The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-04
Topeka Sees Another New York
Success.
Piece Which Made Edna May
Famous at the Crawford.
AUDIENCE WAS LARGE.
People Were Curious to See Mr..
Lederer's Production.
They Saw Tt and Went Away
Wondering.

The large audience of theater- goers at
the Crawford last night, attracted by
1.-The Belle of New York. was confined
to the rear of the parquet during the
first act. People came late, and those
who were there before the curtain were
comparatively lonesome during the first
act, which occupied an hour. The man
agement of the theater kept the tardy
arrivals from interrupting the piece, but
at the first intermission the front rows
filed up and the curtain at the opening
of the second act revealed an interested
and well pleased crowd. There are only
two acts to the production.
The music of 1.-THE Belle of New York.
maintains a dash and spirit from the
outset to the close, but it is such a COM
bination of arrangement that in the
whole piece there are not a half dozen
popular measures such as excite the
amateur whistler to try his powers.
AS a comedian Edward J. Connolly,
the star of the piece who now and then
abandons his sporting proclivities to
run an inti-cigarette league and a cam
paign against vice, does well, but the
music which ne sings has been reduced
to a chant-like recitatiVe. The part is
very much like that of "Snags'' in "A
Bunch Of Keys" and a dozen others of
the cheap roaring farce" variety.
George Tallman, the Spendthrift son
of the anti-cigarette crusade leader has
a superior voice. The ability which he
displayed was remarkable. With the
stars and stripes waving over his head
Mr.. Tallman sang patriotic melody in
winch a Well balanced chorus assisted,
and won the plauditS of the evening.
He was recalled twice. The wide range
of this mans voice and the clearnesS
of enunciation coupled with the smooth
ness and apparent ease with which he
reached the varying and difficult de-
mands of the music, won for him the
musical honor of the evening.
Arthur DEACON, the mixed-ale pugil-
iSt, sport from his broken derby hat
to the patches on his trousers, won sec
ond honors in singing. He was regard
ed as the most worthless character in
the assignment, filling it in frst-class
style, and little was expected of him in
addition to the fun he made, but he
scored a success in singing. Mr.. Dea-
gon appeared in specialties with Miss
Flo Perry, a young woman who was
made up as a 10-year-old girl, repre-
senting a typical New York slum char
acter. The feature presented by these
performers is one of the most import
ant in 1.-THE Belle of New York" SO far
as the fun-making goes, but Mr.. Dea-
gon, even with his magnificent baritone
is tiresome-oh, so tiresOme.
Miss Mae Sailor. who presents a, char
acter of the French girl, and makes love
to the spendthrift son, or anybody else
that happens along, in the character of
Fiji, sang prettily, and was easily the
feminine star of the cast, though her
voice is limited in power.
Gertrudge Rutledge, who impersOn-
ates the queen Of comic opera sings
we'll, and has a very pretty back, which
she takes pains to display.
Counts Patsi and Ratsi Rattatto, J. o.
Leary and W. Bentley, twin noblemen,
introduced a novelty in the way of wife
seeking that is amusing The polite
lunatic, Joseph Kane, is funny at first,
but he remains before the footlights SO
long that he becomes disgusting.
Beulah Dodge, the Salvation Army
girl, is the Edna May of the production.
She was evidently selected because of
her facial resemblance to the celebrated
beauty. Miss Dodge is pretty, but she
can't sing. She would undoubtedly be
a success in a real Salvation Army.
The s'Belle of New York; bears the
stamp of success in both New York and
London but that does not mean that it
is a good musical comedy comic opera
or whatever it may be called. New York
must be a queer place. Any other city
might have been content to allow one
female member of the cast to escape
developed or otherwise, in tights, but
New York wouldn't stand it. Even the
demure, modest Salvation Army lassie"
appears with her army in a decidedly
abbreviated costume early in the play
and finally in tights The play is evil
IDENTIFY intended to show the public just
now near a stage cOSluIIe Cdl COiu6 u
outright indecency and in that respect
it is a success.
New York must pine for horse play.
There never was a so-called first class
attraction in Topeka before which con-
tanned so much that belongs strictly to
the cheap farce comedy as 1.-The Belle
of New York. Every now and then
some one felt impelled to kick his
offending neighbor or to force him to
climb high up on shelves to escape.
New York does not send its successes
west until she has tired of them but if
New York had refused forever and
eternal to allow 1.-The Belle of New
York. out of its corporation limits
there are several people in Topeka and
no doubt elsewhere who would be de-
voutly thankful