The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-12
NEW TO AUDIENCES HERE.
MR.. soTHERN FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN "THE LADY OF LYONS"

Miss harmed Also In tho Reproduction OF
Bulw ere Comedy Mt the L~yceum-OpcraS
Illustrated by Mr.. Hauuneratein with Livs
ing PIctures-"For Liberty ana Love-"
Edward II. sothorn made n finely ornate re-
production OF "The Lady Of Lyons" at the
Lyceum Theatre last night. and ut the end OF
the fourth act the audience kept ON recall
ing him until the curtain had been raised
seven times. His friends were determined
that no should mako a speech, and evidently
he had resolved not to, but at length no oooai-
entity and modestly expressed his thanks TOT
the enthusiastic demonstration The ell
max Of that act. with Claude Metnotte's
remuneration of Pauline and departure
for tho war, had been enlivened by q
march Of soldiers past the windows 70 inc
music Of 1.-THE Marseillaise, and to that excito-
ment some of tho applause was due. But the
play was put upon tho stage beautifully nus
entirety, with much good taste and liberal out
law. and the liking OF Mr.. Sothcrn by this Assem-.
blago seemed to DO increased by what he accom-
plished.
There was undue restraint in Mr.. Sothern's
own performance. 1t seemed as though he had
made up his mind to neither rant nor spout, and
he surely kept that resolution commenda-
bly,. But In doing so ho fell into q quiz
etude and q monotony not productive
of dramatic effect. THE Lady of Lyons
IL an artificial play, with strained sentimental
ity, unsympathetic behavior. and unreal emo
tions. Tho old.fashioned declamatory method
of speaking it's language was suitable, therefore.
and its heroine, as enacted FOR example by
tho imperious Mary Anderson with grandilo'
ouenoe and statuesqueness. was q lady to
compel Difference. Mr.. Sothern and his stage
companions subjected Bulwer's unnatural com.
position to q neuralistic treatment. and thereby
failed to give that palmy.day mpressiveness
which 10 the only kind possible to impart
to It. Thus Mr.. Sothern was inevitably
disappointing in that glib lie about his place at
Lake Como, was not rousing in his outbreaks OF
fluent ~oratory, and was not dominant at
points where many q less able actor had
taken the middle Of tho stage amid admiring
plaudits. Virginia Harmed INDUCED in moro
of force and vigor. and her Pauline was a beau
titplly sensnogs creature; but she was modern \,
Lyons Is not above the common stature of very
ordinary women when she comes OF her stills;
Nevertheless, this revival at the Lyceum 10 by
NO means inartistic or futile: On tho con-
trary. 1t is in It's way a rare treat for those who
are unfinchingly loyal in their admiration of
Mr.. Sothern. and for those others who will de-
rive q satisfaction of curiosity In seeing the
p p1sGt p presented sSs nes.e in t snS STYLE Mrs s 81 the best Mi ifI ISss
no vogue by reason OF his very worthy and In
teresting experiment.
Oscar Hammerstein has an abiding faith in
the popular taste for good music, induced prob
ably not so much by tho success Of his own
scores as by obser vaton Of the heartiness
with which music hall audiences vel.
come selections from IN Trovatore and
armen." MI. Hammerstein has also
q we'll belief in the peoples admira.
ton for living pictures. This dates from tho
early days in which. at Roster &c Balls. he
posed In their frames some Of the best of them
that New York ever saw. When he combined
ballet and living pictures In Marguerite" the
public liked that. too. 30 Mr.. Hammerstein
believes In the efficacy Of the living picture.
So he combined that idea at tho Olympia last
night with some Of tho best known scenes from
popular classical operas. There wore ave tab
leaux displayed. and after the spectators gazed
at them for O moment the characters sung the
music of the particular scene In which they were
shown. They wero called upon in this way to
sing as we'll as pose. and It was not to be OF.
pected that they would DO both equally well.
which they were taken, have been suns with a
chorus, or at least in the presence Of one: But
there were last night no more than four figures
Tho drst picture showed o scene-or rather q
ss san Of tive sSsn's s,s and , swo aot x.
vsnu.eers .cs"s. with WoSram sitting
on what apl tred to DO the stoop q
ready to sing the Evening Star" scene so
soon as Tenus and TannhGeuser gave him the op.
RiHsvp ana he had dG his inniaE EaA' Tfh sas' w sas% t dssR
OF Bellinl for the second layer of this musical
gonsss eeIt in the S form moi Of " s sIsne fISp %L. .s Son (
frightened. than anybody watching her, sang
though her voice was fresh and sweet
and she had some idea Of singing. For
acAnA frOm Faust with An nDOtleOSiE of
clouds and angels bearing alott, a painfully
nndraP led " nG ar nn bisi With II must ss ,. haze sio,S S%n o5
tho though the they fs Rt't that %1 under t the eirca aG9asa as
Il 10 H Ssps ks say her pe Clothes @1G oa. AeSR eFfPin ssce eGf oss
had been made IT her favor already, and a do
GF %s q %9a aHd 1v 9Hsh' f to hhTs f0l tSs Inspiration
: sn sn the last Isnas twO DtSs ssE 8, T Ehss w Tss = 1o Ss,l:
was a curious one to select for such
representation. To the last tableau there was
olctto" and it aroused the customary enthu-
siasm. 1t was. indeed. better sung than any of
tho other numbers.
ing OF popular operate airs in costume. and. as
music hall finale. 1t ought to, be diverting to
with the works from which the numbers were
drawn. The two Wagner excc-rts might,
, %ss 9a.re be any G ssIdt d. .s oniiE ~ r ihst .s eSIns
very much like it. OF course. they were entirely
beyond the powers OF their interpreters. But the
rest Of the scenes were well enough sung to be
satisfactory. The pictures wero moderately at.
traetive-although not up to the old living.
picture standard of beauty-and the audience
applauded with some enthusiasm. Evidently
Mr.. Hammerstcin's confidence In music and
tRbleaux was not misplaced.
Lillian Lewis. Albert Bigelow Paine. and Law
renee Marston were the writer's OF For Liberty
and Love- the new Cuban war play that held
the Grand last night. Miss Lewis. too. was the
most conspicuous interpreter Of the drama
She was n Cuban woman, intensely earnest
In her wish for freedom for her country, yet wal
deeply in love with "A Spanish officer. This mar
her compatriots believed to have been instru
mental In many outrages against the Cubans
among them the murder of her own parents
and the assassination Of Gen. Antonio
Maceo. who was a rugged, soldierly
figure In one OF the plays acts. At tn,
end the villainy was placed with a Spanish spy
who was acting as an officer In the Cuban army
and on the Spaniard's deserving to tn,
patriot ranks he became as near tn,
hero of the play as any one in r. Jr WA