The times., 1898-10-25
AT THE TREATERS.
Lafn,ette-aThe jolly Mr.,seteer


Didct Blanc. Harry Matdonou h
lvctte MAUD Hoiiih'
Ncrvc.- Bertha Waltzng
CaCrus of SIushetoeers, Flower Girls, Ladies Of
the Court. etc.
Just exactly how Stanislaus Stange,
UilJ wrote the vehicle in which Jefferson
| de Angels appeared before very large
audience last night at the Lafayette
Square, could have cultivated a con-
science sufficiently drowsy to permit of
his calling that vehicle The jolly Muske-
teer' can hardly be imagined. Though pal
atably and sometimes ridiculously funny
to the house which witnessed his capers.
the brave soldier aforementioned could
only deserve the epithet by which he Is
described from one of those melancholy
persons who are most happy when most
miserable. For Mr.. STANCE has plunged
his hero into a depth of misfortune from
start to finish-has given him a weight OF
woe heavy enough TO require the assis-
tance of a moving van, has supplied him
with multitude of troubles that would
appall De Wolf Hopper. and has finally
wound up by leaving him TO the rather
doubtful consolation of girl he does
not love and that sweet oblivion, drink" "
Besides this, MIR. STANCE has really sup
piled his star with most able Iibretto
He has written more witty lines than
have ever before been put into a single
opera. and has inlerspersed them with 4
few-but only few-situations that ex-
cite considerable mirth. Seldom does the
business descend to horslness and still
more seldom to duilness. When the ma.
terial threatens to give out, as it often
does, Mr.. Stange enables his star to re-
peat few epigrammatic proverbs that
papa" has said and thus hides his pow
erty until aid arrives. The story, while
not so abundant in opportunities as 1t
might be, is never reminiscent and al
ways enjoyable. ~ his telling of the
tale of man whose marriage was for
bidden because the betrothed lacked rank
and whose best friend volunteered to
make the girl titled widow by wedding
her himself, the author has supplied
many clever touches and a great deal of
matter that is really and sincerely artis-
tic. So much for the book.
The score, by Julian Edwards deserves
almost equal praise. 1t contains a bright
er lot of music than was composed for
THE WeddinesDay.' catcher collection
than was embraced in Madeline; or. The
Magic Kiss" and distinctly as classical a
class as that of Brian Boru" The Sc
iections cannot be called beautiful by any
means but any number of them are tune
ful and may. therefore, lay claim to being
successful The Wishing Well" The
Kings Own Musketeers" Friends" n
solo for Yvette and another for Verve
several of the choruses and three topical
sonSs-"W Woman, Woman" Just to Pass
the Time Away" and That Sweet OBJ
livion. Drink the best of these
OF the lyrics, the less said the better
Mr. STANCE has nodded them on the
true" and blue" roam and home"
style so familiar TO admirers of Charles
X. Harris and Paul Dressler There is
little jingle to them, less rhythm, and no
meter whatever. As rhymester Mr.
STANCE can only find his equal in Alfred
Austin.
The feature of the opera. however. and
one that may carry ii when everything
else fails, is its production THE jolly
Musketeer' has been put on with a de-
gree of lavishness in costumes scenery.
and effects that fairly discounts The
Charlatan, and creates an epoch in local
knowledge OF such work The action is
one succession Of pictures while the cho-
rus is so good looking. so intelligent SO
well trained. and SO beautifully costumed
that one forgets to criticise and remains
to admire The production OF THE Jolly
Musketeer" dazzles one so that he can
But one cannot help seeing jefferson de
Angels and there is no doubt in the
world that the comedians worth as a
star has not increased since his failure
with The Caliph." All men who are
good In support are not capable of going
it alone and Mr.. de Angels is a pitiful
example of this fact. Though frequently.
funny, 1t is only by most heroic effort that
he acconplishes anything and the man
nerisms personalities and eccentricities so
notable in men like De Wolf Hopper.
Francis Wilson and Frank Daniels are
totally lacking in him. The best thing
Mr.. de Angels does is to dance.
OF the cast little need be said, though
that little mainly in commendation. Van
Rensselaer, Wheeler sings and acts better
than ever before. while both Bertha
Waltzinger and Maud Hollins are, on this
point, beyond criticism, though neither
will probably ever achieve fame as a
player. Harry Macdonough labors hard
to be laughable with small results.
though this is largely due TO a very small
part. Winfield Blake, Ole Norman, Joseph
Smiley. Helena Friedrich and Edith Hem
dee are good
Altogether THE jolly Musketeer'' bids
fair to be a success-partly because of its
cast, more through its score and libretto
but most because of its beauty and
sumptuousness as a production.