The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-05

The Weeks Budget
of Stage Gossip.
Resurrection of Dixey-The Imi-
tatOrs of Richard Mansfield.
Success of Julia Arthur.
The EIks' Benefit.
Copyright, 1911

copyright, 1871
New York, Dec 3.-Henry e. Dixey
has risen from the dead. His perform
ance of magic at the Garden theater has
been nightly greeted by his old friends
in Just as hearty a manner as was his
former great triumph as Adonis at the
Bijou. Years have set lightly upon
Dixey, and he looks as young today as
he did decade ago. 1t was a big step
from burlesque, comedy and lastly the
vaudeville to magic, but Dixey made il
in one bound. Ed Bloom, who managed
the late Hermann the Great and Fred
erick Bancroft, took a desperate chance
so some people said, when he introduced
Henry e. Dixey as a prestidigitateur.
But Blooms judgment has been con-
firmed by the public. Dixey not only
does the tricks of Hermann, of Ban
croft and of Kellar as cleverly as any
one of these three, but he adds to his
entertainment a native grace and wit
that none has ever exhibited. His
sleight of hand work is simply marvel
Gus. while his illusions are staged in a
perfect manner. Dixey the magician
has come to stay.
May Irwin is back in town at the
Biiou in a farce comedy by the prolific
Mr.. de Souchet. He is the man who
wrote My Friend From india, THE
Man From Mexico" and other laugha-
BILE skits, but in THE Swell Miss Fitz-
welI'' he has turned out the most un-
funny thing May Irwin has ever had to
labor with. For all that she makes the
most of her possibilities and redeems
the farce by her excellent singing OF
negro melodies. Miss Irwin has the
support of such well known people as
Ignacio Martinetti, Joseph M. Sparks,
Marion Giroux and Alice Johnson.
There is every probability that her per-
sonal following will save THE Swell
Miss Fitzwelr' from a fiasco.
Speaking of fiascos, you should have
seen 1899 at the Casino on the open
ing night. 1t is supposed to be comic
opera, the book by Herman Lee Ensign
and the SCORE by Edouard Hoist. In
reality 1t is a nightmare. 1899" is alb
solutely the worst ever seen. 1t will, no
doubt, die natural death.
Richard Mansfield, who has done SO
well on the occasion of his present en-
gagement in New York with 1.-THE
DEVILS Disciple" showed greater wis
dom than his venerable manager, Mr..
A NJ. Palmer, when he insisted on re-
turning to his old time repertory for
the last week of his engagement.
With Prince Karl" 'Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde" "A Partisan Romance" and
Richard the Third" the eccentric and
erratic Mansfield succeeded in crowding
the Fifth Avenue theater to the doors
at every performance. 1t was a per-
sonal triumph as well as a triumph for
art. And that, too, with capital "A, I"
as Mr.. Mansfield spells it. New York
is positively growing, to like Mr.. Mans
field, but he must take something for
that speechmaking habit before he ever
gains a firm foothold in Broadway. 1t
Is a bad thing at best, and especially
wearisome when it becomes epidemic.
So far Mansfield has as imitators Sol
Smith Russell De Wolf Hopper, Fra nix
Daniels. Nat Goodwin and last, but not
least. Henry E. Dixey. On Dixey's
opening night he made no less than
three speeches before the curtain. How
ever, there was some excuse for him.
The audience demanded speeches, and
Dixey perforce was compelled to re-
spond. In his case the speechmaking
habit was neither born with him nor
acquired by him. but was literally
thrust upon him. He may break him
self in time. l saw him the other day,
and he told me he was under the doc
tors care and promised to do every
thing possible to avoid the beasuy
thing in future.
The plays that still hold the boards
at the various theaters and are play
ing to excellent business are The
Geisha" at Daly's, "A Stranger In New
York at Hoyt's, little Maude Adams
in The Little Minister at the Gar
rick, THE French Maid" at the Herald
Square, Nat c. Goodwin in AN Ameri-
can Citizen at the Knickerbocker,
Cumberland '6l" at the Fourteenth
Street theater. The Heart of the Klon-
dixie" at the Star and a Lady of Quail
ity." with julia Arthur, at Wallack'S.
Speaking of Julia Arthur, she is at
present playing to the largest houses
in the history of Wallack's theater.
Every effort has been made to extend
her time beyond the original engage
ment. but without success. So great
has been the business that Theodore
Moss. owner and manager of the house.
has suffered no little grief. He claims
that the -GrOWQS are dbSOlulc4N
his new carpets, wearing the velvet
plush from the parquet seats and that
incidentally the janitor Of the place
has struck for higher wages. This is
certainly a serious condition.
"A Lady of Quality" which served to
Introduce Miss Arthur in her stellar
appearance. is q dramatization of the
novel made by Mrs. Frances Eodgson
Burnett and Stephen Townsend. The
play is in five acts and though in
theme ii follows the book it still de-
parts. particularly in the ending. as
greater sympathy is added and more
picturesque incident introduced.
The first act occurs in the country
home of Wildairs. in which, at rollick-
ing. picturesque supper scene. all the
canous characters Of the book appear
There are seen the polished. fascinat.
ing John Oxon. the jolly. hearty Sil
Christopher. the roaring. terrible vii.