The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
THEATRICAL ADJUSTMENTS.
oNE DUMAS MEL0DRAMl N THREE
NATIVE VAUDETILLE FARCEs.

Victoria to Open with "a Reign of Er-
ror"-'By the Sad Sea Waves" and
johnny on the spoti-The Weeks Bills.
Edward H.. Sothern will appear at the Knick-
erbocker Theatre tomorrow night in The
Kings Musketeer." the new dramatizatlon by
Henry Hamilton Of Alexandra Dumas's famous
romance. In the older stage versions. as In the
novel. love was no great factor. That deficiency
was felt by audiences, and IT curtalled the value
OF the various dramatizations. The marked
success OF Mr.. Hamilton's play in London has
been ascribed considerably to his cure Of that
fault. He did that by creating a romantic affair
of the heart between DArtd0ndn, the gallant
adventurer, and Gabrielle. the Queens lady In
waiting. The lover thus put forward should be
a congenial character for Mr.. Sothern. He
has played 1t in several cities. and thus
far the praise OF his performance has
been lavish. The story is told In FIVE
acts. The first includes the hero's duel with
the three guardsmen, his hrst encounter
with his sweetheart and his admission to
the Kings guards. The second includes the
conspiracy against the King, the gift OF the
necklace. the declaration OF the young mus
keteer's love to the lady in waiting and his
Illustration OF the plot to smirch the Queens
reputation. The third contains the Cardinals
attempt to bride the hero and Miladfs to lure
him, the resolve OF the musketeers to re-
cover the necklace. and the success Of that
quest. The fourth and fifth illustrate the
further Vaccinations against the Queen. their
Illustration by DArtaondn and his reward
through royal honors and the hand OF his
sweetheart. The Sothern company 10 neces-
sarily enlarged for The Kings Musketeer."
The male members, however. remain as before.
The added actresses include Katherine Flor
ence and Edith Crane. The mounting is de-
scribed as sumptuously and artistically fine.
On Tuesday night a new farce will return to
the Herald Square to its accustomed field Of
light and jovial entertainment. by the Sad
Sea Waves" was written some years ago under
another title. and by an author not yet identi-
fed. for Comedians Evans and Hoey, who
thought they needed an immediate successor
to "A Parlor Match" But the Hoyt piece was
not yet worn out. Then the death of Mr.. Hoey
and the retirement Of Mr.. Evans into manage
ment shelved the second piece again. Now
Mr.. Evans gives an opening to it at his own
theatre. 1t Is said to have been rewritten
up to date and changed somewhat in char
acter. But its purpose remains that of
providing ample opportunities for a pair
| Of eccentric comedians. These are to be Mat
thews and Bulger. a team long familiar to
vaudeville fame in wildly ludicrous sketches.
They are extremely clever caricaturists. Nobody
doubts that who has seen their impersona-
tons. The indications are that by the Sad
Sea Waves will turn out to be a merry show
OF the helter-skelter order. plentiful in songs
and dances, but Intentionally scant in common
sense. Among the many aids to Matthews and
Bulger will be Nellie Hawthorne. Josie Dewitt
and Alice Cunning. who are specialists OF note
in their various ways.
On Thursday night the play used at the
opening of Hammerstein's Victoria will be "A
Reign Of Error" q farce holding a great deal of
.a.l.,,no I,ln 7 M,NalIr v,Ia -rota it 10 n
Boston playwright. but like Charles II. Hoyt.
who came from that same city of intense Gull
ture, he does not hesitate to provide such
precious nonsense as the generality OF people
will laugh at. Mr.. McNally is very expert and
original in that kind OF composition. 1t was he
who gave the widow Jones' to May Irwin.
and she has not since had so good a piece. He
has turned out "A Reign OF Error" to satisfy
the requirements OF Gus and Max Rogers.
Those German dialect comedians got at
tention with quantity spoken and witty dia-
Iogues in the variety shows. Thence they
went to the regular stage in the extravaganza
A Round Of Pleasure" in which they played
parts as we'll as introduced their specialties
They were an element of real success In that
entertainment. So Klaw 4 Erlanger engaged
them as leaders in the company now perform.
ing "A Reign of Error" Among their nu.
merous companions at the Victoria will be
Georgia Game. Ada Lewis. George +. Marion
La Petite Adelaide. and others accustomed tc
musical farces. The characters assumed by
the Rogers Brothers are German stowaways or
a pleasure yacht. They are accused OF beinl
Spanish spies. and that is only the beginning
Of the maze OF errors which the title mention!
as reigning.
Still another vaudeville farce to be intro
duced this week is Johnny on the Spot" ant
the intention OF it is to be as funny as its title
1t will be performed at the Columbus in Har
lem. The authorship Is not disclosed in ad
vance, but the names OF Monroe and Mack
hitherto known to vaudeville audiences. arr
put out conspicuously. These eccentric come
dams have the two principal roles. This /
doubtless a lively affair OF song, dance AM
foolery for the multitude.
Buffalo Bills wild West" will take pos
session of the Madison Square Garden o.
March % for its annual season in New York
OF course the general characteristics OF thi
peculiar entertainment will not be aoap doneo
The Indians will illustrate their own lives II
peace and war; the scouts will show how the
hight those savages: the cowboys VIII rid
ship with rifles viii be shown by Buffalo Bill,
Annie Oakley. and Johnnie Baker, Arabs i
W'pI'f be- features again. There will, be ne,
things. too, and among them an artillery drll
The newest Of the Broadway plays to get int
prosperous continuance is Lord and Lad
Algy." It's London atmosphere is 40 perfec
that one expects to see n fog rise. But no sue
thing obscures the brightness OF the coined!
The characters are intensely English. with n
counterparts in this country. but the mods
people who go to the Empire recognize theI
at sight and welcome them cordially.
The run of Her Atonement" has game
great Roadway at the Academy OF Music. Tn
stage is big enough to hold the stirring scene
of departing and returning troops, 1t Is
curious fact that not one OF the Cuban wa
plays has had any success worth mentioning
while those connected with our civil war haV
come into renewed popularity Mr.. Pond
melodrama is one OF the latter But, beside
its martial environment. it has sentiments
story with which to appeal.
A new tenor song for Joseph OMara ha
been introduced in THE Three Dragons" &
tho Broadway. This is the only native COM
opera in town. and IL is p%rofting through tn
absence OF competition. 1t Is to be dispIace
two weeks hence by Sydney Grundy's versio
-..r NJ ata - "a nltnn Ia