The morning times., 1897-03-09
CHANGES AT THE THEATERS
Lillian Rnsseil in ..An American
Beauty.o

Lillian Russell in .An American
Beauty"
The Columbia was packed to the doors
last night with an audience eager to see
and to hear Lillian Russell Long before
the curtain rose the standing room only
sign swung out to late purchasers. And
there was no dust on it. 1t had stared at
visitors to the Columbia three times last
week
Miss Russell, radiant in jewels, caIciums
and her undInnnished beauty, was the
focus OF opera glasses and admiration az
or yore her fascination for theater-goers,
men and women, does not diminish, though
her Girth increases and her voice dirnin-
ishes, for she is still great beauty, the
American beauty
1t is Miss Russell's right and title to
appear as the central figure of a piece
bearing the name OF her present piece,
AN American Beauty She can look the
part and be the part, and the audience are
grateful to her for permitting competent
soprano TO take the high notes and the
loud notes in the choral finales
IAN American Beatty" was written by
the man who made TOWN Topics, and its
music was scored by Gustaye Kerker who
always writes pleasingly, though scarcely
ever with distinctions He is composite in
his music. Parts of IAN American Beauty
remind one of ''Pinafore'' marching
finale is strikingly reminiscent of lei
Captain and even wang and Robin
Hood are not forgotten This is not
plagiarism, it is not imitation 1t is the
unavoidable pitfall of au unoriginaI com
poser with good taste and a good memory.
Hugh Morton, the maker Of the story and
the distiller OF the lines, has injected more
originality and flavor into his work The
rhymed lines that can be distinguished are
all excellent and the spoken lines are all
inteligently written, and such as the comic
purveyors must speak are often excruci-
atingiy funny. The story Of IL rivalry
between titled Germans and nervy circus
men for the possession OF a beautiful
woman, the former wishing her for Wife.
and the latter for an attraction, is devised
and carried out with agreeable results.
Miss Russell was OF course the beauty
She looked the part, The 1.-THE and supple
Lillian IS taking on avolrdupois, and it is
getting into her voice. But she still pre-
sents queenly presence, and her voice
retains enough OF its old self to please
AS for those charms which suggested the
title to her new piece she is all that the
part demands.
The company is beyond reproach. Miss
I.nyard was not well last night She was
in actual physical pain. Though she was
not active. she sang well. Pretty Mabel
Bouton and substantial Sadie Kirby were
an attractive Casino duo. Miss DeCampi
was not in the cast, and her part was
cut bodily. The gentlemen Of the cast are
even more proficient as entertainers than
the ladies. Jerome Sykes and William
Cameron have built mountain of fun for
the circus men; Willard Simms gives
legitimately comic chappie and sings well,
for all that his song is that reverent
chestnut of his about the Amazon marchers;
Harold Blake last year withthe Bostonians,
sings the tenor songs acceptably; and the
German noblemen are acted appreciatively
by Mr.. Westford and Mr. Jupre
The chorus and orchestra performed wei.
under Mr. Paul Steindorff. This splendid
leader has a memory which serves him as
well as score, and he always directs
without the manuscript. IN its entirety
AN American Beauty presents as agree
able entertainment as has the best OF the
musical comedies.