The evening times., 1898-11-05
THINGS THEATRICAL.

AhO VI Tdllkt DdUiciS GUILTY. OP-
era hit, The Idols Eye has been pro-
| nounced by the press to be one of the
most perfect blendings of the popular and
| classic known to the stage. The former
quality, however. must not be confound-
ed with ponderosity. Victor Herbert, the
clever young composer of the score, abb
jures the unreieyed heavy in his writing.
He sees no necessity for making his airs
cumbersome with dignity in order to con-
form to the correct canons of art. He
| appears to be of the happy mind that
melodies may be as severely classic as the
| most ardent may desire without sending
| the listener who has not enjoyed a most
| thorough musical education to sleep. To
| Herbert they may be in strict accord with
the most unbending. most inflexible ten
| cts of the acknowledged authorities, and
STILL like some of the great paintings of
the world, appeal straight TO the heart
4 of the multitude. He has found himself
| ever free to pursue such course In his
own compositions without having TO turn
aside to give way to a fancied demand for
| clap-trap.
| This sentiment is certainly very happy
| possession, and Victor Herbert is to be
| congratulated upon having it. Seldom is
| IL that one has the pleasure of listening TO
| two such decidedly original bits as the
| dainty and delicious umbrella song, which
| Helen Redmond sings in the first act of
| The Idols Eye" and the chorused peti-
| ton or prayer to the Brahmn chiefs.
| Not only are these two numbers, so to-
| tally different in their character, from the
| brain this. bay
| SO closely as TO excite marvel that the
| author can be so rapid in his transitions
IL Is hard TO conceive that the creator
| oil this number is the originator also OF
| The Tatooed Man" and Fairy Tales"
which follow. and which are encored again
and again Till both the singers and their
| enthusiastic audiences are frequently
| compelled from sheer fatigue-the one
| from complying with and the other from
making the demands for encores-to stop
But such Is the fact. and In view of IL
| there Is small ground for wonder that the
| royalties Herbert has received from The
| ldoIs Eye thus far are said to exceed
| those from all his other works, pleas sing
evidence both of the popularity of the
! young composer and of the undoubta BILE
fact that he is advancing at rapid strides
along the path of his art. His is music of
Inc right sort-music which does not de-
-
iniscent powers for birth, which does
more in one evening TO at once satisfy
ana elevate the public taste than some of
the prominent orchestra leaders. by cram
ming an unmixed menu of the music of
the future down the thrnats of an un-
| Whetted people can do in season.
| me IDOLS Eye" will be seen In con-
junction with The Wizard of the Nile
next week at the Columbia
Because She Loved Him So the first
play from the pen of William GilIette
since the production of his world-famous
| secret Service, is TO be presented nexr
week at the New National Theater by
Charles F'rohman's Comedians. an organ-
lzation which includes J. E. Dodson and
IDA Conquest, of the Empire Theater
Stock Company; Edwin Arden. Arnold
Daiy, William Smith, Tully Marshall,
W. j. Constantine, Charles Eld.idge, Roy
fairchild, Kate Meek, Leonora Braham,
Margaret Fielding, Margaret Mayo.
Edythe Skewett. Bijou Fernandez and
Helen Gail.
The comedy shows the manner in which
morbidly suspicious and violent tenn
pered woman contrives 10 wreck her own
life and the lives of all unhappy enough h
to be thrown into her association. Her
firm conviction is that all men are false,
and that their lives are one sequence of
iniidelities and intrigues Animated by
this belief, she keeps a constant watch
on her husband, who is the best little
fellow in the world, and gets quite out
of patience with him because he will not
be found out. At last she discovers what
she thinks to be infamous evidences of
his misdemanors, and by her knowledge
makes things even worse than she had
done before. AS the misery of other peo-
| pie, when properly presented, is supposed
to be most laughable the complications
/ that arise out of this trouble should he
irresstibly funny and big week may b.
expected at the National in consequence.
Seats have been on sale since Thursday.
Denman Thompson's famous New En-
gland Idyl. The Old Homestead" will
be presented next week at the Lafayette
Square Opera House with the author
himself in the role OF Uncle Josh. The
production is said to be a worthy one in
| every respect, the supporting conn., pany
| having been chosen with considerable
care. The quartet, which has always
been feature of the offering, will be
heard this year, as usual.
H A. Du Souchet's My Friend From
India" which has enjoyed long and pros
| porous runs in New YORK, Boston, Phlla-
delphia and Chicago. has gone far TO sup
ply the popular demand for something
fresh and novel. Theatergoers have
grown tired of witnessing the same stere-
otyped round of plays each season. My
Friend From India" is founded on a
novel basis Theosophy opens wide
and fertile field for satire. and introdUc-
ing an unlucky barber hidden within a
yellow bedspread, into wealthy pork
packers family as a member of the an
cient and learned Order of the Yellow
Robe of India should afford an unlim-
tied field for fun. The farce will be seer
at the Academy of Music next week II
the hands of a competent company com
posed of Charles Bradshaw, George
Mack, Ernest Ward, Lester Gruner
Charles Mitchell. Lutte Vroham, Ada CHI
man. Margaret Otis, Louise Arnot, Maoe
and Ethel Strickland.
Manager Grieves will present next weei
what is claimed to be the biggest anC
best bill of this season. He has secured
for a headlner J. X. Emmett, knowr
from one end of the country to the Other
at Fritz" This comedian will be assist