The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-13
OF THE THEATRE.
A como OPERi rms EEK ONLY
NEW NTRRTaTNMENT.
Edwards and La shrile's collaboration In
"Ths Princess C~hic"-Bijou Fernandez
Make. mn improvement On tn. Conduct ct
IN. uu.Lc Hall soubrJtte In" Mile. FIN"

the (D.iuO IHst nlkHt WH'n Hc iIlhNNoo INV.
wri,ten by Kirke La Sholle and composed by
JulIon Edwards. received its first New York
hearing. Chowder parties In tho middle OF
broadway were not shown. as Is usual ut
,hs Casino, but tho days when "Erminle"
and The Grand Duchess" were the gayest
things in town were harkcd back TO. Tho
village innkeeper and his fair daughter,
addicted TO the curtsying habit, were in evil
dence. 1t had been cut from tho old
pattern, whore women in tights are either
men or women disguised as men. The
story was quite as Indefinite. A Normandy
Princess came to wed n Burgundy Duke. but
met him frat Us n supposed envoy from
her real self. In this Disguise she
warned him that the King OF France had
q plot against burgundy and its ruler.
Then she dressed herself as q peasant
girl, and in that guise the Duke fell
in love with her. From then sho played with
hin, assuming the appearance OF the envoy
and the peasant girl from time to time. and.
finally, giving him her heart as herself. the
Princess CHIC. Aside from these characters
there were acouple OF comic opera stewards and
two tramps. These were undoubtedly Intended
TO supply comedy. Let 1t suflce that the inten-
ton WAS good. There were also a
pair Of secondary lovers and a woman
In tights. who may have represented
q man or q woman in disguise. 1t
is Of little importance, but II would be agree
able to be accurate. These persons and this
sketch OF a plot were strung through three acts
In q rather witless. and far from original man
ner.
Though there were Tome doubts as to the
value OF the book. the same cannot DO truth
fully said OF the music. Julian Edwards did
his portion OF the work excellently. The score
was OF a rather pretentious grade. but not
aimed above the desire OF comic opera
audiences. 1t was tunetul and appropriate
at all times. Mr.. La Shelle's lyrics
were better than his work. SO Mr.. Edwards
had good material to compose to. The ensem-
bles were particularly good. The finale OF the
second act was a march Of the Sousa order. but
better than the March King" has given US OF
late. The piece had been staged by Julian
Mitchell, who excels at managing a chorus
and supplying continuous action. The cos
tunes were particularly admirable. being not
only handsome but historically correct.
The Princess Chic was not materially
helped by the performers. Christie Macdonald
gave an adequate. but not bri liant. imperso-
nation ofthe title part. Her high notes were
valuable in the fnales. but her pronunciation
Is so indistinct that many OF her good songs
went for little. Some sentimental ballads
with rarely pretty music we're given her to
sing. Winfield Blake was the Duke who is in
fatuatel with her. The plot made him that
and also demanded that he be a bold warrior.
lie didn't appear to be either. but he
village maid with all the manner OF old opera
comlque. She, seemed to feel herself a great
1Ifftn 70 fhn anAf q A WALL al il DA
at that. Richard Golden was the
received the AUDIENCES sympathg frequently
PLACED pnNG 1.-The the second econ come ron ed y pS r. d Al the ALLEGED III &c
i sFSw and f SSimS i ffIons.stsdd BY ~ e S,sfST one' FL IL
carried out his mission with rare fnesse. born
Of long association with the Bostonians,
Macbeth manner, which may have been meant
TO denote mSnliness ana may have been
as to her. doubtful seq. J. c. Miron.
Melville Collins, Edgar Temple and Walter
A. Lawrence were other PLAYERS who sang and
cares for real old, school opera. comique.
vintage OF 1885, had better go to the Casino.
y is a style, Of entertainment almost extinct in
these enlightened days OF "A Runaway Girl'
and The Belle OF New York"
Mile. Fin" was reproduced at the Fifth Ave-
nue. Yesterday as a consequence OF the failure
of The Countess Chiffon" which unfortunate
drama had lasted less than a week. William
A. Brady. the maker Of that mistake. imme-
diately brought in the company that had
been playing Mile. Fiji" on a tour. He made
two changes in the cast, one in re placing Grace
George as the American Nicountess and the
other in showing Bijou Fernandez for the first
time in the title part. Miss Georges i'm |
PRESERVATION OF the loving young wife
was noticed as a rarely pretty perform
ance when the farce was at the Manhattan
last year. Miss Fernandez did wonders with |
the part Of Fin. People who saw the play in
It's original production. with Louise Beaudet "a
the Folies Bcrg6re singer. found that role to be
the one Objectionable portion iu an other.
wise admirable play. Her costume was
Of the Eugene Fougere cut. though so
arranged that it was an original indecency in
Itself. Every movement of Miss Bcaudet was
suggestive Of wickedness. II seemed then
to be the only way to act the .charac-
ter properly. or rather inadequately imprOr-
erly.. Miss Fernando showed Yesterday how il |
could be done quite as effectively. and without |
shame. Her gown was decorous, but obviously
not that OF a lady, Her manners were Frrnchy. |
though not rrhulslye:. The short part gives
the best OF the scant material. She has
been an actress Of promise. her performances
in The Ghetto, and yesterday IN Mile Fin"
indicate that she would make a ron spicious |
success in n suitable part. Others not In last
seasons production are Maud Granger. Ed |
ward \. Ayeles and Dore Davidson. taxing
the. places Of Rose Coghlan. Aubrey Bouci- |
cault and James 7. Sullivan.
The old woman who lights cigars and sells
matches outsidr the theatre has heard that
she is reproduced as one OF the characters in
Round New York in Eighty Minutes" and
thinks that she should receive pay FOR the use
OF her personality. She says that she will con-
suit with Abraham II. Hummcl. who is counsel |
for many actresses. and bring a suit against
Manager Brady.
Rhoda Cameron, the actress, has written a
play in collaboration with Lucille Rutland. II
Is called "Lafitte." and Is in q prologue and |
four acts, Edward +. Rose will probably be
the dramatiZer al Janice Meredith He has
nearly finished arranging Richard Carvel"for |
the stage.
Mrs. J.. l.. Fernandez will represent herself in
l ne thSino CIR, the Casino production that |
Is duo in about three weeks. She will conluct
an agency for actors as she does In reality, Vir. |
ginia Earl, Nah"lle Gilman, Julius Steger. Sam
Bernari and Louis Wesley are the PRINCIPALS
engaged Tor that eytravaganZa,
I. u. Sothern and Virginia Harmed will use
q iramatization Of "Manon I~escaut" next faIL.
ne popularity Of transferring novels to the
Stage seems to be so great that the SUNNY OF
lew ones does not suffice, The season has
already brought Vanity lair. "A Tale OF Two
cites, ,saVho and The Three Musket.
GERS 10 the lootlights. ~
Josephin" Hall has received permission from
lhnTIns FrOOmDu TO amman IN ~. T.