New-York tribune., 1903-07-06
LONDON NOTES.
H Brilliant SeasOn-Theatres-A
Publishers QHest-Caftoons.
London. luna -

/ With Buckingham Palace the main ras,
| denee OF royalty. and with the court no lour.-
\ in retirement. the London season would -
prolonged from January to August u. tbs-.
would be state functions OF unexampled br,u-
| fancy, and social life would be a continuou,
| round Of social gayety. That was the West Ens
tradesman's view for many years. and Il wa,
shared by smart society; and when the new
reign opened there were pFsmonitions OF ri..
of house and rental valuations in the most fash
ionable residential quarters an improvement A.
business for all kinds OF shOpkeeplng and IN.
conversion og London into the most briliaut
capital in Europe The coronation year involves
disappointment OF elastic expectations. bur tsi,
season there has been a partial fulhIment =.
hopes long deferred The tradesTnen have has
the best season for many years. even II the
house agents have not succeeded in forcing IN
rents; and there has been a marked increase a.
luxurious entertaining. These results have bea,
accomplished in spite Of the worst possible
weather and an unusually beated spring and
summer when courts have been attended IN
dTenching rain. and royalties have gone TO ths
Ascot races bundled up In fur, and the Kings
neighbors have either been storm bound on ths
way TO the Windsor ball or have stood In tbs
Waterloo Gallery. shivering in knee breeches
and silk stockings. in thin dresses and dia-
monds,
This week has been considered the most brill
liant one of the season; but it viii probably be
surpassed next month. when President Loubet
returns the Kings visit and there are gala
days and festaI nights in honor of France. There
has been stately court at the palace and
there have been military pagsants and ministe-
rial banquets in commemeTation OF the official
birthday; and the Khedive Of Egypt has been
the guest of honor al Sir EIdon Gorst's wedding
and has been entertained by the King and tha
Prime Minister. There has also been a con-
tinuoUs whirl OF balls. dances and concerts hl
the great houses. with the sTnartest OF the snar-
going on from one entertainment TO another and
having the opera in reserve. II there were an
idle hour in the evening Lord Howard ds
Walden. Lady Londonderry, Lady Wood. Lady
Onslow. Lady Maitland. Mrs. Arthur James
Lady Marlborough. Lady Warwick. Lady Cole
brooke and Lady Avebury have been among the
scores of entertainers this week; and Nine.
Calv6 has made her admirers happy by reap
pearing at Covent Garden with all her oldtime
charm and fascination Every brilliant dance
or ball is preceded by dinners at dozen houses
from which the guests go on to it at II; and
the processes of entertainment are costlieF and
more luxurious than have ever been known
in London. AT one Of the charity balls thres
minuets are danced by powdered ladies' OF an
odtime French court and their gay cavaliers
and on each side will be lines OF dancers In
jewels and hOWers-rOses for sapphires, orchids
for pearls lilies for diamonds. Never have thsFe
been larger expenditures for music. flowers and
wines at private entertainments in London;
never has Covent Garden been equally TIumi-
mated with the radiance Of diamonds and pearls;
and seldom has there been so ulucn movement
in the West End streets by day and by night
The tradesman's dream OF a money making
revel of the classes has been fulfilled and he
is he T1OS Iowa nd fo1 - -.
crown.
The season has been favorable. on the whole,
for the theatres. Sir Henry Irving's ehangs OF
base from the LyceUm to Drury Lane has been
attended with good fortune. His voice Is more
distinctly heard. and the scenic effects. upon
which Dante" is mainly dependent, ara more
artistically produced in the popular temple OF
spectacular drama Drury Lane has been
crowded since the opening night. and provin-
cial tour Of unexampled prosperity Is conf
IDENTIFY expected. BIr. Barrie's two plays. '1The
Admirable Crichton" and Quality Street." have
filled IL Duke Of YorIx's and the Vaudeville
month after month. and 1t may be necessary to
keep both theatres open throughout the sum
rner. Mr. George Alexander has been equally
successful in hitting public taste in a most fs-
licitous translation of the German comedy "Old
Heidelberg" which has proved as popular as
IF Were King" Miss Ellen Terry has not
had profitable season at the Imperial Theatra
having made the mistake OF opening business
with dreary Ibsenite drama. with such depress-
ing effects that even Much Ado About Moth
Ing" delightfully."- staged and enacted. has been
condemned to poorer patronage than Il deserved
Mr. Martin Harvey has also overweighted his
popularity in London with an unsuitable Ma
poleonic drama, The Exile; and Mrs Patrick
Campbell, although she now has his assistancs
In
Living at the New Theatre has not convinced
even her admirers that she has made wise
choice in a most tiresome and unpleasant Ger
man play. which IS unsuited TO the English
public The politics and endless pIatituds Of
the piece almost as offensive as the Tn
morality, and the actress herself has little scope
for her talent for revealing temperament, and
only few really dramatic moments- Mr.. Lewis
Waller has had a most prosperous season az
the Comedy Theatre in Monsieur Beaucaira-
and Mr.. Beerbohm Tree. after being convicted
OF bad Judgment IN staging The Gordian Knot"
the work Of Parliamentary playwright Is hnt-
ing excellent patronage for ''Trilby.' The Bal
lad Monger'' and THE Man Who Was" IN
each of which he is seen to the best possible
advantage.
The most promising among the new play
wrights OF the season is Mr.. Hubert Henry
Davies. whose work g characterized by IN
falling vivacity rather than constructive power.
Mrs. Gorringe's Necklace at Windham's Is a
conventional drawing room mslodrama without
marked evidence OF originality; but the charac-
ters are decisively, albeit lightly. drawn. anu
reveal their individuality by word and action
At the Haymarket Theatre he has taken
slighter and much simpler theme In Cousin
Kate" and has succeeded in dismssins all the
im2robabiitties OF a story of love at first sisSs