The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14
THE new YORK THEATERS
INITIAL PERFORMANCE OF ANOTHER
LEDERER GAIETY SHOW.
blanche Rings Hit I'm seThe Blonde I'm
BIack"-COntinuous Vaudeville at
the Roof Gardens.
'tan Correspondence Of the Journal.


the initial performance. Monday evening.
of another new Lederer gayety show-one of
those summer productions, made up of nom
sense, light music and pretty girls, of which
the metropolis is so fond The name of the
piece is 1.-THE Blonde in Black" and it is the
joint work of that tireless librettist, Harry
b. Smith, and the well-known composer.
Gustav Kerker The chief purpose of the
production is to put forward Blanche Ring
as musical comedy star. and every oppor-
tunity is given that bright young comedi-
enne. who has so recently become great
New York favorite. to shine in the same
| class with Marie Cahill and Fay Templeton.
Miss Ring herself is just about as clever
as they make 'em. She is not known in the
West very well, but it Is safe to say that
she will meet with success when she goes
on tour next season to the wilds of Chicago.
Cincinnati, ST. Louis, Indianapolis and 9TH
er foreign places which the average New
Yorker looks upon as almost too remote for
serious consideration. But if Miss Ring
wins approval, it is just as likely that her
musical comedy will not-that is, if 'The
Blonde in Black" as ii now stands, should
continue as the vehicle for her first starring
tour.
There is no doubt about one thing-New
York will stand for some things in a
theatrical way that Western cities cannot
digest Take Sally in Our Alley" for in
stance, which played to good business in
New York last summer. 1.-The Blonde in
Black is not much better than the 'Sallie''
show, so far as the libretto and music are
concerned, but it's the pretty girls that APP
peal to New Workers, and as the new Led
erer production is not lacking in this partic-
ular, 1.-The Blonde in Black will doubtless
continue to play to large and enthusiastic
| audiences throughout the summer.
While Blanche Ring was on the stage
| there plenty of entertainment to be
had. She sang several pretty songs, the best
of which were a banjo serenade and SOL
| der song, with big chorus Of drummer
! boys" of the fair sex. She injected life into
| her comedy scenes and worked awfully
hard for the success of the show. Her chief
assistants were Rose Beaumont, Violet
| Halls, Albert Hart, Max Freeman and Har-
| ry Connor, none of whom did anything that
would tend to bring everlasting fame.
Mr.. Smiths libretto has evidently been
| hurriedly-and 1t might also be said horribly
prepared. 1t is not up to his standard by
| any means, the story of the piece being
| awkward in construction and long drawn
out in its development With the exception
| of two or three tuneful numbers Mr.. Ker-
| ker's music is very commonplace indeed.
But the girls-well, the girls are great and
so THE Blonde In Black is probably in for
a run at the Knickerbocker Theater.
| xxx
With many of the theaters closed, the
roof and summer gardens and the continu-
/ GUS vaudeville houses have the metropolitan
amusement field pretty much to themselves.
| The weather has not been favorable for
| open-air entertainments, as the nights dur
| ing the last week have been chilly, wet and
altogether disagreeable The two big sum-
mer offerings that have not suffered in the
| least from weather conditions are Band
master Duss's Venice in New York." at
the Madison-square Garden, and the mix
ture of musical comedy and vaudeville at
| Hammerstein's Paradise Gardens. Great
crowds have been fiocking to Madison
! Square since the opening of the concert sea-
son two weeks ago. Director Duss-the one
musician on earth who has unlimited capt.
tai with which to back his colossal enter
prises--has done a truly wonderful thing,
for he has transformed the enormous audi
4
splendid orchestra from the Metropolitan
Opera House plays on an island" around
which flows a real, "sure enough" canal.
And on the waters genuine Italian gon-
dolas with guaranteed Italian gondoliers,
all imported for the occasion. And IL you
wish. you may ride in a gondola while lis
tening to the melodic strains from the vio-
Inns. There are celebrated soloists on the
programme every evening. Nine. Nordica
and Edouard de Reszke have already filled
engagements. and Miss Carrie Bridewell.
the contralto, is the special feature of the
| present week. Visitors in New York this
summer should not miss going to Venice, -
for this is the greatest novelty of the sum-
mer in the metropolis
| xxx
At Tony Pastors last night, Willis p.
Sweatnam, the veteran minstrel, presented
for the first time little vaudeville sketch
called 1.-The Blue Grass Handicap
written by Paul Armstrong, a newspaper
man. 1t tells the story of an old Kentucky
darkys love for his masters race horses
and is quite new idea in vaudeville. The
piece is very slight in construction, but it is
we'll written and, after some of its lengthy
speeches have been cut down. will, no doubt
prove a strong attraction on the road next
season. Mr.. Sweatnam has never before
been seen in a character such as he is now
playing; there Is more of pathos than OF
humor in it and his work impressed the
present writer as being very artistic.
The one-hundredth performance of 1.-The
Prince of Pilsen" was celebrated Monday
evening at the Broadway Theater, and
handsome souvenirs in the shape of little
delft beer stems were distributed. The
stems bore the inscription, Here's TO the
heart that beats for me''-a line from one
of the song hits of the opera.
Henry Z. Dixey has been successful
with his farce. Facing the Music" that
his time at the eGarrick has been extended
Indefinitely. Dan DAILY has not done well
with his comedy, John Henry" at the Her.
aid Square and his New York engagement
will end Saturday night. Another piece that
will be withdrawn from the New York
stage Saturday evening is George AIDES
Sultan of Sulu," which has had a wonder
fully successful run of six months at Wal
lacks Theater.
THE Wizard OF o. looks good for tn.
entire summel season in New York. Thi:
merry extravaganza is still packing tn,
beautiful new Majestic Theater. Augusta:
I