The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-08
AT THE THEATERS.

well soaped stairway, down which the
entire cast falls during one act, and a pneu-
matte pad, artisticalty adjusted about the
figure CT Mr.. Mack, bearing any amount of
clubbing, form two Of the principal fun
making elements in "Finnigan's Courtship,"
which opened weeks engagement at the
Grand last night. TIE famous, original
Irish comedians" Murray and Mack, head
the company which entertained standing
room only Sunday night audience The play,
summed uD in a nutshell, is a potpourri of
vaudeville attractions, some being quite ac-
ceptabe, while others are passe, the former,
fortunately, being in the majority.
Murray and Mack, during their first five
minutes on the boards last night, demon
strated to the satisfaction Of the audience
that 'Finnigan's Courtship'' was a farce
comedy, with an accent on the farce. They
are undeniably a funny team and had the
audience with them Fred De Noe as
Phil Mccain, a thoroughbred sport, gives
clever impersonatiOn of his part, and be
came very popular with the gallery gods"
Oracle Cummings is a sprightly soubrette
and won merited applause with her songs.
Miss Cummings brings to st. Paul a brand
new song, "A Naughty Wink" which she
delivered with great effect especially upon
the occupants of the first three rows in the
parquet. Miss Wayne rTaylor's characteri-
cation of Eleanor Hogan, who possesses a
bad temper and a few suspicious" was wen
rendered. She pleased the audience with
number CT vocal selections. As they were
too classical for the patrons Of the gallery,
she did not receive the applause deserved.
The buck and wing dancing of the Trumbull
sisters was excellent.
The musical numbers in ''Finnigan's Court
ship" are catchy and the repartee bright
Same bill all week with the usual matinees.
special from Milwaukee says: Lift has
struck it again" That is the verdict of the
immense audience which filled the Biiou TO-
night from pit to dome. There was scarcely
standing room when the curtain rolled I'd on
a beautiful Southern scene on the first pres
entatiOn Of Under Martial Law" writ
ten by Milton Mobiles, and purchased by the
energetic Northwestern manager, Jacob Lift.
1t is extremely doubtful if a more enthusiast
tic audience was ever gathered within the
Biiou walls The attendance of the audience
was riveted from early in the first act and
1t was held to the end. At the END of a sit
uation of great dramatic power in the third
act the author was called before the curtain
and when the enthusiasm, which had grown
to cheers upon his appearance became almost
tumultuous, he responded with a rather nerv-
Gus speech Of thanks. The play is really
powerful one dramatically, and the story is
tod directly and naturally Mechanical effects
are not used in any of the scenes AS the
title indicates, it has a military flavor. The
first opens in North Carolina at the beginning
of the war and the succeeding acts take place
in Washington three months later. when the
capital city was under martial law, and at
time when stirring events were occurring
daily. The villain is a Union officer and the
hero is a Confederate officer and a prisoner
of war, yet there is nothing sectional in the
story, nor the slightest reference to the great
struggle that is going on between the North
and the South. 1t is a straight romantic
story. 1t is superbly staged, as are all Of
Mr.. Lifts productions. The company includes
Mr.. Mobiles, William Beach, j. NJ ColviIIe
Scott Cooper Otis Turner and other able
actors.