New-York tribune., 1902-05-13
MUSIC-THE DRAMA.
king DODO" AT DALY's.

.'BIng Dodo' a comic opera in three acts. book
bv Frank Pixley and music by Gustave Luders, was
put on at Days last night. after the theatre had
been in darkness for week The house was filled.
but the audience wasn't first just how to
receive the opera II had been successful this win
ter in Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago; thus II
was well to go slow. However, Raymond Hitch
cock decided 1t at his first appearance in the part
OF King Dodo His makeup ridiculous. and
his more So as he stood in mute appeal wait
ing for somebody anybody. TO start the laugh
Tho laugh started, spread. grew in volume and
ended In applause. From then there no
doubt that Broadway indorsed Dodo as a bird. Mr.
Hitchcock called out for a speech at the end
OF the second act and managed 10 hold his aureIs
without hts makeup.
Musicany King Dodo'' is a thing of sound sig
nifying little. but lively enough to tide over the
spaces between laughs The choruses all come to
a full stop two notes before the end. and then
finish with shout, all hands up. Each OF the
singers. however. takes deep breath during the
stop and conscientousy let's II all out on the top
note. Nobody shirks I'm Dodoland IN scenery
costumes and physiology the show fulhls tradi-
tional requirements.
Mr.. Pixley should be thanked for one feature OF
the book. He let Raymond Hitchcock achieve
humor in his own fashion. and did not hn his
mouth with stale jokes. There a few OF the
old bores. of such the statement ''I feel
like the first syllable of telephone CALI but on
the whole the opera Is cheerfuy free from intel
lectual inanity. It's Just nonsense. There's diff
ference between the two-in Dodo's favor
HEARTS AFLAME" AT THE GARRICK
''Fool Fool! Foolr' exclaimed Paul Charteris
at the end of the second Of Hearts Afame'' at
the Garrick Theatre last evening. as he fell prone
upon pillowed divan after forcibly kissing Mrs
Robert Harmony. There may have been one or
"Fools!" but the number Is not i'm
portant. Ths trouble that IL was impossible
to whseher the mpetuous MIR. Charteris meant
that he a fool for having kissed Mrs Har-
TDOO for hay rizado ftar -,
whether the ill-used Mrs. H. was a fool for
having TO his Mr.. Charteris fooled
his audience. at any rate, and that is a dangerous
thing. 1t is dstracting not to know which is vour
hero and which your villain-not to know at what
woful moment your idol may be shown 10 have
feet of clay 1t is desirable to be assured once and
for all that there are clay feet on the premises
There was no doubt last evening that Paul Char
teTis had been an unprincipled person and n was
not established beyond peradventure of doubtine
that his reformation not a wholly utiIitarian
affair
There was no doubt. however, about Harry Hsr-
mony the husband of the lady who had un-
Willingly ensnared the affections OF CharterIs He
person whose soul would make a black
spot the soul of Cesar Borgia This general
proposition may be defended by mentioning the
fact that when he got into financial difficulties he
took money from he knew was In love
with his wife; that he accepted gross insults along
with il; that he struck his wife when she told him
the truth about himself, and wound IN by running
away with another woman
Hearts Ahame'' Is advanced as = Dia,. of ron,
temporary social life In New-York but nobody
could mistake 1t for what 1t pretends to couptsr-