The herald., 1897-01-26
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cry to the green hills of New
Hampshire, but the scenes of rural life
and action laid there find many respons-
es in the hearts of those who have spent
their earlier days down on the farm"
even here in Southern California whore
the bleak New England winters. with
their stirring, simple hearted recrea-
tions, have faded into the reminiscent
maze of the long ago.
Certainly there are many in the large
| audience present at the production of
| this play last night for whom the mystic
chords of memory swept across the
chasm of fleeted years and lighted their
| faces with the glow of other days.
| The company presenting the Old
| Homestead is an exceptionally well bal
| anced one. The scenic environments are
admirable, and the songs of the double
quartet are alone OF sufficient worth
| musically to fully compensate a visit
! to this playhouse the current week Mr..
| Barker makes a strong and natural Jo-
seph Whitcomb, and Miss Halls Aunt
Matilda is an ideal bit of acting in, which
| her art is revealed in the absolute art
| leSSness with which she portrays this
| good-souled spinster Mr.. Clarke as Cy
| Prime and Mr.. Stephens as Seth Per-
kins, furnished a delightful combina-
| ton of character work and comedy in
/ their respective roles. Mr.. Knapp as
Happy Jack likewise did some very mer-
| itorious work. In fact, all of the COM
pany are well equipped for the require
ments of their respective roles. Revert
! ing again to the musical element, the
singing of the Palms by Mr.. Orcutt and
the Old Homestead choir in the third
act was fine musical feast.
| ORPHEUM.-It is nothing new to say
| that there is an excellent show at the
Orpheum and that the theater was
| crowded last evening. This has been the
case not for weeks only but for months
| and last night was an exception in one
| sense alone, that the show was even bet
ter than usual. 1t was a splendid enter
| tainment from first to last. with more
| good turns and of a greater variety
| than we have seen at this house in many
moons. Romandy's mastery bow
brought forth the usual stream of mel
! ody, aided by his excellent orchestra, as
| an introduction after which the curtain
| rose and the eXpectant audience was
| treated to unique aerial contortion act
| by the great Busch, the golden vampire
| The maneuvers in miG-air of this india
| rubber man, tricked out as hugh ba /,
We're novel and amusing to degree.
| Pretty little Anna Caldwell appeared
| in strong contrast to the gobln-like
monster, and her caperings and dainty
| songs were greeted with full measure
of applause. Miss Caldwelfs voice was
better than on her first appearance and
her choice of songs was more catch
ing. if possible. than before. Numerous
| recalls were piled up to her credit before
she finally Withdrew.
A Fair Exchange, the new sketch of
| Hallen and Fuller, is bristling with
| bright specialties in the way of graceful
| dances and humorous songs. There is
| something about it that suggests the old
days when Hallen made his triumphant
tours in the comedy combine of Hallen
and Hart. Everything they dioi met with
a generous need of applause and there
| were many tired hands and voices when
their merry turn was concluded Fair
| Exchange is even better than The Artist
and the Model, which made such a hit
| last week. 1t is so different that Hal
| len & Fuller are as good as new team;
| indeed few new teams could win bet
ter reception than they Gid last night.
Two roaring funny fellows are the
! Bostons, who next came on Trained
dogs in startling get ups, as elephants,
mounted AID infantry soldiers and rag
ing bulls in the CORY arena. added much
to the life and variety of their act which
served to Keep the audlence screaming
for full fifteen minutes.
Some strength should have been saved
for further mirth, however. for the next
turn French marriage, given by the
| eminent artists, Hayes, Lytton and
Hayes, was a perfect avalanche of fun.
| AS the title suggests, the piece is spicy
and full of breezy situations. Edmond
Hayes reminded us of former days when
| he was leading man for some of the
| CT Of hn la a q
He is still the consummate actor. still
magnetic, and it was treat indeed to
hear him. Emily Lytton. like Hayes, is
| an old-time favorite of the footlights.
| Their sketch, or comedietta rather, is
an admirable bit of work. 1t is drama
boiled down to one act, and is. without
exception, the best production of the
kind on the vaudeville stage.
A jolly treat, indeed, was that fur
nshed by the old-time favorte and for
mer funny man of Lillian Russell, Chas.
| Wayne He kept up an unceasing fire
of fun until the galleries were in tu-
multi and the occupants of the parquet
and boxes had lost their composure in
the contagious humor of the moment.
| His jokes were all new and they had a
flavoring that whetted ones appetite
| for more. which, when supplied. only
| drove the recipients into wilder out
bursts of uncomfortable mrth His
! stories, his songs, his inimitable manner,
| everything about him was supremely
| funny, and one might as we'll have at
| tempted to check Niagara as to have
| ceased laughing. Wayne's great hit of
| last night was a double compliment to
| the artist, as this is his second week
here. OF such artists people never tire
| and such humor as his is always re-
| freshing. He is a great feature all by
| himself.
Ara Zebra and Vera, three sensational
acrobats, closed the show with as good
| an acrobatic act as the Orpheum has
ever afforded. They performed many
marvellous feats, some of them being
new ones of a decidedly ticklish order
| Somersa ults, pyramids, ETC., go to make
up their turn, which is as enjoyable as
it is wonderful.
THE BURBANK.-That the scenes Of
| early associations and the amusements
! of the past live in memory is conclu-
| sively shown by the large audience
which witnessed the initial performance
| Of Uncle Toms Cabin last evening at
| the Burbank There was no disappoint-
ment about last evenings performance.
in fact, 1t was a genuine surprise. AMI
! those who had seen Uncle Toms Cabin
many times before declared it to be the
finest performance they had ever wit
| messed The scenic effects were splen-
| did, not the old-fashioned stage-warpeG
scenes which had done justice to all the
| play houses from Maine to California.
| h,,t br;cHt ,aw ranrrGtIottnpc pf tyni-