Omaha daily bee., 1900-10-19
ADJUSTMENTS.
"The Ameer"-

|
Mirzah, an Oriental Dame .... Kate TART
Sereza, Peasant .......... Mae Emmons
II It be true, as Joseph jefferson said
in before-the curtain speech in New
York recently-and who will deny that the
great dean Of the American stage is en-
titled to speak with authority on any
subject connected with the drama-that
the first aim Of the author and his CO.
latorer. the actor. should be to amuse
their audiences, then II must be conceded
that THE Ameer" is fulfilling the mis-
sion whereto IL has been sent. Last night
| the largest audience OF the season saw
| its initial production in this city and, II
one may judge by the hall marks of ap-
proval with which the unfolding OF the
piece was accompanied, II was most ac-
ceptable to that critic which sits in judg-
| ment upon every new work and from
whose decision the-e is no appeal-the
public.
Eliminating the glamor of the lights, the
| sheen and simmer of silken garments.
the fresh and attractive faces with which
the stage is filled for the larger part of
the time, the musical settings and the
more than gorgeous scenic investiture
which have been bestowed upon this new
work, 1t would be a sorry figure. The
oooh 10 hot oNcTiy DTiBHt, Tue pfOt is AS
diaphanous as the draperies worn by the
handsome chorus girls. there are but two
or three lyrics one would care to hear
q second time, and the words of the cho-
ruses are remarkable only for mediocrity.
But all this is hidden under a veneer OF
Kaleidoscope coloring which cffectually
buries its inherent weaknesses from the
sight OF the fortunate theater- -goer who
attends only to be amused and whose
critical faculties are lulled to sleep by
the sensuous, dreamy music and the gen
tie rustling of satins. The stage man
ager, the scene painter and the costumer
have made THE Ameer" what il is
Without them 1t would have been a dreary
thing; with them, it is one of the most
radiantly beautiful productions ever seen
In Omaha.
But there is one thing about the piece
that is SO commendable that 1t must not
be passed over In silence. and that is the
entire absence OF moral uncleanness and
suggestive words or situations. From
the time the curtain rises on the first act
until it falls on the last not a syllable
even is spoken to which the most fastid-
ious can object. The humor is quiet and
delicate, the lines, though sometimes
they come dangerously near being dull
have no double meaning and there is a
daintiness in everything that goes for.
ward on the stage that bespeaks refine
ment and an unwillingness to help out
weak situation by recourse to anything
risque. For this Messrs. Lanken and
La Shelle deserve the thanks Of every one
Musically speaking, the opera falls be-
low some Of Victor Herbert's earlier works
1t docs not seem TO be so much in seeping
with the oriental character as was the
music TO yhich 1.-The Wizard OF the Nile"
was set There is nothing in 1t to suggest
the locale Of the action OF the play, and II
would have been equally as appropriate
had the scene OF the story been Manches-
ter, England or Hackensack, New Jersey.
There are two lyric gems, two others that
are fair, one good topical song and one
other that isn't good. The choruses are
not remarkable In any way, though will
average up fairly well with those in sim
liar works where the composer must turn
the score over in a given time. so that re-
hearsals may begin on the date that has
been set.
Mr.. Daniels, although not at his best last
night, was as unctuously funny as Of yore
He introduced some rather striking sar-
torial effects sang just enough to show
that he can't sing, even little bit, in
dulgeC in a few colloduies with other peo-
pie on the stage. and made a curtain
speech, Helen Redmond. handsome. stately
and looking every inch the American girl
she purported to be, song and acted ad-
mirably we'll. Norma Kopp, dainty, win
some, piquant and petite, was ,ntirely sat
isfactory In the role OF friend TO the
American girl. Kate Uarts deuot ament OF
Mirzah was well done. Other members "
the company we're adequate and the chorus
failed to show any signs OF somnolency
during the entire performance. The stage
settings and the costuming are very hand
some.
most welcome innovation last night
was the absence OF the candy statesmen
hawking their wares up and down the
aisles during the intervals between the
acts. II Manager Burgess has decided 20
remove this entirely unnecessary appen-
age Of his playhouse-and let us hope
that such is the case-he will deserve and
| receive. the thanks OF every one who be-
lieves that the commercial side of the thea
/ ter should be confined TO It's box Office