The herald., 1898-11-29
AT THE THEATER
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THE LOS ANGELES.-In their farcical
comedy, Mistakes Will Happen Charles
Dickson and Henrietta Crossman have most
of the fun to themselves. Nanette ComstoclS,
Carrie Behr and Charles Harbury make up,
with the leaders, a quintet that is amply
able to do justice to some play with much
larger demands upon their powers as come
dians than the fragile material out Of which
the piece Of last night is constructed. In
fact, seeing these people do such artistic
work and make so much as they did out of
slight material, it was in way aggravating
to find that they did not have something
more worthy of their powers in which to
demonstrate their abilities to more effective
purpose.
Not but what mistakes Will Happen" is
anything but a very amusing farce. 1t drags
a little in the opening, but on the entrance
of the fascinating Crossman every one
brightens up and the applause really begins.
The second act is really the whole thing, CIV
ing, as it does, the cream of the idea which
is spread into three acts. The lesson in act
ing given by the professional actor to the
society amateur is worth the whole price of
admission. The third act is obviously spun
out for the purpose of making the piece fill
the allotted time, but would be greatly i'm
proved by some excisions-the action need
ing acccleration.
Charles Dickson is as clever, cool and
cheeky as ever, and gets every possible laugh
out of his lines, and Mr.. Harbury's Hunter
Chase is above the average of similar stere-
otyped presentations. The gray haired mar
ried old buck, who is fond of forbidden fruit,
is a very familiar character in all farces, and
it is hard to impart much novelty to the act
ing of the character. Miss Crossman gives
the part of Mrs. Hunter-Chase just enough
of the spice of "dablerie," mixed with the
vanity and inanty of the typical woman of
fashion, to make the character highly anus
ing She has the gift of expression to the
extent of indicating whole history in the
enuncaton of few simple words and of
giving world of meaning to a glance or a
smile. Her talent deserves a larger sphere
of exercise.
Miss Comstock is prettier than ever and
makes of the actors wife charming study,
which she renders naturally and at the same
time very effectively. Carrie Behr repeats
her dialect success, this time as a German
servant girl, although why the song and
dance are introduced would be hard to de-
eide. The rest of the cast is ably presented.
''Mistakes Will Happen" is bright piece
of the farcical order and will repay visit
for the sake of the acting alone.
The "Passion Play is underlined at this
house for Friday evening.
o O O
THE BURBANK.--The Grau Opera COM
pany opened the fourth week of it's engage
1nent last night with grand production of
the extremely funny comic opera "Olivette."
The staging was appropriate as well as artis-
tic; the costuming was stunning, and the
singing up to the best that has been done
during this popular engagement. In fact,
everything and everybody in "Olivette" is
satisfactory, and the piece runs through
from beginning to end with dash and go
that keep the audience in a state Of hilar-
ity through the entire three acts.
The score is pretty nearly adhered to, but
the low comedy men introduce a couple of
topical songs and some local hits that car
ried the house by storm. The following is
the cast:
Captain de Merrimac. ac............ Dan Young
Valentine. .....................H Harry Davies
Duo d'Ifs George Broderick
Coquillicot. t....................S Stanley Felch
Marvejol .....................J John Layton
Olivette .................. Mary Darlington
Bathilda ....................F Fannie Meyers
Vclotin. ....... ........... Adele Harrington
Mastique ................ Carrie Ward
Stanley Felch's Coquillicot is work of
art and his appearance is the signal for hilari-
GUS times in the audience. He is so ugly
that he is good to look at, and his topical
song gained him half a dozen recalls.
Mary Darlington in the title role is charm
ing In the second act an interpolated num-
ber by Miss Darlington, George BrodericlS
and Stanley Fclch completely catches the
house, and, although Kentucky Babe" has
nothing to do with the case" it is enthusi-
astically received by the audience.
Miss Harrington, to the regret of her many
admirers. has very little to do but look pref
tv, in which she is, as always, successful.
Fannie Meyers makes an excellent countess,
for the part suits her admirably, and Harry
Davies, as usual, acts well his regulation part
of the lover. "Olivette" is sparkingly full of
fun, with not dull line in it, and the chorus