The times., 1899-10-29

sofhern, Virginia Harmed, Juiin
Arthur, May Irwin. and Blanche
Walsh Make Their Metropolitan
DeButs in Much Advertised Plays.
NEW YORK, Oct. 28.-Now that all
sorts Of charges and counter charges are
being made in theatrical circles, one rather
feels it incumbent upon himself to take
a hand in the proceedings and accuse some
body Of conspiracy. Accordingly, after due
thought and proper calculation, 1 allege
that seven of our bsst-known stars have
combined to keep local critics toiling for
their daily bread. Gotham has had five
really important productions during the
past week. Personally, l am completely
tagged out and I can imagine the tenn
per of the unfortunates Of the daily press
who have been forced literally to jump
from theatre to Office and back again.
Brilliance under such circumstances is i'm
possible.
Most interesting Of all our premierss was
that which occurred on Monday night at
the Criterion, where Julia MarlOwe pre-
sented Barbara Frietchie" Miss Friet-
semination during the past few years and,
FOR Miss MaTlOwe's sake, Clyde Fitch has
so altered even the remnants OF her repu-
tatiOn that, save for the title and a note
Oh the programme one would never recOg-
niZe Whituer's aged heroine. Mr.. Fitchs
creation has grey hair in the last portion
OF the play, her tresses having lost their
original color in twenty-fOur hours, but
she is very young and romantic, notwith-
standing. The theme used for a plot is the
ancient one Of love across the bloody
gulf and, while the piece is adequate to
Miss MarlCwe's demands, It cannot be
called great work. Barbara Frietchie"
has all the melodramatic tendencies of
Nathan Hale" or The Moth and the
Flame" without possessing many of the
merits Of those offerings. There are two
or three thoroughly Fitchesque episodes,
but these are not compactly put together
and the entire structure is thus weakened.
Miss MarlOwe has very little to do-which
is a general cause Of complaint-and does
that little exceedingly well. Among those
by whom she Is assisted are J. II. GilmOur,
George Woodward and ". J. lie Moyne
On the same evening another halfway
success was scored at the Casino by dainty
Alice Nielsen, who was seen in Victor Her
bert, Harry B. Smith, and StanisIaus
STANCES The Singing Girl" The week
has brought forth nothing from which
more was expected or much less realized.
Mr.. STANCE has constructed for the opera
a book that is just about as funny as a
pauper funeral. The lines are not bright
the situations are hackueyed, and the tale
IS altogether too legitimate for work of
the sort. Mr.. Herbert's music is charm
iug-as it always is-but hardly on a par
with that Of his earlier scores. And Mr.
Smiths lyrics are catchy. Miss Nielsen,
who is as unaffected and demands as little
attention from the calcium man as ever,
carries away what hOnors may be con-
nected with the performance. Her per-
souaIity, her mauHeTisms, and her voice
saved the piece from being ruthlessly
slated by the local critics. The prima
donna is supported by a notable cast, in
which are Eugene Cowles, Richie Ling.
Joseph ". Herbert, Joseph Cawthoru, John
G. Slavin. Edward i. Metcalfe, and Jennie
Ha7vley
The third Of our productions is an out
and-Out failure. II is Z. H. SotheIu's
The Song OF the Sword" which was writ
ten FOR him by Leo Dietrichsteiu The
play seems 10 be the baIdest sort of a steal
from all sorts Of sources, and, though fair
ly well acted and magnihcenuy staged
VIII not last much longer than did Change
Alley The story reVolyes around Gen. Ma
pCIeOn BonapaTte, and its hero
is Captain Egalite an officer
in the army Of the little
Corsican" i certain countess is caught
while carrying dispatches through the
lines, her husband having been too coward
Iy to undertake the task. Captain Egalite,
her captor. falls In love with the fair en-
emy, and realizing that Napo.e1ns designs
on her are not Of the purest permits her
/ 10 escape. For this he is cOurt-martialed
and condemned to be shot just as the
( sentence is about 10 be carried out how
ever, the foe attacks and party OF yolun-
( teers is called upon TO sacrifice itself in
order that the general may escape The
+ prisoner is OF this party and the only one
OF the Frenchmen alive when the curtain
falls. Mr. SOthern is not altogether bad as
/ the captain and Virginia Harmed is very
good as the countess. Except for Norman
1 PART the Napoleon, the support is efficient.
/ Another Napoleon-this time in the per
! son Of William Humphries--was one Of the