The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-04
"Foxy CUTLER" at EngIish's.

The performance of Foxy CUTLER" at
English's Opera House. last night. by the
I<Iaw & Erlanger Opera Company, with
Jerome Sykes 10 lead il, was an echo of
the old days when the coming of a De
KOven and Smith comic opera was a great
event TO the theater-gOers. That was the
time when the new American comic opera,
different in many ways from the English
Gilbert & Sullivan productions, was a
unique thing. The young men now escort
ing young women TO the hfghest-priced
seats. If they have prospered. then leaned
eagerly forward in their seats i'm the
perilously pitched gallery and gazed far
down at the fairy land of palaces and
wild forests. the tenor gallant. the heavy
basso. the beautiful prima donna. the MINI
bic comedian and all the pretty girls on
the stage. The whole audience appIauded
everything and the comedian painted as he
sang his excuses in the last verse of his
topical ditty.
But this echo last night was larger than
the original, and the cause of this phenom-
enon is that since the old days musical
comedy. a commentary on modern affairs
glitteringly cynical. and comic operas writ
ten by other persons pressed hard on
Messrs, De Koven and Smith, and their
works lost some prestige. Therefore it
was necessary for Mr.. Smith TO think out
a new trick. and the character OF Foxy
CUTLER. the great detective. came forth to
regain Tor the writer and the musician
their position, and CUTLER moves in a much
larger scheme N affairs than did the comic
character of the old DE KOven and Smith
operas.
The development in this sort of entertain
ment was visible in the performance last
night. The audience could not know how
much OF that which pleased it was the
KIaw & EriangeT. The groupings The
marches the ensemble dances and many
other little things that added To the gen
eral effect were from Mr.. Teal. When credit
Is given 20 Mr.. Smith for having thought
OF the burlesque detective and framed him
In a plot not brilliant. and TO Mr.. De KoVen
for his excellent craftsmanship i'm writing
purling and conventional music. il must be
recognized that the credit TO be given to
portion.
Mr.. sykes's detective is the happiest hit
IN comic opera Tor many years. His mas
tership OF the stage, his big voice and i'm
posing appearance and his flexible GOOD
humOr and talent make him proprietor OF
his audiences. His third-persOn decIara-
tons OF the wise deductions OF the Bow
street sleuth beget him laughter I'm roars.
His company Is OF great strength. Harry
M~acdonoush, in the character of the one
time actOr. Walsingham Binks. Is more
importantly the unCtuOus MacdOnough. and
between M~acdonough and Sykes gdmbOls
the elush AdOlph link. julius Steger. as
the COrsican. acts and sings Wei. and Ned
ROyster. the lover OF Daphne. Is a highly
dlVeTtlng young man with a good voice
Tbs young women also are Of the best
quality Miss Grace Cameron a. the vi
Vactous Daphne. Miss Eleanor Kent as the
ardent COrsican girl. and Almira Forrest
A. the barmaid with the coCkney dialect
We're welcome whenever they came on the
stage.
With the large. welI-voiced chorus. the
music was full and strong from the OPEN
ing number. led BY Mr.. CaSsaVant as the
shipbullder and accompanied by the clang
Of hammers ON the anvils. through Mr..
Sykes peddler song 20 the close of the
opera. Mr.. Sykes's topical song was OF the
old kind and was somewhat fiat. but IL was
part OF the De KOven and Smith echo and
was applauded because Of It's fellowship