The times., 1899-10-17
AT THE THEATRES.
NationaI-"papa,s wife. ,,

NationaI-..Papa,s Wife,.
,nla Anna Held
Baron Florestsn de la Boueaniere. Henry b. rgrnan
malor bombardes ..-.............. George Marion
9IisItue .-...----.............. Henry Woodruff
IoIale isabelle Evesson
dooias Charles Sinc'ar
6oNetiess OF convent. nt....-..........Ag Agnes Finday
% se Olive Wallace
froi Celestln Observation-Disclosures Charles Bigelow
1t isn't very kind thing 70 say, but II
is true, nevertheless, that yester-e evenings
performance of '.Papa's Wife" at the Ma
tional Theatre made one think of nothing
more than that ole adage which relates
TO foolish persons and their money. Ordi
narily, Florence Ziegfeld would be the last
man in the world to inspire such a sentl-
ment, but just now the two seem firmly
linked together. When manager spends
a fortune in magnificently equipping and
costuming rather stupid and wholly nasty
farce, such as is that used for the intro6uc-
ton OF Anna Held either literary ability,
on the part of authors, or financial discre-
ton, on the part OF hackers, is sadly lack
ing.
That fortune has been ventured on the
presentation of "Papas Wife" cannot be
denied Nothing more superb In the line
OF stage spectacles has ever been seen here.
David Henderson never surpassed the three
settings shown; Klaw & Erlanger never
duplicated the costumes, and E. E. Rice
never displayed better taste in selecting
beauties for his chorus. After observing
this portion OF the company one ceases TO
wonder that George Lederer complained of
scarcity of charm in the market few
months ago. The production is undoubtedly
rich one. 1t affords a treat to the eye. Ii
Why Smith Left Home" was gIeeful,
this is gorgeous. "plentitude.'
But the expenditure has been useless
for the simple reason that coat of paint
viii not transform a shanty into a palace
and that costly pair of trousers will not
make a gentleman out of a field scare
crow All of Harry B. Smiths works are
alike, and this Is more So The piece is
a conventional MOSAIC of nearly every
thing else of the sort that has been done
during lifetime-especially during Mr..
Smiths life time. After one has found the
locale of The Serenade'' in the first act
Of "Papa's Wife," of THE Telephone
Girl in the second, and Of Lost. Stray
ed or Stolen" in the third, he begins to
remember things that have been said
about the librettist's originality. Then he
discovers that the plot is that of my
Awful Dad" Finally, he recalls one of
MIR. Smiths characters, Prof. Celestin. as
a mixture of the dancing master and the
composer in THE Fortune Teller" an
other Aristide. as the artistic lover OF
THE Ballet Girl" a third, Coralie, as
having been in at least a dozen like Of
ferings and-he stops.
Did he but keep on he might recognize
more familiar plans and ideas Excepting
for bright line or so. there is not par
ticie OF novelty in all of Mr.. Smiths
fabric. When he is desirous of gaining
laughter he tries getting at ones ribs
with the same old dnner-table scenes that
have been being exploited for ages; when
he chooses to shock-and this is attempted
continuaiiy--he seeks refuge in the same
old suggestions that would have made cur
grandmothers blush had such stuff been
permitted in those days; when he wishes
TO convince one OF the naughtiness of his
principals he introduces the same old
cigarettes and champagne and tickled
chins. 1t Is all very dull and wearisome
Even the really clever speeches that are
frequently prompting to mirth and the
occasional bits of business that prove to
one how much great cast can do with
bad material, do not atone for the scarcity
of situations the ultra-conventionality of
"Papa's Wife The fact that the piece is
the most revoltingly. consistently, unre-
mittingly dirty affair yet brought to Wash
ington does not save IL artfstfcally.
Reginald de Koven's music is barely
worth mentioning. He has a topical song,
Its Only Private Affair that is passa-
Bile, and a waltz that is rather good, but
no more. The melodies lack striking fea-
lures. They have none Of the sparkle of
Kerker's compositions, nor the charm of
Herbert's. nor the dash of Sousa's They
are the ordinary airs that one hears about
town attached to THUS to her he said'
ballads
The cast is the strength OF the presen-
tation. Papa's Wife, may even come to
be an emphatic hit because of the COM
pany and the staging-particularly be-
cause of the company. Anna Held makes
her first attempt at legitimate work
everyone will be quite willing TO forget
her disastrous attempt at the title role Of
THE French Maid"-and is really quite
adequate to the requirements of the char
acter. Though not the intense surprise
that she had been painted in advance. she
does exceedingly well, her drunken scene
at the end of the second act being as ac-
curate as it is disagreeable. Charles Bige-
low is as funny in the part of Prof Celes-
tin as he was in THE French Maid" and
that means that he is inimitable NJ A.
Kennedy being i'll. George Marion takes
up the speeches of Major Bombardes. and
makes more of them than Mr. Kennedy
possibly could. Henry Bergman is fair
as the Baron, Isabelle Evesson is a con-
ventional Queen OF Burlesque," Charles
Sinclair is the usual valet, Agnes Findlay
is seen as the Governess OF the Convent,
and Henry Woodruff fails to note the
humorous possibilities in the straight
laced son. If New York audiences were
deaf "Papa's Wife" would be an assured
success. If they make good use of their
eyes it may be yet.
Coiumbia-"Cyrano de Bergerac.v
Cyrano de BeTgerac. ac...............F Francis Wilson
Christian de Neuyilette Charles Fl Bowers