The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-03-09

Tonight Is brought another lNpicdllN sue
cessful English musical comedy. and ii Is
worthy Of scme mention, in connection win
the fact that II indicates that our national
characteristic is an inclination toward good
humor. This cbeerfulHsss of temper Is de-
clared constantly in the theater- Any per
former who has A Gift OF genuine fun wins
reputation easily. ANY playwright who can
construct reasonable comedy finds fortune
Weber and Fields Were stroilins merry
makers four OF five Years ago. Now they
POSSESS their own -Nrater on Broadway. run
their own burle=qucs six months at a time
and cannot accommodate all the people VINO
want TO enjoy their performance.
John ]. McNGily. Charles Hoyt, William
Gillette, George Broadhurst and many other
authors have come into wealth through
their fcrces. Auzustin Daily built ZIP his
famous company on laughter. So long as his
stage was devoted to such leit. amusing
pieces as '1-2D-s." "A Ni2ht on and Love
on Clutches" he remained prosperous. Ana
in his later period he restored his fnanciai
. if not his artistic fortune by the produc-
ton of the series of English musical come
dies OF which The Messenger Boy is the
latest.
Paul Potter. Clyde Fitch. Augustus Them
as Martha Morton, Madeline Ryley. Mar
guerite Merr;ngton. Henry Guy Carlton ana
Bronson Howard came into reputation
through humorous writing. Our stage de-
velops a hundred comedians for one TRACE
dian
III there were any CAL LOT SdI-N iSdESd iF--
lows they would appear Immediately Al
mcs. all actors, male and female. would
rather draw tears than tempt smiles Even
Lillian Russell at one time had aspirations
for Carmen and desired 10 he hiiieG III
the last act. The E.odels that young play
ers most earnestly admire are Sarah Bern
hardt. Edwin Bccth. Eleanora Duse. Henry
Irving and Richard Mansfield. not Joseph
Jefferson. Sol Smith Russell. Ada Rehan.
Nat Goodwin. Constant Coquelin or Felix
Schweighofer. If left to follow their own
fancies. our entertainers might run riot in
Macbeth" Romeo and Juliet
.'The Kings Jester" "Othello" and slich
tragedies.
TIE audience. however. is the real man.
ager of the stage. What the public wants
ii will have. else there is no money in the
box office. Generally considered. the Amer
lean playgoer goes to the play TO De
amused. This disposition does not arise. as
is often argued. from the fact that there
Is too much gloom in real life, from which
the audience wishes relief at the theater-
We are not a lsthargic. but a nervous. race.
Optimism is the rule. not the exception.
America Is cheerful. We put our best foot
forward. take life as we find 1t ana nno
as much fun in the world as anybody
Certainly, there are some dyspept!cs VINO
enjoy the spectacle of suffering On the
stage. Yet II may generally he observed
that tragic pieces have some element pe-
sides tragedy to m them. Our most
distinguish ~playwrights recognize tne
amiable disposition of American audiences
by Tightening the tragic and melodramatc
stories with a generous share of humor.
David Pclasco drew plenty of mirth into
'.Zaza," and is said to have done the same
thing in "Du Barry" There was abundant
comedy in Shenandoah" and The Heart
Of MARYLAND" earlier productions OF MS
pen. Laughter was as frequent as thrills IN
"secret Service and the acting of William
Gillette in Sherlock Holmes was cxcei.ent
humor. ''Cyrano de Bergerac" is smart IN
wit. and ''Beaucaire," Mr.. Mansfields latest
piece. has comedy of the finest strain: inc
sorrowful ending of Barbara Frietchie Is
prefaced by much good humor. white MISS
M%ariowc's play. in use this season: mas d
vein of humor running through 1t. captain
links of the Horse Marines Is delicate.
genuine comedy. THE Little Minister" Is
fine comedy. 100. and so is Quality Street
And so with 'The Second in ana
all the other prominent successes Oh the
current season. Almost all the plays that
have been prosperous in the last decaoe
were aimed at the audiences risibies-
The continuous performance managers
watch the public wants clos ly- They NIKE
a special efort. to secure the most divert
Eng performers. a. study of their bills would
20 to prove that the greatest damands &C
corded the players th're is given 10 'hoss
of light entertainment.
The recoris of our theaters give evidences
that comedies and plays with humor as
prominent element have enjoyed nnahciai
success and continued runs of many
months. hut not in one case can they Snow
a continued run of a tragedy. The approval
os humor Is so general in this country thar
a lis, of the plays now being conte.npora-
M ously performed in the principal cities
and on tour SHOWS what might almost De
called a monotony CT mirth. How many
theaters are devoted almost exclusively 10
merrymaking and how lew TO the GLOOMY
side of drama.
And OF all the different classes OF the
light. or humorous. entertainment none is
higher in the popular idea or favor than
that In which humor Is mixed with music
and color. The musical comedy is an
amusement institution which was practical
" a rarity a decade ago.. while to-day 1t
stands as a form OF entertainment theatre
which has achieved a height in popular
favor all Its own
This growth is due mostly to our English
cousin. For some reason the American
writer's and composers cannot approach
their English compeers in the manufacture
OF musical comedy. and likewise English
actors and stage managers cannot approach
their American compeers in the presen.a-
ton Of these pieces, or at least for Ameri-
can audiences.
Edward Harrigan. supported by the regu-
lar stock company, IS reviving a series of
his old successes at the Girard Avenue The
alter. in Philadelphia. Mr.. Harrisan began
his engagement last week with a revival OF
'Old Lavender"
Paul Kester. who is responsible for the
four-act dramatization of Charles Majors
rovel, when Krighthood Was in Flower"
- a cousin of the novelist. William Dean
Howells Though a young man. Mr. Hester
has contributed work of significance to the
literature of the drama and his training has
been more or less under the eye of his ia
nous cousin.
George Irving. Melbourne MacDowell's
son, has decided upon a stage career. and
II now a member of his fathers company.
HIS mother. Nellie Irving. will be remem-
bered as the little page in Fedora when
her husband was playing Loris with the late
Funny Davenport.
II wiz interest many to learn that Sousa
has Q new collection of enccres for his pres
ent concert tour. These encores are as much
. component part OF the Sousa programmes
- are the printed numbers themselves, and.
the March Kings audiences have learned
- 1xpect and demandt them with 4 prodiRal-