advises
'hG aReP an hs
b!Gntly says that this will so compromise the
yorng woman that her father will not only con-
handsome dowry to effect that result. All this
time the audience knows what the old man
his own daughter, and that. the old ras-
cal Is plotting for his own undoing. When his
pcais the Older fellows words OF wisdom and
s' pEen ns screws in the w or the
6lnndsrer and an il.tempered suitor for for The iie
Wits outwitted is the title of the piece; which
MAKES one OF the entertaining Items In keith's
bill. Edwin Owings Towne is its author.
Midweek changes at teh music halls arefew.
hut tonight brings tho last performance of
Under the Red Globe" at Weber & Fields's.
and tomorrow evening Mr.. New York. Esq.,"
VIII ne played there. In Great New York" is
continued at the Olympia. and Dan Leon Is the
kins'pin entertainer OF the BILL "Gayest Man
haitian" is in its second edition at Roster &c
blals, and tho Meers Brothers and the trained
eats remain. Peter DALEY 10 playing "A Good
Thing at the Pleasure Palace. and Henry Lee 10
the first specialist.
VI the continuous show houses. Keiths has
Mcintyre and Heath, the Frantz family. and the
cas'ilans Proctors Theatre gets Marie
Dressler. Ballard. and Gertrude Mansfield.
Bernard Dyllyn, Press Eldridge. and the Rogers
brothers are listed at Pastor's The mar: :ish 10
SHlmming at Huber's Museum, and Minnie
s,,huIt Is the resorts best vocalist. The Eden
;ahusee attractions are now four: the wax works.
ne ne Giinematographe views, band music, and a
nns display OF posters.
The Gramercy Lyceum, In West Twenty-third
ttre"t, formerly Roster g. Balls music hall. 10
vne pne reopened week after next as a continuous
w: Harrington.
,cA, collection, Of French posters has been i'm;
ported TO the Eden Mus6e. and has been placed |
upon upon he walls OF it's concert room. There are |
Heett hundred OF them, ranging from the size !
u uat heretbouta decorate ash cans to those that !
.a maxi deaf walls and boardiDgs SO many eye- |
Sormys' Ihey are announcements of theatres,
ns nIs and art exhi ibitions, and advertisements OF
proprietary articles, ali done in tho most start
Ianln