The times., 1899-12-31
CHRISTMAS IN new YORK
The bay There Marked by a Trio
of important Productions.
Maj Goodw iu's The Cowboy and the
Lady" THwdrS HcIodrHma, But
"'Iy LadN's Lord and "Thrce Lit
tie Lambs Are Good - Humor-
Gus Reports of ..Naushty Anthony"
VIEW YoRK Dec. %
Iho gripmau works from sun 90 ssn,
huL I-. .LILin.. work is never done.

found IN Crapb S proverbs runs like thdt
quoted above. but I have little doubt that
the sentiment was felt keenly here last
Monday After three weeks OF complete
inactivity along the Rialto, theatricais
bcOmei once more and the reviewers were
called from Christmas trees and dinners
to the necessities Of an exceedingly busy
night There were three really important
productions. not to speak Of a half dozen
revivaIs and a minstrel opening. Nat c.
Goodwin and his beautiful wife came into
the Knickerborker with The Cowboy and
the Lady r. a. Barnet's Three Little
Lambs" tripped gracefully on the stage Of
the Fifth : enue and the home company
again took mp quarters at the Empire with
My Lady's Lord" All OF these scored
nominal successes and viii run through
the appointed time, if not much longer,
The Cowboy and the Lady" is a novelty
in that it is the only American play ever
taken TO London the failure of which has
been admitted by its managers. The audi
euce of Christmas appeared 10 think the
piece decidedly good. though my own opin-
ion of its clumsy construction and impos-
sible incidents is much at variance. Clyde
Fitch has given us a wholly conventional
story of a West that might have been fifty
wears ago but certainly is not now. The
work is distinctly a melodrama, with all
melodrama's tawdry devices for the at
tainmeut of effects rs solitary bit of in
geuuity is 2 murder scene al the end of
the second act. Teddy North a college
graduate who has taken d ranch and won
the respect OF his rough friends despite
fine clothes. has fallen in love with mar
ried woman. The husband. who is a knaye
over the F9dy. each thinking the other
guilty r fsaye his vis-a-vis North con-
! -esses TO the crime. And then all ends
well. Mr. Goodwin does a beautiful piece
+ 81 portraiture in the role of the Harvard
+ fellow. and as ever Maxine Elliott is de-
/ lightful as his inamoraJe. Minnie Dupree
/ has Gertrude Elli0tts former part and is
charming in H. The supporting organiza-
+ tion Includes Charles Scott. James Lee
! Finney. the original Lord Robert IRE OF
The Chrisfian; Thomas OberIe Burr
! Mcintosh. Neil O'Brieu. Clarence Handy
side. John Flood. Gertrude Gheen and Es-
( telIe Mortimer.
/ Three Little Lambs proved to be an
I Offering the criticisms Of which might justly
have been written in advance. 1t is quite
/ like an its predecessor enough plot
/ 10 hold several catchy airs. a deal Of rather
rough flR. score OF pretty women, and
I some lavish scenery. The real hit Of the
/ premiere was an air. entitled The Man Be
hind the Gun which has been set about
( where Soldiers in the Park" vas in THE
Runaway Girl" Adele Ritchie. who sang
! that melody. gives considerable spirit to
/ this. The cast is efficient throughout num-
4 bering besides Miss Ritchie. William T.
Caleton. Thomas Whilln. Nellie Braggins,
Clara Palmer. and Ida Hawley. The piece
wiu remain here several weeks.
Those among Mondays first nighters
who went 10 the Empire expecting from
t.5o presence OF William Faversham and
/ the title My Lady's Lord to be served
( with another Anthony Hope or Stanley
7 Weyman romantic drama were made vic
/ Tins OF a seuryy trick. H. Y. Esmond-he
vas the author of "One Summers Day,
I but folk should learn TO forgive and for
get-has not initiated his distinguished
| colleagues but instead has burlesqued
hem My Ladys Lord" is a satirieal
i traYestv from primale 10 finale. Play
I seers who have caught the element of hu-
( NOR in such maudlinities as ''PhrOsO' and
/ Under the Red Robe" must find the vein
/ of irony delightful Outside of this My
/ L.adF's Lord is not clever One is tempt
ed 10 smile rather than to laugh at it. J.
! II. Benrimo. Guy Standing. Sidney Her
! bert. " H. Crompton, George W. Howard
! T. T. Backus. George Osbourne, jr., John
F. Cook, William Faversham Joseph
! Wheeiock, jr. Jessie Millward. Blanche
/ Burton sara Perry and Lillian Thurgate
/ compose the company.
There have been several minor attrac-
Z tiOus TO draw attention during the week
AT the Metropolitan Opera House. for ex-
ample Richard Wagner has been given a
brief respite. the lighter German and Ital-
ian works being sung The BeggaT Stu
dent" is being Delightfully."- rendered and
{ .-rseH Hf he IA 10
The Village Postmaster. is revived at
the Fourteenth Street Primrose & Dock
stader's "Minstrels' have begun a big
fortnight at the Herald Square, Felix
SChWeighofer has made his American debut
at the Irving Place. and The BoWery Aft
er Dark is at the Star. Richard Mans
field has returned 10 The First Violin
and there are other events Of interest.
What I gather Of Naughty Anthony
from the Washington papers renders the
more absurd the reports published as tele-
grams in the local daiiies. I always "hae
ne dCOts' about these messages, which in
varably praise new productions. and sound
press agenty throughout. But the things
printed regarding the David Be'asco pre-
miere are deliberately funny. The Her
/ aid. Tor example. predicts that Anthony
viii rival Zaza" and The Heart Of
/ Maryland " while other journals take up
the chorus. II you, in The Capital have
been right In your judgment OF the pie
I should not b. surprised If Mr. Bsia-Co
/ resolved either 20 delay or to give up his
advent al the Herald Square.
By the say while speaking Of aiteSd
routes and closiugs. ! am reminded Of a
criticism forwarded me the other day The
clipping was from d Cne-night stand paper
and fairly rivals the famous Shakespeare
Bacon review that has been cited so
/ frequently. The article, which was duty
/ beaded. concerned Thomas Davis bad farce
and simply read
Have You seen smihg'
Wei don't
For brevity and general force those three
lines are superior 10 anything OF the sort
that ever has come to my attention. And
what is more, ] do not believe that any
o. my contemporaries have been IucEieT.
week ago large party Of news
paper men and theatrical folk Went
up to Poughkeepsie for Fanny Rices mi
tial performance Of "A Wonderful Wo-
man" The farce is not unlike many
: others OF It's kind -.chief among them My
Friend From Iudia''-but really is AMUSING
and should prove a fit successor for AT
the French Ball, which Miss Rice had
used until il was threadbare. The story
| OF the play regards Polly Perkins, a theos-
ophist who gratifies her fad by importing
: q Hindoo. who claims TO be well versed il
: such matters. From that point complica-
tions multiply and end in a decidedly
laughable third act. II the Offering is mo-
too reminiscent IL will prove profitable