The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-19
DANIELS in A new PLAY
.MIsS SIMPLICITY" SHOWN TO TWO
BIG AUDIENCES AT ENGLIsH'S.
Principal Figure an King That Had
Been n Valet and n Street-Car
M~an-LOndon's Stage.

Frank Daniels had found his style of
making fun in musical comedy increasingly
popular, and when he came to English's
Opera House yesterday he had arranged
his circumstances so that he was more
conspicuous than before. In r. A. Bar
nets Miss Simplicity" he was again a
misft in kingly condition. He and many
other comedians of his sort had used this
trick successfully many times. Normally
ne was Blossoms. a valet, in the service OF
Philip Montfort, a young Englishman. Be
fore entering this service he had been e
street-car conductor in New York, and it
was in this occupation that he had devel-
oped impudence. Montfort happened to be
appointed king of a small continental coun
try named Sauterelle, but before he an
nounced himself to the public he fell in
love with a beggar girl, so he COMMISSIONS
Blossoms to be king.
After that Blossoms's comic troubles rose
out Of the contempt his v~ariegated min
istry had for him and from the fact that
Ibis girl" who was lowering about, OBJ
jected to his betrothal to Clair de Loin-
vile, a princess of the realm. He also suf-
fered, every time he heard an explosive
noise, from a taste of gasoline, because, in
entering Sauterelle alone in his masters
automobile, the machine had blown up and
hurled him into the midst of a crowd of
Sauterellians, who were gathered to well
come their new ruler.
Besides being laughable in his familiar
method of burlesquing terror and %strutting
among pretty girls, hugging, kissing and
guy1ng them, Mr.. Daniels had several
humorously-commentlng songs. In one OF
these he told of a ~Sunday-schOOl boy who
embezZled the Sunday-school funds, and,
when he was sent to the penitentiary, was
chosen to lead the Sunday-schoOl there. AT
another time he described Mrs. Wimples
child's mode of torturing its mother by
asking embarrassing questions at inOppor
tune moments. He did not forget ragtime
and the These were introduced
at the close of a sort of song Of all nations.
Mr.. Daniels wore a yellow coat and led
the chorus in the cakewalk. His profanity
and use Of slang bits were laughed at, anC
no little part of his applause he stirred UP
in a nonsensical curtain speech.
William DanfOrth was granted a chance
TO help along the entertainment as a carl
cature OF a certain patent-medicine manu-
facturer who advertiSeS a great deal in the
newspapers and whose pictures show him
to have a pompadour and a solemn viSage
Mr.. DanfOrth'S makeup was close to his
subjects appearance and he exhuded plen-
ty of Self-aSSurance. He carried this af-
fectation comically into a song about the
soothing power of politeness.
David LythgOe, an unusually cookbook
ing young man, who was especially at ar
advantage in green velvet knickerbocker
and black stockings, impersonated Mont
fort and made love with spoken and sung
words TO Helen Lord as the beggar cir
who really was the princess, but who haC
disguised herself because she did not wish
to marry the new king. MontfOrt's song
Resale" was put forward as the most
important lyric of the play. Miss Lore
was pretty and so were Grace Belmont, as
her maid, and Allene Carter, as the true
beggar girl. Besides these young womer
there were five tall, 1.-the girls, who dressed
deliberately and sang and danced with five
young men in manner suggestive of tht
"FlorOdora" double sextet.
Miss Simplicity" was not a worthy sue
cessor to 1.-The Ameer." in which Mr.. Dan.
iels had attracted to himself many new
admirers in this city. II. l.. Heartz's mu.
sic for Mr.. Barnet's words was thin anC
had no hint of the distinction so pleas.
ing in Victor Herbert's THE Amer" Mr.
DanfOrth, it will be remembered. did ex.
celient work as the brigand chieftain in
The Amer" but in yesterdays entertain.
ment he had little opportunity to display
his ability. Very large audiences attended
the two performances, and the one in the
afternoon had to wait an hour because OF
Mr.. Daniels having missed his train from
Dayton.