The herald., 1897-05-18

BURBANK THEATER.-"Fancho
the Cricket" introducing Katie Putnam
and her clever company. held the boards
last night and gave unbounded pleasure
to the audience present. 1t marks q
noteworthy change in the Burbank pro-
gram to find an entire alteration not
only in the play but in the personnel of
the players. Some of those now absent
will be welcomed back later on, and
others may be spared
AS for Katie Putnam, she Is as juve.
nile as ever. Her girlish figure and un-
spoiled youthful voice, give added
charms to the portrayal of the bright
little character with which she has been
SO long associated. There are all the
nimble movements, the. quick laugh and
the diablerie that mark the elf1n child
and even II she does use language that
is stilted and expressions that are ut.
terly beyond one of her station and edu-
cation, Katie Putnam manages some-
how to make it all seem natural and real
Her famous shadow dance was as clev-
erly performed as ever and won a cur
tain call, of course.
The supporting company Is quite good,
the work Of H. B. Emery as the old
Father Barbaud is excellent and in fact
all the people are fully up to the require
ments Of the characters they undertake.
The piece itself has pure tone and Is
an excellent foil for some of the strongly
favored pieces with which the stage Is
but too familiar. 1t will undoubtedly
draw good houses for the remainder of
the week.
ORPHEUM-The new people this
week are all exceptionally good In their
respective lines. and the Midgeleys' turn
is the best that has been offered at the
Orpheum. for many weeks. 1t is very
funny, but 1t is clean, wholesome, iinfec-
tious fun; every sentence is full of it
and every action bristles with it. 1t is
pure humor, not the kind that calls for
intellectual effort to enjoy it, but just
relaxation of the muscles and the mind.
Sager Midgeley Is made up as tow
headed, chubby boy with plaid cotton
pinafore and placid smile; there is an
intermission Of several minutes between
his trousers legs and his ehoe tops, and
his joints have an uncertain hitch when
he moves thNt suggests a rapidly ap-
preaching attack of st. Vitus dance, but
the smile Is reaseuring, and In accent,
tone and other details he is a capital
character sketch of very young boy.
Fannie Midgeley. made up as a little
girl, in ruffied scarlet frock with black
stockings and ankle ties, with short,
curly blonde hair and a mischievous
twinkle in her eye. does come extremely
dainty dancing and is an arch. charm
ing little foil to Sammy" Their busi-
ness Is funnier than their lines, and they
are welcome relief after the men and
women who have inflicted the Orpheum
audiences one after another with their
dreary attempts at wit, their senseless
twaddle and their vulgarity that has
bordered very close to indecency at
times.
Marzelo and Millay, made up as
trampe, do some very clever work on
the parallel bar, and some wrestling
and tumbling that is both ludicrous and
interesting.
Adgie. the vaudeville Lady Of Lions,
seemed as sunconcerned when she was
standing In the cage last night. with her
face between the lions jaws and using
his throat a. telephone. a. she did in
the carriage on the street In the after