The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-02
NOTES ON STAGE AFFAIRS.
TgT rugrE TOMEN UHO HiTE DIS
yDEyD ~ IIBLIC us.

md How Hts Dchth
ny H,- Rivals tn the Art OF Illusion.
p!,ro5.ng IN public has not been reduced 10
accurate art. To Jldso BY three women who
nave ~practis.I 1t on our stage. In orange
r.o..Ims' came the nrst OF these exploits. and,
r.rrh III, baud nitAe law washeavy with 1t. the
.n,rrerofNme PlAr.M orins d srohinG was the
t..-- rnnylest 0! the three. II was the circum-
STANCES explained in the pantomime that made
~ .DIrA'Hg. but they at the same time Furnished
areas ~ for the undressing. which came with
o.: s]aryr.sc. and the actress removed her gar
u,,u,, with u Attgl pretence OF being entirely
,l,rc. In ,hc pantom,me size was not taxing on
b-r r'5..cs IN public, and she did not make the
.!r..r., acknowledgment OF tho presence OF
.l,er,-r.. After bodice aud skirts had been
remove. arl aid aside, she untlaAped her corr
.r,.. aat vs. catching her sides with evident
r,'.. trough. 'Ac ioudest outlaws OF the whole
rfograurp. loHL BArr.snI IN her shameful act
n, Roster < I.al's was. TO begin with, u feminine
rgl-s no a mau's dress suit. She had a song
witch ro, ono in twenty OF her hearers could
n-G,r.'rnI. 50 to the nineteen there was no cX-
,u,s Hr le~ behavior. except her own indirer-
.,cc 10 deccucy. Her lat and cravat were
-AfoYu ASIDE with All air OF desperato determine
t.nu. Hes coat and waistcOat followed after she
Sad ynu.ri and bit her Ups IN hc-itaucy. With
tAg trou.st. and the shirt her mock modcsty
was Increasingly strenuous In expression, and
after these garments had been removed she
held them before her, making the best pretence
,he could OF intense alarm. But she had not
q utAe oi her French predecessors facility in
ran'omims. aad The others naturalness was re-
placed Oy q .trlining to impress observers with
the nau.ht.nrss OF the performance. the fact
being that a. her efforts incre assd the snscta-
tors came 10 look on II rs an ordinary matter
fo- Ter. 1T east. karina, the latest OF the trio.
Is now At the Olympia. Her song gives u reason
for her undressing, but II In In a foreign tongue.
Attic end u her irst stsnza she removes her
waist. and a repetition OF the singing fetches
her sA!rts to eatth. FROM shonlders 20 waist a
are full black I'M When the bloomers
are l%o.sened. the pink garment. unfolds 60 her
way between tha: OF the two other women. IL
che would pail the looseuing strings OF the Sits
Of her garments a lttls more promptly. and do
less % what looks like fumbling Tor buttons.
che would further the art to which she has
herself.
The late Alexander Hermann Ia to be sue
creied. so Ear rs his theatrical engagements for
The Water are concerned. by Leon Hermann.
VINO comes from abroad for t1e purpose. The
stranger will be accompanied In his tours by
Adelaide Hermann. and will drop his FIRST
latne. 30 Ear as hr can, SO as to Sand on the rep
U;S:iOn OF his predecessor. Stage maEicians
swat his American debut with a deal OF inter-
e~t. anu mono o. kAcm Will De SLOW IN seeing MS
performance. FOR as a performer be is unknown
here. It $ rather odd that while the late Herr
mann had few friends among his fellow crafts
men. they nevertheless genuinely mourn his
less. Though wont TO fout his claims OF origi-
na,i,y. some OF them even showing animus by
derdinc Ms great ability. they knew that he. of
all entertainers Of bis class, did the most 20
keep that style OF entertainment In popular IA
vor. By Ingenious and persistent self-eIploita-
ton 10 held his name before the public. thereby
winning the yearly fortune that caused the
envy OF his rivals. but AZ tho same time aiding
the lesser members OF the guild In no small
degree.
of.hand performer To n ~ reporter. "a:d It's
not gullib.e, hot even the boys OF ten years are
determined O. prove that they are not the nasi.
Clan i Up against IL. For II he cannot deceive
these people they call him a farmer. ana II lie
dA-.s FOOL 'erI they're Just rs dissatisfied"
Tbs man s%,ou,!y declared that Hermann
slelght-ot-hAGd and " his sptness at weaving a
timely story about illusions that were, at best.
craft De Kolta OF Paris is the man who gets the
g2,t etedii as an originator. Ihs illusion OF
,Ias Vanishing Lady was bis inven,ion. tho
hand Of every msEic!an 10 II. land are his
irgly do not employ any mechanisms. Yet
when he came 10 this country his stay was
tuOEl hNu ANrALlsIdCtOry 10 himself. his per-
formances being highly interesting to other
periornrrs. but lacking in amusing byplAy.
How little The designer OF a big illusion gains
can be Judged :ron the fact that once a msgi-
can sees ; be can reproduce 1t. for there are
no new rr!nc'p!-s' tsa byword OF the calling.
and once tie needed apparatus Is prepared, no
great degree ~ skill 4, required to give a public
exhibition. Thc only devices that the wonder
worker can keep to himself are the mental ones:
that IL, tho systems by which one performer
Gems 10 10 In. communication with another by
an unseen medium. GG!oal has a deceiving one,
third party's bidding In each case without
spoksh words from the principals. Sometimes
IiaclhS Il with an agent TO sell to other magi-
Clans; but 'lese instances are rare. The protes-
sionhi drcei'er : a knowing bird. and such an
agent gains very little from him. thus being
Competed 10 rely almost solely on amateurs for
his Income.
The theatres generally had large New Years
!aT Audiences yesterday afternoon. and almost
invariably crowded ones In the evenlng.
Lillian Russell refused 10 perform at an extra
matinee which had te-n advertised for yrster-
Jay at The Casino, and the money was paid back
10 people who vent there with tickets purchased
beforehand. The excuse made FOR her was that
she feared an Injury to her voice II she should
t.ng too much.
!Ae acc dental death OF a horse In "The
op"fthS Duchess" ~ the Harlem Opera House
brings out the fact. we'll enough known to per-
"'Nh AEbuhS. mat EDOu DDEses
are employed. This particular animal bore tho
name 81 Gilmore because he had been owned
~ Gilmore, who Is no bad Judge o fhorses.
!t.sa mista~e To suppose that horse car stables
letraNn lpo.m for tho equine outfit Of q race
,"ut'e u.ay. Ihorou .AbFeds are not scarce In
,Me'E.ret Mnther asks THE suS TO publish
VI 'hSl Wat he IA very anxious to obtain y new
t.'' ''ialh'ns a role iU which her personality
g.. ",.t..~' may nud ample scope. The same
81 MAJ a. Vel be sad TOR every actor now
Shn,"'nE A. a star and for every ono of the
4IhI'r!s Who are nm bilious 20 do 50.
IN. = sun tnery.!e is lying III at the Hotel
SSnt Nc. aud has leen unable to play the giant
ue.l .r'an H0ru." Virginia Earle has been
IVY ~ HE he,-hR" by reason of dangerous
lines, S'i il now Improving. Marie prrsslrr
~ " ulle daNc..s In The Lady Siavcy," and
-, urt so badly that she Is compelled 10 retire
I'm 'h" com panr, II happens that IN each ut
49, ''-f the actress possessed UNIQUE ntne-s
~ - f'lr, and her loss IL therefore sincerely
"Iu.tLtI BY the management.
F irving sends by cable a New Years
" 10 Americans and the news that he Is
800 ..f rom the accident which was said to
III ne f-a'rn Tor tho withdrawal OF "Richard
-. rom me s'REr Of MI. London LyCeum. lie
n.y. al .a going well" with him.
AF'hH hl-LitTinne to sing BrunnhiIds.
Nine. No.nH will he unable to appear as Rriinn-
I.'' 4" "H,e-'r.el" ut the Metropolitan Opera