The times., 1898-09-20
AT TIE TEEATERS.
Lafnye.te-..HoteI Top.y Tury,

Lafuyette-ssHoteI Topsy TuryyD
Mrs Mckinley Secretary Gage Secre-
tary Bliss, Gen. Miles and Assistant Sec
retary Vanderlip REINFORCED by New
York contingent of theatrical celebrities,
including Z. E. Rice, T. Henry French,
Charles Evans Edgar Smith, Major Rice
and Joseph Kenny, headed the audience
that gathered last night at the Lafayette
to witness the annual opening of that
theater, and the first performance of
Hotel Topsy Turvy." simultaneously
don that it might be present at a like
event. and II that body enjoyed the per-
formance as the local one appeared to do,
1t is by no means certain that-difference
in time considered-the Britishers are not
laughing yet.
The first thing that strikes one upon
taking up his program before "Topsy
Turvy" has begun is the fact that the
list of authors does not so much resem-
BILE the title page of city directory as
is usually the case with imported farces.
And the result of this is not less notice
able after the curtain has risen and the
auditor has had time to observe that one
of the comedys first merits is the COM
pactness with which it is put together.
The materials used in the piece have
rarely been new, and some of them ap-
proach the sere and yellow, but NJ Or
doneau, who is given the credit of hav-
ing originated the idea, has handled his
matter cleverly and generally with con-
siderable respect for the copyright laws
He has also supplied the creation with a
nj mber of delightful melodies and an
abundance of laughabie horseplay.
Perhaps, indeed, 1t is this as much as
anything else that will save the piece
financially, for The constant riot going
on gives one but scant time for critical
thought. Hotel Topsy Turvy'' is as fun
of life as the fine stream of a soda water
fountain. Whatever else may be said of
it, there is not a duh moment in the
farce and the provocation to lose ones
dignity in roars Of merriment is all the
more irresistible because the play does
not pretend to have any dignity to lose.
Generally speaking however the great
barrier between the work and classical
popularity will be that the music is too
heavy and the libretto TOO light One
may enjoy melodies that cannot be whis-
tied and one may smile at antics that
owe much of their merit to the same
ideas thai make the slap stick and the
seltZer bottle possible to comedians but
the difference from that point on is pro
nounced. Heavy music may be critically
commended, but absolute nonsense can
not
The managers of the show have been
lavish in their expenditures on scenery
and costumes and the effect is good
The characteristic Rice girl is TO be seen
though she doesn't have the chance she
might. But the cast could not be inn
| proved upon. In the hands of such art
! lists as those composing the Herald
! Square company, nothing could b. worth
1 less. Eddie Foy-graduated to the dig
| nifty of Mr.. Edwin Foy-is as absolutely
| clowrish as ever, but he is also ridicu-
! lously funny. The part OF the acrobat
| SO fits him that one cannot say which
| owes most TO the other. Marie DressIei
! is also excellent and makes a great dea
! out of her assumed vulgarities in tbs
second and third acts. while Henry Nor
mans strong man is essentially different
| from the ones TO whom we were intro
duced in ''The Circus Girl and like com
edies. Aubrey Boucicault and Franz
! Doane are pleasing art students. and tn
| former sings with all his old charm
! Frank Smithson plays Dremer much a.
| Alexis Gisike does Zarifouh and neither
| finds much in his role. while the sayeS
of Edna Aug is cross between the Rutl
! Of The Girl from Paris and the Swed,
! in What Happened to JONES' with mos
] of the virtues of both. Edward Connolly
| Emma Brennan. Eleanore Falk, and Eir
ginia Ross appear TO advantage in tn,
remainder of the important parts, A bal
let in the last act proved enjoyable.