The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-21
THINGS AT THE THEATRE.
an AFTERNOON VARIETY Snow BIZ
Mn. CoLLIER,S FRIENDS.

Nave Preducea-'.Usci Toun,s Csh,sD va
riousiy Treated-nrr. Sehnseu ana Mis Fei.
low Actor In thu Ga~iisry-Eetes % the stage.
An audience at the Herald Square Theatre
Yesterday afternoon paid about O thousand dol
lars for entertainment which . great deal moro
money than that could not have produced. It
was given by volunteers for James W. Collier,
tho disabled actor and manager. Mono Of the
things done was new, but some Of them were
unusual, and altogether they filled tho time be-
tween Q o'clock and o divertingly. Three reci-
tations were particularly good. Daniel Harkins
detained Tho Hanging of the Crane with q
sonorous and authoritative elocution that was
admirable. Irene Perry was contrastinRly naHvo
and artloss with "The Pride Of Battery B."
John E. Kellerd was moro oddly meritorious
with FRA Giacomo." tho words Of which were
accompanied by wildly illustrative action,
which, although the speaker had no thoatri-
cal garb. properties or scene, made q
strongly dramatic effect. The solo sing
ers also were three. Lillian Russell
gavo tho waltz song Delight" and was notably
good humored and prankish. Sissieretta Jones,
known as " the Black Patti" sang from Tho
Huguonots," and then Tho Old Folks ut Home
from which negro ballad she carefully eliminated
every trace Of negro diction. There was q plenty
OF musical expression. but II was curious to hear
the familiar ballad OF the blacks delivered by q
black woman In q quito grammatical version
and in the best approved pronunciation of q New
York drawing room. The third single vocalist
was Jefferson De Angels, VIII made a predatory
and true assertion that singing was not his best
SssSP RIs baiIad ii PIT ne W SStSsa IN b b,s sw sbo FUNNY ny
He wore fashionable afternoon attire instead OF
seemed to be a little puzzled as well as amused
BY the violent antics OF a violent comedian in the
su hn act Sd OF of c"SfffSs e Mas SG from Mesico " and one o,
"Thc Girl from Paris" were performed by the
s s3a9Rsalt nn now M s%PlY Hsaris ,a 'a asIsa i, John ao II;
llishtfal; ana Mckee Rankin ana Nance 6SSsii
II "Th sS IoSs O ssr!Ss.. M NJ. ifRS sSnRin ann i%l .aS s' Wiz tR
iirastiSie and Kindly old man. Miss o'Seiii m
girl. In this piece OF bold plagiarism the scene
Is bunglingly transferred to New York, and .
telegraph wire. The matter does not stand such
modernization well. Moreover, the work Of
Boncicault. effectively theatric as 4 was. does
day. The Long STRIKE were Produced pr psd1S now
as a new work, the audience would wonder why
msnt Of his Clients trial. on tie ground that a
material witness needed to DO brought back to
the city. No court would refuse to grant the
motion.
Vaudeville ~vocalists seeking to give a novel
N"Aeh ~ Java ANN "a hob0 ~
assistants in the audience to sing the retrains.
Usually the helper contributes more Of astonish-
mcnt than Of melody, for ordinarily he Is q
small boy. who pipes up shrilly and piercingly.
But Carroll Johnson, now at Keith's. has i'm
proved on the youngster. johnson blacks his
face, dons the gorgeous attire of a latter-day
end man. and, with a mien that is just too love.
" v for anyth1ins,F stsYPs out to 1 sing in praise Of his
the front row Of tho gallery. He 'is an adult.
Hm b ssidss hun hum does suS not t dlm, 'H Tho cast last
the bunch Of sweetness so fulsomely described,
hardly as stands t. ah.'' for in i hnrmo aa the Of ' inse siasteFSls i
e e6ansssts aad th sEe ssela I 4 sh s,,F nss1S si Il .ssd his
his ts19,i During hvs minu ts',t The negro e an
that greets his first sally his face takes on q
wide grin. which does not relax until he spenks
until the theatre s perfectly still win he sneak
no is determined. though the centre OF tho
stage is denied him. to make the deepest Inn
seizes his hat and dashes up the gallery stairs.
leaving his principal to complete his inning UNI
assisted.
Two versions Of Uncle Toms Cabin" are
with us. One is by Harkins and Barbour. and
1t has been described in THE SUN rs an effectual
attempt to rearrange the material In accordance
with the latest s'agecraft. Tho other Is q TO
adjustment of the matter which Clay n. Greene
made some years ago, and 1t Is the best OF all
the dramatizations of the story on the old lines.
This play has two of Topsv. two OF Marks. and
two of OpheliG. But there are other unmistak-
able signs of populariEation. The actor playing
Marks adds to his name in the programme the
that he has acted that role 1900
times. Some Of his companions may
have served in their parts as many
times. judging by their looks. Little of Mr..
Greene's work is left. Tho idea Is to utilize
"Uncle Toms Cabin" as the peg on which to
hang a lot Of the negro specialties that have lately
become popular on the vaudeville stage. By this
e~Ipedient tho audiences are witnessing for the
FIRST time a continuous performance at tho
Grand. The entertainment proceeds without
Interruption from the time tho curtain rises.
GGssorEe and his wife escape. The dogs knock
ases On: s'f Yesss. 9 L eSa.l ssfsfs; and more the 81 'h ~
troaSles. When tn The play econ eGm ap aap nas
and 4 looks as though something Of Mrs Stoves
play drops out. Many. incidentss in thc; PIECE q at
Of Barber and Hark aGls are tns acted da' E sffanstfm isRs
with her son. and other episodes. are chiefly
cur in the other. and the spectators can
zee why they happen. They have seen the pro.
told afterward how the things have como
oeSout; Little enough Of the play 10 left at the
willie, but 1t may DO that this is as good a way
as any other Of using the worn-out materials Of
the novel. The motives of the play are not 80
appealing to audiences as they were once. Tho
story cannot be made interesting on our stage
throughout, and so the dogs, donkeys, and sing
demned. A great many other plays became
t RSSaaiaf T r. 1eo Dsv %h Ma. w so 4 H mot % T TOLERATED s1a
piled with better singers and dancers than those |
at, the Grand this week. They acquit them |
selves well. Even In the cake walk, which fol-
lowed as a dramatic sequence the escape of
George and Eliza, they delight the multitude.
Two pieces Of nonsense are to start In with I'M
common vim next week for summer terms in
New York. One of them, "a Round of Pleas
ure." was taken to New Haven last night, and