The times., 1899-03-14

silence in a second during the first act.
when they see Richelieu in his box, besides
doing other careless things. Horses gallop
up before one has heard their hoofs. Cyrano
throws pebbles against his cousins window
without creating a noise, and RoNane dips
her handkerchief in water without wetting
| it. But these are trifles less noticed than
| noticeable. Details are completely lost in
what is undoubtedly one OF the two great
| est presentations of the most wonderful
| play written during the present half CEN
tury.
| LEfayctte-''Thc Three DrnEOons."
When a comparatively small audience
makes as prodigious a noise as did that
| which assembled last night at the Lafayette
for the purpose of hearing the Broadway
| Theatre Opera Company in The Three
| Dragons one of two conditions exists
| either the gathering is pleased and wishes
| a repetition of certain numbers or il is
| displeased and wants to drown them alto
| gether. The method of distinguishing be-
| tween the opposite motives, however, is
simple, and so it may be confidently stated
that the house of yester-evening was de-
| lighted with the performance given and
willingly risked night-key mishaps in its
! efforts to prolong the entertainment
| No one who sat the Offering through
| could have been anything but enthusiastic.
| Not since the giving of "The Fortune
| Teller" at Manager Painters place of
| amusement has a musical presentation so
well combined excellence of mirth. melody,
and general merit. From the overture to
the finale Of the piece, from the entrance
of the first comedian until the exit of the
| last, from the greatness OF the heaviest
| property carried to the smallness OF the
| lightest chorus girls ankles. the most
trifing fault could not have been found
with the provision of librettist. composer.
| or producer. The Three Dragons .S an
! emphatic success.
Harry b. Smith. who fitted the effort with
story. lays claim to nothing ponderous
| in his book. His first intention was to
dramatic the tale of Charles O'Malley"
| and to make it into a pretentious work.
but better ideas came later. and So while
one is introduced to Levers Mickey Free
/ and to the hero himself even as he is made
acquainted with Mr.. Smiths own creations
in the persons of Foxey Quiller and Jamie
McSnuffy, the libretto is original as libret-
tas go, and comic to the point Of buffoon-
! ry. Indeed, all that saves the Offering
from this indignity is the fact that many
| of the lines written in are of remarkable
/ wit, the incidents most humorously con-
triyed and the lyrics jingling enough to
stir the envy of even great a master
as Gilbert. And when such an incentive
| 30 laughter is given the author of Rob
| in Hood furnishes in his deaf and dumb
men, his scene between a drunken cook
! and a would-be conspirator and that in
which the aforesaid cook hides himself in
the inevitable armor. only the carping
could care to enquire about the novelty
of the plan or the legitimacy with which
| 1t Is carried out.
This same sentiment holds good with the
f-i, nf ngrina No oh tha
airs are often reminiscent-not to such a
degree that one may anticipate the coming
note but only vaguely familiar-it is i'm
possible to pick technical flaws in marches
| so stirring and topical ballads so fetching
and waltz songs SO charming. In spite Of
/ himself the auditor taps his foot through
! the delightful Spanish air that opens the
| opera mods his head in time with the
military "On, Brave Boys drubs his
| fingers to the tune of The Cooks Ambi-
/ tion" sways to and from with the strains
of Say That You Cannot Forget" closes
| his eyes while hearing the ''Serenade." so
necessary to all pieces laid in the Sunny
| South, and physically enjoys The Swell
| Portuguese The Postillion's Song,
| Clock The King Can Do No Wrong,
and The Ballad of the Nations until he
/ becomes an amateur cOntortionist in
/ small way and thinks OF going on the
| stage himself. No brighter, catcher.
more rhythmical music has ever been
! heard here.
The company is incompatible The
I Three Dragons" friendly rivals even as
| were THE Three Musketeers." are well
1 acted and marvelousiy sung by such
! trio as one does not meet every day.
| Joseph O'Mara. with his delicious Irish
| brogue and sweet tenor, Robert S. Pigott
with his high baritone. and William Fl.
| Clarke with his handsome face and power
| full bass form triumvirate Irresistible
alike to matinee girls and lovers Of sing
| ing. Then there are three commedians
quite as good-Richard Carroll. who proves
himself an agile dancer and an able dis
! ciple of the immortal Mrs. Malaprop;
! Charles Hildesley, who has in the role
| of the dumb man the most important of
thinking parts and Edwin Carroll.
whose makeup and manner are amusing
beyond description. Finally one reaches
/ Jerome Sykes, whose impersonation of Don
| Famboula Bambolio is much like and quite
equal to his earlier portrayal of the intel
! ligent Quiller. Mr. Sykes is really the
! dominant member OF the cast, and the
house fairly howled itself hoarse al his
/ droleres.
But the organization is not fully com
| posed OF men. even though the women are
on hardly as high an average. Marguerite
/ Lemon, the prlna donna, mas freSh, sweet
soprano. which she uses eScellently, while
| Linda da Costa erstwhile OF The Lady
Slavey" and Leonora Gnito are good in
soubrettish characters. Fannie Briscoe
possesses fine form-whiCh is all that is
required OF her-and two score of we'll
trained and vocally perfect chorus girls
compose an ensemble so ravishing that the
spectator no longer marvels at the popu-
larity. OF the Broadway Theatre. Altogether
] r.s.fr, ,aF1f 1iphf full md
! the seeker for refreshing amusement can
do no better than in enjoying it,
NniinnnI-..R of HentAan...