Evening star., 1901-05-18

tSsANQlSsxeEL -
most striking dramatic offering of the
year. I'm a Balcony" was a memorable
performance. whose discussion, inasmuch
as there is no prospect of it's return, would
be a superiuity with those who saw it,
and an irritation to those who did not at
tend the performance.
Musical comedy is pursuing the even ten
or it's way at the Columbia, although it is
scarcely doing what the management has q
right to expect considering the liberality
with which the productions are being made.
Chase's New Grand entered on the warm
weather campaign with a brave array or
floral decorations in the lobby of the thea
ter and rustic embellishments of a suit
able character in the auditorium.
The week was made notable at the La
fayette by the appearance of William Sey-
mour in his oldtime part of the boy in
"The Magistrate Mr.. Seymour played it
with a degree of comedy JUNCTION that will
make him welcome figure should he
make up his mind to ''act OUT again. The
academy presented that time-honored and
lachrymose drama, East Lynne" 1t seems
almost absurd that playwrights will strug-
and applaud so profusely over an old
timer like this. Kernan's had a good show,
and was well patronized. The Bijou opens
with a new extravaganza tonight that
promises to be a striking enterprise.
Tonight John r Sullivan concludes his
thirty-third week as member of the La
fayette Square Stock Company. His de-
parture will be matter of regret to many
people, who have learned to look forward
to his work with interest. whatever the
play may be.
''It is one of the busiest engagements I
have ever had Mr.. Sullivan remarked.
During this period l have played almost
every conceivable style of part, from mon
sters to lovers, and from rowdies to diplo-
mats. Which of the characters l have
played do 1 prefer?'' he remarked pen
sively. Il rather think 1 like my part in
Miss Hobbs best He was something of a
cynic and man of the world. have been
about a good deal, and | feel like some
thing of a cynic myself especially since
my broker notified me that l had been
wiped out in the recent Wall street
furry"
"A cynic ought to like the part of Jacques
in AS You Like It."
II did like the part of Jacques; and by
the way. L have heard more comment on
Jacques than on any other part / have
done. Washington is a delightful city to
play in; the only city / have known where
people, sometimes entire strangers, would
stop and thank an actor for the pleasure
his performance has given them. The
most difficult role l had to play was Hal
denwald in 'Aristocracy.' 1t is a part
J-, H.,
that unless the player brings
all his nervous energy to bear on it he
cannot realize it. Washington, by the way,
has the distinction of witnessing my first
and only attack of stage fright It oc-
that rollicking ditty,
80 A foaming glass of ale,
Not too fresh, nor yet too stale
without a sinking of the knees and
whirling at the brain. 1 felt myself ramb-
ling until l got toward the last line, and
then l would finish with great confidence.
1 never made any pretensions as vocal
ist, but l cannot wholly account for the
difficulties which beset me with that simple
ditty. Lord Bateman was a noble lord
and 'Luddy-fuddy, zip, hi-uddy, h-o,' We're
comparatively smooth sailing; but A
foaming glass of ale was a perpetual bete
noir''
Mr.. Sullivan is an excellent raconteur,
and has an inexhaustible fund of anecdote
and personal reminiscence. While his work
with the Lafayette company has required
him to be one of the busiest of men, he has
still had time to form large circle of ac-
quaintances, who will be as sorry to lose
him as friend the public is to lose him
as an actor. He goes to Denver for an en-
gagement with the Bellows-Long Stock
Company there. After the performance to-
night Mr.. Sullivan will recite, by request
Fra Giacomo," by Robert Buchanan.
Up to the year 1880 burlesuue was the
most profitable form of musical entertain
ment in London The .liaiety Theater then
managed by John Hollingshead, was the
producing theater for this class Of enter
tainment. 1t Is here that Edward Terry
and Nellie Farren made their big successes
Along about that time the Gilbert and Sui
Ivan craze took place, and for about ten
years it was rampant in London, and the
public could not get enough Of the operas
turned out by those two gentlemen. Geo.
Edwardes, who is the present manager Of
the Gaiety Theater was the first to launch
these operas, representing a syndicate He
was afterward appointed managing direc-
tor of the Gaiety Theater. and his first
innovation was to start producing musical
comedies, which is undoubtedly the most
popular form of light entertainment Of
fered to theatergoers of today. 1t was
quite novelty in presenting musical plays
with modern scenes and costumes. and
with topics of the day. His first produc-
ton at the Gaiety Theater was '"The Gaietv
Girl" followed by The Shop Girl" 'aFhe
Circus Girl" "A Runaway Girl and The
Messenger Boy" which is now holding the
boards for second season at that theater
and which is to be presented next fall i'm
this country at Dalys Theater
Mr.. Daily arranged with Mr.. Edwardes to
furnish musical entertainments for his Lon
don theater, built on a little more ambi-
tiCus plan from musical standpoint than
the plays given at the Gaiety His first
production was THE Geisha," which ran
over 500 nights. 1t was followed by '"Tha
Artists Model and THE Greek Slave
THE Greek Slave" was undoubtedly the
most ambitions work of the lot, requiring
a specially gifted lot of singers and a most
elaborate production, neither of which n
had in this country, hence it's failure in
New York. This piece ran over a year in
London at Days. and was followed by
''San Toy" which was produced two wears
ago and is still running not only in Lon
don. but in this country, too. The i'm
10 ooiIxy