The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-05
.The Chaperons" at EnsIish.s.

'''rhe Chaperons.'' a Now musical comedy
presented at English's last night. is full of
smart comment and its players contribute
some new ideas in burlesque. Eva Tanguay
rushed on the first scene-a street i'm the
Latin quarter of Paris-as if she were just
two squares ahead of the attendants from
the asylum. She was Phrosia. the girl de-
tective. she said. and she was on the trail
% he man that had wronged her He had
stolen her pet seal. Thenceforward she
never was still; nervous and muscular. she
leaped about the stage with marvellous en-
durance and succeeded in being droll be-
sides At first glance one was convinced
that she had taken to rag-time in infancy.
and she warranted this conclusion later in
a song and dance Ny Sambo." in which
she displayed such astonishing vigor and
agility that the spectators called her back
many times. Even finally she did not
breathe hard.
Trixie Friganza appeared as a profess
siOnal chaperon. not the sort that a solicit
tous mamma would intrust her daughter TO.
but one of the sort of impetuous yet wise
women that are most appropriately dressed
in fiaring red gowns TO set off their black
hair and eyes. She stood between scandal
had many confidential chats with the men
and was always their equal or superior at
thickness and the give-and-take talk of the
street.
Harry Conor was a Cincinnati pork pack
er and president of the Society for the Sup
preston or Nice-a caricature of DR.. Park
hurst or the more up-to-date Mr. Jerome
that might well have been invented by a.
Raines-law hotel keeper or a protector of
gamblers He wore clerical costume and
when he saw good-lOodng woman he said
aside. ma ard ~
around her waist. II so happened that the
women he met I'm the play were not of the
sort 20 resent his familiarity and he pros
pered. so mat when at last he engaged
himself TO Miss FriganEa she promised not
10 be an exacting chaperon to him
Walter Jones unprecedented Tammany
rapid-transtt contractor in Paris because
he had heard II was the fastest CITY IN the
world Joseph g. Miron was an operate
impresarlo looking for an angel and find
ing one In COnOr Ed Redway exhibited
rolling RS and the other nannerisms made
familiar by Louis Mann. ID. l.. Don James
sullivan and Joseph Cawthorne in their ex-
positions OF crazy Germans George X
Henery was a Iudicrously tall valet
Mr. Miron had song MY Low c." i'm
the hrst act, that showed off his big voice.
but burlesque on comic opera bandits in
the second act. served him better Heandthe
chorus men sang the brigands' songs from
FRA Dlavolo and THE Pirates of Penz-
ance and pleased the audience not oniv by
the nun, but also because the music of the
old operas Is much better than that
heard in the latter-day musical shows The
eieVefest song OF the show was The Little
Girl That Couldn't Say No. sung With
charming occurrences by Nellie FoiIis and
with comic innocence by Mr. Jones The
best musical feature was a chorus. We're
all good fellows" sung without the orches-
ira by Albert harrington and the other
men.
Mr.. COnor. Mr. Miron and Miss Friranza
had song called THE Man Behind the
Scenes, IN which Mr.. COnor produced a
trap-drummer's outfit and worked the fri
angle and the whistles at the wrong times
he could not show of the bass drum ne
cause In his enthusiasm he broke the ma
chtnery- Mae Stebbns had a toe-and-in
step dance that won applause
The play is episode and Frederic Rar-
ken's hbretto Is obscured by its actors Isl
dore Witmarks music often is snappv
enough TO remind one OF the Kerker-Mor-
ton reviews. but IL does not go beyond sus-
costing their melodious virtues The chor1s
Is large and capable. some of the girls he
ing sufficiently versatile to play a mandolin