The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-02-16
A IHt THEATRES
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

II . :
.'''...'.'..s..... -. l.. Don
filscllla. ..............., Mabel Gilman
stcild tIiltedge. e............ Netla WeDD
Madame Seraphine 49,. Sarah McVicker
Thea ca ballet dancer) Phyllis Rankin
The Rounders" is In the nature OF a
cure FOR the blues.
Il; is allopathic in the first half and
homeopathic IN the last half.
II is one OF those musical merry-go-
rounds with which the name OF the
New York Casino has been quite regu-
larry associated in, recent years built 20
please the eye and ear without bother
ing the brain.
IL opened at the Providence opera
house last evening and will be seen
f0f the balance OF The week, with the
usual matinee tomorrow
The FOUNDERS is perhaps more
wasteful OF talent than almost any
mixture OF mirth and music that was
ever born at the casno.
II is distinguished by brilliant and
breezy first act. a second act that
travels mostly on the reputation OF the
first act, and "A third act that Is fat
and p-ohtless for the reason that even
The influence OF the brilliant and
breezy first act was insufficient To en-
dure 80 long. and nothing bracing came
10 its support anywhere in between.
When the last curtain falls on The
RDundcrs" you have a sense OF griey-
ance as though you had been fooled
into staying so late. The first act was 50
promising and you were kept In your
seat for more Ike IL, which failed %
happen. The first act got you in such
prime good humUr that il didn't nearly
wear off until almost the finish al
though there was little fresh supply
coming. as you realized when it was all
over
The first act Is jolly.
Ii is also "A Jolly" Since Il aEsOuses
delicious anticipation OF more. but as
the dukes song goes, There's nothing
I'm IT,"
Fun-makng talent goes hunting for
opportunity in The Founders" There
is Mr. Thomas @. seabrooke. for in
stance, one os the most genuinely fun.
ny men that illuminate the stage
When Mr.. Seabrcoke is given
skeleton part with block OF time 10
FIJI I'm with his own inimitable ''busi-
ness" he may usually be depended up
on To do the best, to delight an au-
dience with his songs. his dances and
the antics he concOcts.
But IL IL asking too much OF Mr..
Seabrooke To wholly take the place of
the writer Of the score and the book
for three mortal hours. as wei as per-
form. So Mr.. SeabrOol~e goes pretty
much TO waste i'm The Rounders"
after the middle of the second act for
-fuci Of reasonably substantial frame
work 10 hang himself on. The con-
structors of u.Ie new piece SIMPLY lay
down about in the middle of IL and left
Mr.. Seabrooke and his associates 10
fill out the evening as best they could.
Mr.. ID. l.. Don is another funny man.
as funny in his way as Seabrooke is
i'm his, He is remembered as the Ger
man landlord In the Girl from Paris"
Like Seabrooke. he keeps the audience
in whirl OF laughter SO long as he
keeps going. but he gives cut, too. for
lack OF even skeleton material TO en-
ploy his eminent talents all the way
through.
Mr.. Harry Davenport. talented
young comedian. who was the prodigal
son in the original Belle OF New
York" as seen at the Providence sew
eral seasons ago has developed into an
accurate undefstudy for Mr.. Dan Daily.
Like DAILY he Is suave I'm his methods |
and nimble In his legs, and he gave |
a delicious performance last evening
until. like the others. he. too. found |
himself stranded for lack OF book ana |
music to flll out the evening.
SO The whole company might be cited /
as distinguished for talents. for the /
exhibition OF which the constructors OF |
THE ROunders" provided only meagre |
for. Casino skit-and |
which accordingly goes begging for at |
least half the whole production Miss |
Phyllis Rankin absolutely does nothing |
but display her unique prettiness and 1
several fetching gowns and costumes |,
She doesn't sing a note and has little |
to either say or do. Miss Mabel Gill
man Is rather better provided but that
isn't saying much The whole errec. OF
the FOUNDERS is as though the people
in IL were provided with an act and
half and then left TO eke out the bal
ance OF the evening any old way =
very good chorus is left equally at sea.
SO from an uproariously Jolly begin
ming The Rounders" dwindles 10 a
vanish before IL Is really done.
IL may be the latest of the Casino |
successes. but 10 cannot accurately be
called the greatest"