The herald., 1898-12-11


quantity than can ordinarily be found at
one time. Four houses will be open and the
bill of fare embraces a variety that should
provide something to suit every taste. A
successful romantic war drama that has
long been greeted as the best thing of its
kind, is to be seen at Messrs. Wood &
Wyatt's house; an excellent comedy drama
is to be seen at the Burbank; the best
vaudeville bill in the country is at the Or
pheum; while the lover of red fire melo-
fee at the pavilion.
1t is some long time since the theatrical
business was as lively as it row is and the
number ofgoodthings in store that are prom
ised will furnish plenty OF amusement pro-
vided everything materializes in accord
ance with managerial expectations.
o o o
The taste of New York audiences is well
known to be depraved when it comes to a
question OF indecency in the drama. This
is accounted for by the fact that the popua-
tion comprises large a proportion OF the
ater-goers who are merely transient dwell
ers in the city, and who crave any and
every excitement that they can find, hay
ing no feeling of moral sponsibility, but on
the contrary a desire to see ''the elephant
while they are away from home,
But it would seem that the press of the
Empire City might be more unanimous in
condemnirg the growing vulgarity and IL
cense of the stage. Undressing acts are the
rage at the present time, having
taken their start from the trapeze
performer who attracted thousands
every night to see Eer deliberate
ly disrobc garment after garment while up
in the air. until she was apparently abso
lutely nude, although not so in reality. The
people who applauded this exhibition want
more of it, and now the undressing by wom-
en- upon the stage has grown into common
thing. Few of them emulate Charmion's
example and perform the operation entirely
in public; a screen is used, but the sugges
tiveness is all there and it will not be long
before the screen will be dispensed with
in the race for notoriety.
What Is surprising is the mild and guard
ed way in which this business is noticed, |
cannot say criticised, in leading New York
papers. Take the Sun, for example, and
hibition of nudity. 1t says:
"A change ir A Dangerous Maid at the
Casino may be regarded by some people as
art to be praised, by others as an exploit
to be condemned, and by still Others as
both, to be liked or not, according to ind-
vidual taste. There is painting called An
Affair of Honor which has been made IA
miliar by duplication. 1t shows two women
engaged in duel with swords. The antag-
onists are stripped to the waist. The pic
ture is esteemed as an artistic work. A
duel between two women is an episode in
the current play at the Casino. Much was
made of it from the outset 1t was
strongly dramatic climax of an affair of
love and Jealousy, though introduced in a
piece that is considerably frivolous The
Casino management had never been suueam.
ish in subjecting its actresses to unconyen-
tlonal disclosure. But in this instance mod.
esty seemed to have intervened Miss Less
ing and Miss Burt fought finely in moonlit
wood by purling waterfall under pictur-
esque conditions. They were like the fair
Gueists of the picture in animation, and at
times in their poses. But they were not
faithful in their copy of costumes Instead
of stripping themselves partially for the
fray, they merely took off the waists of their
gowns and kept on their corsets and chem
ises. The spectators were plainly disap-
pointed. Such half measures in dsrobeqnent
were not what they expected at the Casino.
The fault, if it was one, is remedied this
week. The two actresses uncover them
selves much more than hitherto The effect
is surely more dramatic and nearer like
An Affair of Honor OF course, the sub
ject is open to critical considerations from
another point of view. 1t raises the old and
unsettled question of nudity in art"
The first production of the new opera
ULYSSES" by the Bostonians, took place
about week ago at Cleveland, and is COM
mented upon by Chicago paper as follows:
A large audience at the Euclid avenue
opera house witnessed the first production
by the Bostonians of the new opera,
ULYSSES, by Roland i. Phillips and w. H
Neidlinger. The book, according to the
benevolent critic who seems to attend all
first nights the country over, and keep the
wires hot with laudatory adjectives, is full
Of humor and the music is bright and catchy.
The story is from the Hcmeric myth of
Ulysses The time is the close of the
Trojan war; Ulysses, recognized as king,
desires to be rewarded with the crown of i'm
mortality, and he wants it at once. To this
manageable goddess, whose alliance would
place him at once among the gods of Olym-
pus. The story follows his fortunes along
this line, as wella those of his matrimonial
adviser, Oudeis, who, although slave and an
arrant coward, has certainly kingly and i'm.
mortal aspirations of his own. ''Taken as
a whole, the verdict of the first night aud
fence was that the success of the new opera
was unqualified Especial individual hits of
the evening were made by Mr. Mcdonald in
the title role, Mr.. Barnabee as Oudeis, Mr..
Brown as Nestor, Jessie Bartlett Davis as
Circe, queen of the sirens, and Helen Ber-
tram as Porphyra," says the aforesaid critic.
o o o
The twenty.frst year of Gilbert and Sulli.
vans comic opera, "The Sorcerer," has just
been celebrated at the Savoy theater, Lon.
don, and it is said that during this period of
twenty-one years the British public has paid
pome $l5,000,O00 to witness performances Of
the works of these authors. The American