Evening star., 1902-08-12
ADJUSTMENTS.

ACADEMY OF MUSIC.-The opening
performance Of the season at the Academy
last evening was witnes ed by an immense
audience that filled the playhouse to the
extent Of its capacity, circumstance which
must be gratifying to the management,
and which augurs well for successful
business during the coming season. The
management seems to have struck the
right chord in the selection of play for
the opening night. Pennsylvania" story
Of the anthracite regions, the product Of
Hart & Callahan, is a play calculated to
meet the approval Of the Academys pa
irons. That 1t was a happy selection was
evidenced last night in the enthusiastic re-
ception accorded the presentation of the
play. PENNSYLVANIA is a four-act comedy
drama. dealing with scenes and incidents in
the life of coal mining community. with
striking dramatic scenes and sentimental
situations filled with heart interest. while
there Is enough comedy Of a good sort to
enliven the performance and prevent any
WEAKNESS on the part Of the auditors.
The interest in the plot develops in the
first act, when it is discovered that the
wealthy mine owner, who Is the villain of
the play, has defrauded unfortunate
man of his rights to the coal mine, from
the products of which the villain had be-
plots are interviewer as the story pro-
crosses, and after exciting situations and
stirring scenes, which thrill the audience,
the schemers meet with their reward and
the would-be victims Of injustice are re-
stored to their rights. friendship Of the
Damon and Pythias variety between two Of
the young men characters in the play forms
an interesting part Of the story.
Fred Fairbanks as the hero of the play
and leader of the coal miners is con-
spicuous figure in all the scenes, and his
manly treatment Of his rival, who Is also
his friend, wins for him the admiration
of the audience A convenient eyDlOSiOn in
the coal mine removes his rival, and he
ultimately gains the hand of the miners
daughter. The role of the miners daugh-
ter is taken by Miss Josephine Fox, whose
naturalness in the part Is agreeable fea-
ture of the performance. Miss Rene Darcy.
in the part of a wronged woman bent on
revenge, succeeds in overcoming the preju-
dice of every one in the manner In which
she denounces the villain in the end. That
William Marble made acceptable villain
was evidenced in the Kisses that greeted
him from the gallery. James kits, as the
shrewd old miner. merited general approval
in his character work, and was in favor
with the audience throughout j. G. Glib
son. the rival of the hero, deserved the
praise accorded him, and Dan Evans, the
Irish miner. and Lew Kelley, the man with
the inevitable card, furnished a great deal
of amusement in their comic scenes, and
were always in the good graces of the au-
dience. w. B. Gaffney. In a peculiar char
acter role, gave creditable performance,
while Harriet Willard, a brisk little girl
with sharp wit and ready tongue, took an
important part in the merry-making Situa-
tions.
A quartet of coal miners sang several
pleasing songs, and were required to re-
spond to encores time and again during
the second act.
The Academy has been renovated and
made more attractive since it closed last
season, and the indications are that under
the guidance of w. T. Powell, the resident
manager, it will be more popular with its
patrons in the future than at any time in
the past.
KERNAN's LYCEUM THEATER.-Man-
ager Herman has a hot show for his hot
weather patrons this week, a show which
is SO good that all weather discomfort is
forgotten. Ed Rush's Bon Ton Burlesquers
is always one Of the best variety companies
which visits the Lyceum, but this year Man
ager German has tried to surpass all for
mer records for the Bon Tons, and has sue
ceeded. too. The costumes are all new,
novel and numerous, the scenery is new and
the girls are-well, not new, for they are
friends of several seasons, but they look
bright and freshened up after their sum-
mer's outing. The comedians, too (all bur-
I.lesque men are comedians), seem to be zeal
ously active and add to the general rejuve-
nation. The opening burletta is full of fun
furnished by such well-known caricatures
as Happy Hooligan, Alphonse and CASTOR,
Lady Bountiful and others, and is replete
with good songs and choruses. The clos
Ing concoction, "A Daffy Shop" which war
rants ltS tltle, Keeps the fun humming un-
til the final curtain Fer the olio a bill is
furnished which for general excellence will
hardly be surpassed during the season.
Grace Leonard has a repertoire of all new
songs. which are good and we'll rendered
The Barrett Brothers, Celtic wits have
good turn of the Nnd, and Chas. Vocy and
Harry Lee throw in a bunch of Hebrew
parodies which are exceedingly funny.
FRANK Byron and Louise Langdon have
reputation for good work which carried
their travesty along. The real headline at
traction Of the whole show, though, was
the Simpsons, musical artists. The work
OF Jas. Simpson on the xylophone is unsur-
passed in vaudeville and never has an artist
In this theater been rendered such an ova-
tion as was given from all parts of the
house to Mr.. Simpson upon the completion
| of the overture to Van Suppes Poet and
Peasant Crowded houses greeted the
show at the matinee and night perform
anceS.