Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-15
a@ass @@sa
i ADJUSTMENTS. +
~ "a
Ill u n u n - n ~ Il y ~ ss

49, ~ w. ~ ~ ffF EtF fst ~ fst ~ ~ " Wk
The theatrical season has been open for
ak weeks now and there has been but one
really new play offered in that time II
was one Of the sort that Omaha play
goers are not partial to-a farce comedy.
II was a good one and well interpreted. AS
one enthusiast remarked: "If something
new and good doesn't come this way pretty
soon theater- goers will get desperate and
go to Chicago to see some OF the many new
plays that are on there" or course this
would be expensive amusement, but a really
enthusiastic lover OF the drama doesn't often
stop to consider the cost II he can some
thing that is meritorious, but for clap
trap comedy he has little use. Fortunately,
there has heen enough strangers in the city
to keep the theaters fairly we'll filled, but
there has been no standing room only"
crowds this season. with the exception Of
perhaps a Sunday evening or so at the Or
pheum. There can be little or no fault
found with the vaudeville offerings at this
theater or the operas presented at the Troc-
adero but, OF course, the low price of ad-
mission must be kept in mind, for IL one
wanted to be harshly critical and fersst this
fact fault finding would be easy. However,
the management OF Boyd's theater promises
some rare treats in the near future. the first
Of which will be Francis Hodgson Burnett's
"A Lady of Quality"
In talking OF the line OF plays offered
Manager Burgess said that as a usual thing
Omaha people do not commence to attend
the theaters regularly until November and
that he has made no special effort to book
any OF the big successes before that time
Last year there were any number OF stran-
gers from the country in the city visiting
'he Exposition and what they wanted to
see was the light, nonsensical plays So
Mr. burgess expected the same conditions
this year. therefore we have had an over.
dose OF this class of plays.
There is one redeeming feature to these
what might be properly termed out-of-date
1arces which has been noticeable and that
Is thls year they are all interpreted by
companies really good and deserving. There
has been none of that transforming element
In any OF them. For instance the two
plays seen at Boyd's last week-"At Cav
Coney Island" and "a Hot Old Time
were both presented by companies far su-
peror to these which gave the same PLAYS
here last season. The vaudeville features
OF these plays have also been noticeaby
praiseworthy.
FOR the week commencing today there Is
at least one advertisement Instead Of a
farce-comedy the week is to be opened at
Boyds by Hermann, the magician and in
MS line there is none better. For the last
half OF the week it is to be Skipped by
the Light of the Moon" a farce At the
Orpheum Marie Tavary the grand opera
singer, Is to be the feature while at the
Trocadero the stock opera company will
sing The Queens Lace Handkerchief"
After Tuesday night of last week the
,ngfN
thing but satisfactory, and were harshly
criticised. On Sunday night a very credit
able and praiseworthy performance Of "The
Pirates of Penzance" was given. and it was
from this that the criticism was written. On
Wednesday night, however, Miss Mortimer
prima donna, suffered almost the complete
loss Of her voice, and was hardly able to
speak, let alone sing. Instead of putting
an understudy on in her place the manage
ment allowed Miss Mortimer to walk
through her part without singing a note
and only speaking half dozen words or so
Alice James sang her dialogue, but as Miss
James had to sing her own part as well
1t looked rather ridiculous to the audience
All Of Miss Mortmer's solos and principa
numbers were cut out. Miss James hat
played the part with the Tivoli Opera com
pany in San Francisco two years ago, ant
hour to refresh her memory she sang It re
markably well. Miss Mortimer should have
been replaced in the part by Miss Jane!
and not allowed on the stage In her con
dition No explanation was made to tn,
audience.
The attendance at the Orpheum was un
usually large last week owing probabl,
more to the fact that an Omaha girl wa
one of the features. Neil Burgess prove
to be somewhat disappointing as a head
liner. His act nothing short of vulgar
besides being talky and unnteresting. Th
balance OF the bill was OF average merit
Miss Paris. the Omaha girl whom Manage
Rosenthal launched on the vaudeville stag
last week, gives some promise, although
will undoubtedly require few years OF ex
perience to acquire sufficient stage presenc
for her to become a vaudeville star. Sh
has good voice, which training will doubt
lesS make a grand one.
The curiosity of the local theater- goin
public has for the last ten days been some
what aroused by an announcement by tn
management of the Trocadero that it ha
big surprise which would be made know
later. 1t is not often that the engagemer
OF soubrette or prima donna by an oper
or dramatic company occasions any gref
surprise, but in this it proves 10 /
quite an agreeable one at least. Miss Ar
ME Myers, remembered as having been see
In this city with the Lillian Russell an
other well known opera companies has bee
engaged to sing leading soubrette roles, St
is one OF the beet known soubrettes on II
operate stage. Miss Myers commenced h
career with John T. Ford OF Baltimor
leaving the position CT leading soprano
the Mount Vernon church of that city. H.
voice was cultivated in her early days