The times., 1898-09-25
THE TIMEs WAsHINGToM SUNDAY September % 1885

| Topsy Turvy" Undoubtedly scored heavi-
| ly and no one present could have failed
| to fall victim to the infection of success.
speaking from popular point of view,
| there was every reason for this state of
aTairs. People go to the theater in this
l day and age either to laugh or cry-pref-
| erably the former-and they cannot be
| expected to inquire too closely into the
| means by which their emotions are gen.
Grated. The ice-Evans-French farce
went with a rapidity and force that SIM
| ply precluded the possibility of anyone
stopping In the middle of a scene to ar
que with himself regarding the advisa-
bllity of enjoying the smashing of three
sets or dishes and a bass drum. Lights
| music, colors, noise, and humor, blended
| with the smiles of twenty pretty feminine
mouths and the motion of two score of
the kind of feminine legs for the selec-
| ton of which E. Il. Rice is famous would
nave carried a much worse example of
| play writing than Hotel Topsy Turvy"
into favor with the box Office.
Still the fact remains that the piece Is
probably the least legitimate of any ever
presented to local audience. The humor
Is horsey all the way through and the
excellent cast employed had the discre-
ton to see that all its opportunities lay
IN that direction and to take advantage
OF the most riotous of the scenes. Often
the coarseness of the comedy approached
the line where humor ceases and vulgar
ity begins, and once or twice the border
was crossed. The slap stick and the
seltzer bottle had more to do with pleas
Ing the audience than the few bright lines
and catchy songs interpolated. And the
property man was not the least lmpor-
tant of the comedians represented.
or course the play contained nothing
| new and no one expected it. All pieces of
the "Topsy Turyy'' sort are essentially
alike, though, as in the present case. the
materials may be handled in a rather odd
way. Some very queer things have been
made of chestnut wood But the ardent
artist-lover and his best friend, the stern
papa and the stranded performers, the
dignified nobleman and his pretended dou-
bic were all there without any more va
Ration than is necessary to prevent IN
functions. The climax to the first act
where Marie Dressler stood in the door
way and calcium light TO make her an
nouncement that the scene was over, and
Eddie Foys entrance from beneath ta-
blecloth were about the only two novel
ties in the play. Comic dinners and BAN
daged heads following them were had in
the ark.
A great obstacle to the success of the
new production will be in It's music. There
are three or four very catchy airs In the
piece, but they are hardly distinctive or
brilliant enough TO be more than pleasing.
One could sit through the performance
dozen times without remembering a note
The melodies are simply melodious with
out being unusual Their chords fall
pleasantly upon the ear but there Is
nothing about them sufficiently different
from the rest of such things TO be handed
n nprrn tn fQrif IA n ha m
positions had evidently been written by
the yard and so they lacked the grace
and lightness and dash TO be successful.
And dainty music is a necessity in such
offerings "Sister Mary James Top
Note" "A Little Bit Of String" and I've
Her Picture Next Me Heart" had great
deal TO do with making the comedies to
which they belonged. The gallery boys
did not whistle when they left the Lafay-
ette Square last Monday.
And yet with all this Hotel Topsy
Turvy'' is sure to prove popular in New
York and elsewhere. The piece is laugh
able, whatever else il is not. and people
the world over want TO laugh. SO long
as the merriment in the second act is
sufficiently loud TO drown conversation no
one will care rap that stepping upon
dinner table or demolishing a soup turean
is not really, the acme of wit. "Topsy
VI Wy - IuuIIy AuIliiJ VA Sts II W ia
make money. Farces of the chorus and
ballet sort are builded as much as they
are written. A premier danseuse, an in
terpolated can-can or two, half dozen
good vaudeville turns, a clever display
of lingerie and cast such as that seen
here last week would make sparkling
the reading of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence or the rendering of the funeral
march from Saul
And Hotel Topsy Turvy'' is neither.
Two revelations In the way of amuse-
ment were given last week at the Column
bia and the National-strange as it may
seem to compare plays like Diplomacy
and "A Reign of Error" The former was
presented with artistic smoothness and
beauty that was remarkable. A capital
cast was seen in the presentation. and its
members worked together with wonder
full care. Detail and finish were so very
closely observed that one felt like holding
his breath before creation so master
full that no praise could seem to convey
a fitting sense of its intellectual and edu-
cational foundation. There was vanity In
enjoying such a production as that of the
Mordaunt- Block company, because only
men who were themselves artists could
enjoy it. After an evening of Sardou
and Edgar Davenport, one understood
why so many wretched presentations are
permitted to exist-that one may appre-
ciate the more that which is really beau
tiful and worthy.
The performance given by the Rogers
Brothers pretended to be and was moth
ing more than a variety bill. But the
people who contributed to the entertain
ment were of the very best and even the
smallest parts in the farce were well
played There was no blatant discord in
color and effect anywhere. Costumes and
scenery and the girls employed were all
of a uniform refinement of appearance
that pleased the senses. Every point of
stagecraft had been looked after in max
ing the production, and the result was
that the humor was enjoyable, If noisy,
the music pleasing. if light, and the work
of the company nothing less than de-
lightful.
last week and went directly to where the
third act of Diplomacy was beginning.
The subdued speech and absolute refine
ment of the presentation seemed strange
Iy in contrast with the life and gaiety he
had lust left And yet there was a GER
tain likeness between the two because
each was the very best that could be
given in its line. And true art is in the
perfection Of anything-good, bad, or in
different.
If there are any local wits whose living
has been helped by writing for the comic
papers of fire-proof buildings that have
been destroyed by the careless dropping
of a cigarette. those humorists must have