The Topeka state journal., 1900-12-14
ALICE in WONDERLAND.
Topeka Given Glimpse of the Fairy
SCIENCES Last Night

s'Alice in Wonderland pleased a fair
sized audience at the Grand last night
1t is a chiIdren's show first and last,
and the $50 Topeka children who ap-
peared for the first time before the
footlightS were as proud as the most
famous actress at the height of her tri-
umph. The happiness depicted on the
faces of the children was reflected in the
faces of stern papas, who had foresWoIn
business engagements, and doting NAM
mas, who had found places in front of
the curtain to watch for the pride OF
our home.'
The audience had become quite impa
tient at the delay caused by the fact
that the leader of the operetta, Miss d.
Hope Leonard, was almost unable to
bring the chorus into submission.
When the lights were finally turned
out a hush fell over the house and as
the curtain rose noiselessly is was to
reveal a fairy woodland scene, such as
is told of in works Of Juvenile fiction,
fullest extent by the little misses whose
vivid imagination has painted the char
acters and scenes of Lewis Carroll 5
charming story, Alice In Wonderland
on their minds.
The piece is in q prologue and two
acts. The prologue begins with Alice
sleeping on a mat Of moss in the center
of a great and beautiful woodland, sur
rounded by a bevy Of fairies
The prologue ended with the animals
running in a circle around Alice, the
elves in a. larger circle and moving in
an opposite direction and the fairies
The operetta. deals with the events in
Wonderland as Alice saw them in her
dream, and there are fairies, elves. In
dams, mikadoS, animals, kings and
queens and attendants enough to sat
isfy the most burning curiosity.
The part of Alice, which was in the
hands Of little Florence Snattinger, was
the most difficult and was the most
cleverly handled. Alice was on the
stage nearly all the time, and this, of
course necessitated her learning more
lines than any of the others, who prob
ably did not take part in the dialogue
more than once or twice.
AS an instance of the forethought
and ability of little Miss Snattinger, 1t
may be said in the third scene Of the
second act, where the Gryphon failed
to make his appearance at the proper
time, she did not get excited and fur
ried but skipped all of the lines OF the
dialogue with the Gryphon and went
through with the scene without a blum
der It is hardly possible that the au-
dience realized at the time that the lit
tie actress had mastered a difficulty
which has perplexed older and more ex-
perienced heads than hers.
The speaking parts were all well as
signed. Perhaps the illustrated Mother
Goose rhymes were appreciated as much
as any. The little ones when reading
their rhymes in the books received
Christmas will not forget the ideas
formed by seeing Simple Simon, Jack
Horner. Little Boy Blue. Bo-Peep, Baby
Bunting and the others as costumed in
Alice in Wonderland
The double quartette of Mikados
made a hit with their little song:
'Ts there any smile 20 sweet
When she peeps from behind ner per-
fumed FAM"
Nellie, May and Marvin Nye gave
three encores to their song and cake
walk in the third act.
The piece will be repeated tonight and
will be given a. matinee tornorroW.