The times., 1898-12-27
Nntionar--rhe Telephone Girl


The two audiences that assembled yes
terday at the National for the purpose Of
witnessing Hugh Morton and Gustavs
Kerker's Telephone Girl' could only
have been made more profitable to Man
ayers Rapley, Mcclellan and Lederer in
one way. If. by some process of inver-
sion. the house could have been forced
to assume a position in which the CALLER
les would have become the orchestra and
the seats therein orchestra chairs. none
OF these gentlemen would be likely TO
have much reason for complaint on the
score of poverty during the next six
weeks. For the latest Casino production
en- route was reputed to be vulger show,
and the result of its reputation was
prodi8ous upstairs crowds at both the
Christmas matinee and evening perform
ances.
"The Telephone Girl is in every sense
OF the word metropolitan presentation.
1t has been built for the bald-headed old
man, the callow youth and the gentle
man proverbially drawn by Gibson de-
scribed by the Duchess and persJnified
by John Drew. Certain sorts of people
might easily enjoy the performances
hugely, but the domestic woman and her
business husband would hardly b. among
them. Not that this latest offering con-
tains oue-fourth OF the obscenity with
which it has been credited. THE Tele-
phone Girl" may boast of any number of
lines and incidents that could not proper
ly be related in good society. but it has
still been cut and twisted since leaving
Gotham that only ones Aunt Jane and
her relatives could really he offended at
main. But the work has nothing about
it that would especially appeal 10 the av-
erage person. There are some witty
lines and some pretty music. but the
greater part of the laughter is gotten by
mere horseplay. ana the melodies are
mainly colorless and insipid THE Tel
ephone Girl tells more of nothing and
takes a longer time to do it than any
previous effort that ever came from New
York's home of comic opera
Gustave Kerker generally composes
jingling airs and hardly ever repeats him
self. But the hand and mind that were
responsible for The Lady Slavey.' and
The Belle of New York have not don.
themselves justice in this vehicle. There
are few memorable melodies in THE Tel
ephone Girl and many tnat may be re-
membered-as having come from other
sources. Three or four of the selections
are unusually reminiscent at least one,
When the Bell Goes Ting-a-ling-l ling"
being a deliberate copy of The Execu-
toner's Song. of The Mikado." Mr..
Kerker has positively outdone himself on
My Estelle," which is one of the most
charmingly delicate waltz songs he has
given us since the disappearances of
MOLLY. Molly" Mary Ellen Brown"
lone, Two, Three. The Little Yaller
Boy Lead on Ebenezer'' and Nancy
Hogan's Bali are the best of the sue
ceeding numbers.
Hugh Morton's story leads the specta-
tor through two scenes-one II telephone
office in New York and the other a par
lor in such a fiat as Is visible only in
dreams and musical comedies in which
stage room must be left for the chorus.
Mr.. Morton's plot is dreary and inco-
herent, but he has supplied several witty
lines and a great many opportunities of
which the cast is not slow to take ad-
vantage. His lyrics are very passable.
too, and all his work quite up to the
average and little above il.
Some of the presenting company-most
of it's very good and few of its members
are really bad. Louis Mann does the
role of Hans Nix much as he did that of
his namesake in The Girl From Paris
But Mr.. Mann comes dangerously near
almost hysterical laughter at both per-
formances yesterday. His telephone
conversation in the first act is especially
notable, while two scenes of his in the
last are made so absurdly funny that
one forgets TO be tired at their length
Clara Lipman has little chance until late
in the piece and does not. therefore. ap-
pear to especial advantage, excepting in
her drunken bit just before the final cur
| tain. This trifle is the work of an artist
| and deserves unmeasured credit. James
| f. Macdonald. Mabel Frenyear and Ben
| T. Dillon compose a most surprising trio
| Mr.. Macdonald is clever comedian,
| a capital dancer and has sympathetic
| voice; Miss Frenyear possesses enough
| vitality and vivala.y for a dozen ordi-
| nary soubrettes and Mr.. Dillon does as
| much to carry some OF the scenes as any
| one in the organization. Two Nicks-
| Nick Long and Nick Burnham-prove
| veritable st. Nicholases in the amuse-
| ment they bring, while Rose Braham,
Sarah McVicker and Helen Harrington
are all passably good in smaller roles.
| William T. Terriss is young man with
a dress suit stock of London phrases
| and a poor voice. who does credit to no
| one. and Joseph C. Fay portrays the con-
ventional roue in the conventional way.
| Nellie Douglas is commendable.
| During the second act two speciaities
| occur. Mary Post and Augusta Ber-
| trand show their Independence by sing
| ing duet as though 1t were a double solo,
| while Lille Collins contributes grace