The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-12
A GENUINE TREAT.
Mrs. Boucicau|t and MI. Ky|es' Per.
formanca al Keith's.
Mildred Irving Gives Impression Of Contlnu-
Gus Performance.


place. Mrs. Boucicault's charming per-
sonality, her polished grace and So
ciety finish" are genuine treat; and
her magnificent costume Is in exquisite
taste. Then her acting One can see
nothing finer, nothing better stamping
the thorough artistic and the complete
mistress of stagecraft. "A man next 10
me complained that she was "anected
and artificial" Goodness! DIDN'T he
know that what he thus described was
but an evidence OF the artists intelli-
gent conception of her role? guess ne
was not familiar with the peculiarities
of society ladies such as this part rep
resents. 1t struck me, however, that the
lady who plays Kirby, the maid, and
who. by the way. Is sister or stuart
Robson, makes the servant hardly such
a one as such lady would employ; but
perhaps I'm wrong. And the play. I've
seen a good many OF the pieces in which
Legitimate" stars have appeared In
vaudeville; but this Proper Improprie-
ty" is by all odds the very best OF them
all. and to see ii given by Mrs Bouci-
cault is as good as anything one can
ever see at the hands of Lyceum or
Augustn DAILY company. No wonder
society" is so largely represented in
the audiences every cay.
I wonder which one is O'Rourke and
which is Burnette in the team OF
O'Rourke and Burnette. It's one of the
disadvantages of vaudeville that in
many cases the program doesn't make
il evident which is one and which is
tother At any rate, they're about as
fine dancers as I've ever seen; but i do
think she, whichever one she is, looks
ever so much better in the black skirt
than in the plaid. and her hair combed
Hat and close To the head is not becom-
ing for such really pretty and grace
full girl.
There's no doubt that Silbor and
Emerson are clever in their gun-spin-
ming. If that's what they call IL; but
wouldn't they make just as big a hit if
they didn't try TO be funny?
Val Vino, the juggler. is just as good
as he was years ago; and he now wears
"A new red japanese jacket. It's always
refreshing to find something new in an
old acquaintance
They say Larry Dooley Of Dooley and
Tenbrooke, whose strong and true voice
is really almost worthy of operate
work, IS about the most absent-minded
man i'm the business. and that it's due
10 the whole-souled enthusiasm he puts
into his work. They say all he thinks
of is his stage work. which he is always
studying TO improve and that he real
ly doesn't remember from one week TO
another where he's booked for the next
week. So, he was all dressed for the
stage the other day. as he supposed,
and the discovery was made that he
yet had on a number of his street
'togs," nobody was surprised. He's
what the men call dead funny on
the stage: but they say he's even fun
nier off, though he doesn't always know
il.
suppose, now that Louise Truax is
in town, society" will take up whist
ling as a new fad. Well, if some of our
society buds would perfect themselves
in this direction as artistically as pret-
ty little Louise has, I'm sure they could
make themselves vastly more enter
tanning to the men than they are with
some of the other fads they have af-
fected. What an innocent, artless way
this bright young girl has, It's really
a potent factor in the delight she gives
her auditors and for her sake, | hope
she'll never lose IL when she finished
her education and takes up stage life
permanently. And either she or her
mother is to be given credit for the
simple and tasteful manner in which
she dresses for the stage.
How much Amy Lee reminds one of
both Fanny Rice and Johnstone Ben
nett. Her present act isn't fully worthy
of her undoubted abilities; but she con-
trives to get out Of il good deal more
than there is in it: and I don't mean
that for an Irish bull, either. ! saw
her on the street today. and l think
she's ever so much prettier in private
than in public. | don't know whether
she'll like that; but it's fact, and she
is far from being plain on the stage.
Either Nelson or Milledge, again |
don't know which is the man, lost his
wig in the melee that is one of the
funny features of their funny sketch,
the afternoon | saw them; but he
didn't stop To pick il up and put II on
again. but kept right on as If nothing
of the kind had happened. The audi
ence laughed itself hoarse; and | won
der If IL wouldn't be a good idea for
him To make this n regular feature.
I've been told that some Of the fun
niest incidents in some plays have been
brought about i'm just such way, and
then these accidents have been inCor-
porated as regular business" in the
play.
What superb singing that is Of the
Gypsy Quintet, | never heard its equal
in vaudeville. And the stage setting
and the picturesque costumes add so
much to the effect. Apparently. there
isn't one of them who could not shine
as a soloist. from Charles King. with
his high T.. down TO the basso- profundo.
Such genuinely delightful musical
treat this musical city hasn't had for
a long time: and. so far as good taste
goes. ia rather hear IL than all the
symphony orchestras ever gotten to-
gether. | see the dear public" agrees
with me, If | may Judge from the up
roarious applause that greets the quln-
tot every day. The only fault I have to
find is that they aren't on the stage
half long enough.
And there are Filson and Errol Talk
about acting Even the magnificent act
ing OF Mrs. Boucicault while of course
not to be placed on the same plane. is
hardly more mertorious. Heretofore.
they have attempted nothing requiring
half so much skill and talent I'm the
way Of real acting. When YOU can sit
for twenty minutes and see man ana
"a woman simulate drunkenness, ana
Vet find in II not even the slightest lit
tie thing that offends good taste or that
shocks the finer sensiblities, but when
a. H.. Hnn -