The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-08
AFFAIRS OF THE THEATRE.
PAST AND PEEsENr WIN PROBLEM
PLAY AND COMIC PERA.

Paradise'' and 'Ths Pirates of Pen.
znnee'' and This Weeks RsvivRls-A
sequel to AT the White Horse Tavern"
The Donnelly Stock Company's revival this
week at the Murray Hill Ia THE Lost Para
disc" one OF the strong problem dramas In
the original form. by Ludwig Fulda II was an
excellent example Of what Is popular In first
class German theatres. Henry G.. DeMille
lIghtened II Ia transferring the scenes and
cha racters 30 America. He made the lesson
less ~forceiul and moro agreeable. In recalling
the first actors OF the piece In this country. In
1892 at Proctors. the factory girls are found TO
be actresses now conspicuous. 1t was In one
| OF those parts that Maude Adams made her
first step in publicity. though it was a short
one. No one who saw her performance OF the
lame. heartsick working girl will ever forgetit
1t was beautiful acting. and It started Miss
Adams toward prominence. At that time
Charles Frohman was about TO put John
Drew forward as a star In THE Masked
Bail" The actor hal his choice OF
q leading wo man, and, he picked out Miss
Adams though she fad until then niayeTT en- IN
Masked BALI" amounted to atriumph; An.
other actress seen last year as Juu,ei, Odetta
rr syrsdIs was Eta E tn" Ha,WaTfsItnss a has O since Ins been aot a
star OF. tours with William Morris, her hns.
band. Emmett Corrlgnn " now playing the title
worthy performance OF the drama in New
York about four years ago, at the Murray
Hill by the Waite stock Company, which gave
walk were Introduced In the factory scene.
The extra diversion was not confined to the
time when the curtain. was up. Between the
shown. In the other intermission the orchestra
became comic. The drummer pretended to
disagree with the leader. The two argued and
Finally the drummer put on his hat and walked
out OF the theatre. The mock row was con-
tinued until every man had gone. Then the
was THE Lost Paradise" made jovial by ex-
trinsic aids. The Donnelly Company has none
Of. these side accompli shInents, but merely
Donnelly. Edwin Nicauder and Charles Wal
dron give good character studies. Thomas
Coleman Is a sufficiently Objectionable villain:
Ralph Stuart gives a stirring inauguration Oh
the worklngman's. champion, Especial In
terest Ia contained in tn. new leading woman.
Alberta Ga latin. Her acting OF the social but.
worlds sorrows, il well thought out and ef-
~'ectivs. The part ia unsympathetic and. there
tore. hard to make interesting. II Miss CAL
latin continues in as commendahle Q manner
a, she has begun she will be a valuable MEM
Der Of the DOnneIly Company. She has been
leader In an out-of-town stock Organization,
but broke down from the hard work. She will
probably get some part at the Murray Hill that
she has already acted, a. about the same
round OF plays Is used throughout the country
by these local companies.
When The Pirates OF Penzance" was first
sung here at the Fifth Avenue. on tho last day
OF 1879, II had the presence Of the composer
and librettist. Gilbert and sullivan came to
the United States for that performance and
brought most of the company. Blanche Roose-
welt was an American. but she had been heard
here In comic opera until she appeared as
Mattel. Mr.. Brocolini was another American
who had gained his experience, abroad. Hugh
Talbot had sung only In grand opera as Cgo
Table ard J. 4 RyIey vas wholly 9nk1oTn
TaIbo se' have s"e aie "H %rece Ttis "0S Mr VIZ Ryi I1a has Mr,
retired. from the stage, His dry and neat
method was seemingly suited only 70 the Gill
who enacted one Of tho MAJOR Generals
daughters in those DAYS. appeared for
years in nearly every opera at the Savoy
Alice Barnett. the original R,th. returned
to this country only a few seasons ago to sing
!n"His ESeellency." But most OF the original
be available for the production nowadays. Mu.
sicallv the piece Is "a fresh and attractive "a IL
ever was, The c%horuses over at the American
ever and they exhibit the character OF English
music, as Sullivan came to represent that. In
rs very best form, The intrigue OF the libretto
as potent yet delicate as any the dry Gilbert
ever wrote. The Castle Square performers
have q way OF intrrpolatinH their W words,
however, and that rule has been observed this
week. The actors deliver their Interpretations
with 40 much more spirit thnn they give to the
authors that this rather impudent practice
~ the entcrtalnment William rrurtte, Frank
MOulan. ElOesr Morgan and Gertrude Quinlan
are this week the principals.
Anna Braga's piquant acting is the most de-
lightful feature OF When | Came Back. - at the
Irving Place Theatre. She Is the c~leverest
actress In the Conrled Company. aud the audi
once welcomed her heartily. She was seen
once more as the landlady OF the White Horse
Tavern. as the new farce IL a continuation Of
that one by Kadelburg and Blumenthal. which
did much TO renew the vogue OF German fun
here. Like most seque!s, this il rather tepii.
1t seems like a second drawing OF tea from the
same leaves. But the authors are expert. Given
any proposition, they are able by their invarl.
able formula to make something out OF
were the characters that had figured In
the, earlier, play. taken in the situations they
married to the irrepressible head waiter, the
young physician and the daughter OF the Der.
lin merchant are man and ~; ard everything
Ia serene. Back to the inn IN the S~alzkammer-
gut come the two old men hoping to lind no.
body there whom they know, The same idea
has brought the young married COUPLES to tho
presence Of a Berlin painter who has won a
prize for making the MERCHANTS wlfe's por.
trait. He falls in love with her, hut through a
mistake Ia almost betrOthed TO her older sister.
The composition is amusing in the convention
al way OF its kind. but possesses none Of tho
freshness. originality or humor that made its
predecessor popular. some acrobatic fun on
the part Of Mr. Haenseler showed how differ
ent we're the qualities Of the two pieces. The
general programme was good and the audi
ence applaudet the temperance OF the actors
in their old characters.
Charles Frohman's London company Of com-
edians, headed by Ellalino Terris. Seymour
Hicks. Herbert Standing and Fannie Brough.
have Just closed an engagement at tho London
Criterion in "The Masked Ball." but will ap-
pear here In MY Daughter-in-L Law" early In
March at the Lyceum. They viii not visit any
other American city.
Eugenie Fougire at Roster 4 Balls explains
sings American negro songs. With Hello. Ny
Baby" she tries to mimic Fay Templeton's
imitation OF her. There Is no reproduction.
The principal part In an English melodrama
now. being written Is q girl who has rome from
the Island OF Jersey. and has become identified
with the London fast set. II Is snid thar the
Ia intended tor Mrs. Langtry. Even
the name Is 2 close copy, tho Le Breton being
robSy Claude and W. P. Carlton In The
Belle OF New York" surpass their predecessors.
Their singing OF the sentimental duet In tho
second act Is very engaging. The other sub
~stitutes are FAR from i'm royemepts and mostly
very bad. E t May has lost her charm OF
81 course. Sapho" is to be burlesqued. The
first burlesQue will be seen NEXT Monday at
Roster 4 Blal's. as an addition to Round New
York In Eighty Minutes" The sklt is by Clay
NJ r.AA md The nrtnlA a. |