The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-01-24

M. nm Ess!ElsgEhi"
JOSEPH MURPHY.
dulge in "a lot of slap-stick and flour
originalfties, while the first old woman
was letting fly a bottle full of highly
charged water at the utility man, who
is engaged in making mugs" at
small boy in the gallery as he essays
song and dance. All this could be done
by Joseph Murphy if he were not an
actor Mr. Murphy will be at the Met
ropolitan on Friday and Saturday
nights of this week, and matinee Sat
urday afternoon.
Every Month: There is no question
that the stage has deteriorated. There
is no longer q doubt that almost all
of its once pretentious art has run to
vaudeville seed, but there is little addi-
tional doubt that the same is in part
and even largely, due to that very class
who are so very good and so very right
eous that they are unable to distinguish
anything after the word stage is men,
toned; who leave genius in this fern to
struggle alone and Intellectually against
the very evils of the stage which they
in their pompous righteousness decry,
and yet who affect to appreciate art in
other forms and to further by their
purse and social consent the works of
genius in other fields. Certainly the
stage has deteriorated, but it would
not have done SO if the so-called better
element had but opened their eyes and
ears and attended to the all but divine
voices that are preaching message no
less important to the race than that
emanating from the rostrum and the
pulpit They are important along with
all else that is important, and the fact
that the drama has deteriorated and
| been pushed aside is not SO much q
commentary upon the quality of the
dramatic profession as upon the stub
born, blind, selfish and vain pharisaism
of those who pretend to be something,
and TO do something, and while promot-
ing art In one field ignore this other
important factor because some one has
said that it is not proper. They are
not fools half so much as they are hyp-
ocrites, and they are not either of these
in near so deadly proportion as they
are dupes and dawdlers, the followers
after anything that is supposed to lead
to exalted condition without involving
any danger of anything which would
reflect upon their mediocre mentality.
| Louise Truax Hibbard is a most re-
markabe little lady of Ii years, who
bids fair TO rival the noted Anna Shaw
as a whistler Her talent was discov-
| cred by accident about three years gao.
and since then she has delighted many
| audiences in Chicago, Detroit, WASH
| ington, Baltimore and Philadelphia
| She has, naturally, been much in de-
mand for social gatherings, and in this
work has won golden opinions, not only
| by her bird-Iike notes, but by her mod
| est and unaffected manner. The little
woman belongs to one of the oldest
| families in Detroit but has recently
come to New York with her mother in
search Of fresh laurels.
New York Post A daily paper has
! been gathering the opinions of prom
| inent singers as to the effect of Wagner
! singing. They all pooh-pooh the idea
! that it is injurious in any way. NJ.
Edouard de Reszke says that 1.-The strain
on the voice and the physique which it
! involves has been absurdly exagger-
ated," and NJ. Jean de Reszke asks pith-
| lily: IF the singing Of Wagner produces
| injurious physical effects artists would
not rush to their doom quite SO eager
| ly; and what operate hero is there who
! is not anxious to sing in Wagner OPP
era?' 81 Placon does mot believe that
| Wagner's music is calculated TO fatigue
the voice to a greater degree than any
! other music" and he adds Il am GER
tainly a Wagner fanatic, l admire him
more than any other composer"
The Pilgrims Progress, as present
ed in the Olympic Theater, London. APP
pears 10 have been degraded TO the ley
ell OF the ordinary stage fairy spectacle.
The scenery was on the most elaborate
scale and the picture of the Celestial
| City was dazzingly brilliant but it
seems 10 have suggested no thought be-
yond that of the ordinary transforms
/ ton scene after the fairy tale introduce
ton to a pantomime, and might just as
| well have been followed by a harle-
quinade,
Says joseph Holland In his remin-
iscences of The Road. Speaking of
| dressing rooms reminds me OF a So
| called theater in Southwestern Mis-
| souri, where the manager of a travelling
company found only one dressing-ro
and that large apartment underneath
| the stage He asked the local impress
sario where the other dressing rooms
| were
| .srrbora Amt any others farcasiIiIy
but ungrammatically said the manager.