The times., 1899-03-21
AT THE THEATRES.


sembled last evening at the National Thea
tire was unacquainted with the methods of
Charles Hoyt and unable to read the bills
distributed that individual probably now
| labors under the impression that he wit
messed performance of "A Trip to China
| town. The play really given was the
| more recent "A Stranger in New York"
| but between the facts that most of the cast
| employed once figured in the piece that
| made Harry Conor famous that many of
the specialties introduced in the one have
been preserved-preserved in ginger-for
| use with the other, and that the two plots
are as like as a couple of women's meet
ings, one was apt to become bit uncertain
| as to his bearings. ~ Stranger in New
York. Is Mr.. Hoyt's familiar clothes-horse
with a new sheet over it: "a Trip to
Chinatown" with that conventional bogie.
| the French ball, substituted for the Cliff
! House as locale and with all the charac-
| ters renamed in that delightfully."- witty
manner that makes one believe the cele-
brated satirist sends half his manuscripts
| to the programme printer.
| This latest version Of the authors per-
ennial idea smacks equally with "a Day
| and Night of Gothams ever-unpleasant
and oft-exploited Tenderloin, but none of
| the jeSts is more iunsavory than has be-
come usual and all are sparklingly bright
|
| faults of the Offering while its many vir-
| tues exist. The man who buys a house
| does not ask how 1t was built SO long as
| 1t is good to live in. and there is no doubt
that few more rollicking. mirthful. meio-
dious affairs than "A Stranger in New
| York have ever been written. Its situa-
| tions are funny and unexpected, its lines
witty and sharp, its action quick and
| smooth, and its most pleasing humor
salted with an infinitesimal grain of sense
and pinch of human nature that would
| give the farce moral had farces any
| right to such incumbrances
| Perhaps the greater part OF the capacity
for enjoyment in the comedy may be laid
to its capable cast-a cast almost identical
| with that seen here while the work was a
| stranger to Washington, as well as in New
| York. This company not only strives harI
| for success. but it tolls without apparent
effort, and its legitimate bits are quite as
| good as are its vaudeville ones. Harry
| Conor plays the stranger with the wonder
| full thirst even as he impersonated Wellani
| Strong-with a constant display of that
| unctuous entertainingness so familiar 10
| his admirers. Mr.. Conor warbles better
! than Otis Harlan. too. and the most re-
| quiring OF the aforesaid admirers could ask
| for no greater praise. Opposite him is
| seen Anna Boyd, who came here last in
| ''The Nancy Hanks" and whose portrayal
| is at least satisfactory. Perhaps the best
| bits OF real representation noted during
the performance are Harry GiifciPs won-
derful work as the old roue, and Clayton
| e. Whites Characterization Of 1. Collier
Downe. Mr.. GilfoiI. who was recalled as
| the waiter of "A Trip TO Chinatown" when
| he gave his whistling speciality yester-
evening, is really marvellous in his p.o-
duction of the infirm Baron Sands, and the
manner in which he does "a turn" during
| the comedy's first scene is nothing short of
| artistic. Charles DUNCAN, C. J. Campbell,
! and Charles Warren lcok act and sing
well, while John Hyams not only does all
three. but dances with the sprightlines5 CT
! Ignacio Martinetti Agnes Paul is shape
| ly Virginia Pryde, Florence Ii lian Wickes
/ is passable May Ketchem, Margaret F'itz-
patrick makes an admirable Ida Dowre.
and Eta Gilroy dances charmingly with
/ Louise De Wolfe. Several other people ng-
ure more or less prominently in the cast
and do more or less well. The managers of
the piece claim only that it is laughable
| and it is.
Columbin-"Hotel Topsy Turvy.o
| There is a lingering recollection in the
minds Of few hundred Washlngtonians
regarding the production early this season
OF an alleged brilliantly successful Pari-
unique cognomen, "Hotel Topsy Turvy"
1t is necessary to recall this fact, for the
| audiences which assembled at the eight
! performances did mot greatly exceed in
number those of the proverbial corporal's
guard. Since its premier here Hotel
Topsy Turvy' has enjoyed a period of pas
! sive prosperity and last night returned
to the place of its -birthifor second hear
ing. The gathering was probably as large
as would have been all those of the open
ing week together. Since the Hotel is
acknowledged to be an inversed hostelry
this reversal of popularity might be ex-
pected. But if the house was fiattering
| general disappointment was in direct pro-
portion. Hotel Topsy Turvy'' was not
greatly successful when first seen locally.
Unlike some things, it has not improved
with age.
AvowedIy a piece of horseplay. there
is little expected OF the offering save in
the way of amusement. There are few
| pretty airs in the score; there are fewer
situations in the book, the dialogue prob
ably antedates Shakespeare, and the pre-
| senting company has little to do and does
il very badly. Even the chorus-which SO
| frequently redeems the worst of musical
efforts-is lacking both in vocal and physi-
cal charm. Yet, despite these manifest de-
| fects. those present laughed heartily, ap-
plauded generously the infrequent COM
mendable efforts and otherwise behaved as
| a good -natured crowd should behave.
| Many writer's have regaled themselves
| by saying nice things about Eddie Foy, who
originated and continues in the roie of the
bogus count. Most OF these things are de-
served, for Mr. Foy is a single oasis in a
great Sahara of mediocrity. His song. Il
Happened to be There is one of the few
catchy or bright bits in the farce, and last
night won recall after recall. The accom-
panying pantomime is unique. All in all,
/ Mr. Foy is about the only notable portion
| of the SHOW.
| Why woman should be compelled to de-
! stroy the impression Of goodness created
| in hard evenings work by indulging in
| vocal pyrotechnics Is difficult to imagine,
| yet that is what ambition-or the stage
| manager-compels Virginia Ross to do.
] Miss Ross is not fair to look upon, but does
well and hopes of a bright nature are frac-
| tured when she attempts to sing. Amelia
! Summerville, the original fiat girl with
''Adonis'' Dixey, has trained down and
| succeeds Marie Dressler in the part of
| Flora. Physically her counterpart, the
newer actress Is vocally deficient and ar
| tisticaly Inferior The remainder of this
company is seldom good and usually bad.
| Hotel Topsy Turvy" was never very pleas
| ing. Alterations In its cast have not i'm
proved 1t.
Academy-"Johnny on the SpOt.'
| To judge by the audience at the Acad-
| emy last night there are a great many
people in Washington who are looking for
spotted fever-of the kind purveyed by