The Washington times., 1904-09-25
Too Much Tinkle
The Capital ReSoundS With
Musical Comedy - Mrs.
CampbelPs Notable En-
gagement = FRITZ SCheff
in The Two Roses.

TweedledUm follows tweedledee at our
Washington theaters for two weeks. Az
ter a steady run of light opera at the
Lafayette and week OF congested mu-
steal comedy at the National, the Capt.
tai is now offered a Little OF Every
thing and THE sambo Girl The La
fayette has tinkleG persistently since the
season opened, but it breaks the spell by
Offering mixture of spectacle. Ieger-
demain, comic opera, and zoology.
The Maid and the Mummy obtained
last Tuesday what was intended to be a
generous appraisement of It's merit as
an entertainment. What WIGS said then
was all true-that # could not possibly
interest the critic. but did manifestly in
teresJ the audience. As the week wore
on II became harder and harder to un-
derstand the popular favor extended TO
the performance. Most Of the songs de
pended entirely or the music for their
charm. and the music was invariably
sacrificed on the slightest provocation.
The good jokes-and there were many of
them-were offset by a running fire of
theoretical wit which was funny In 1883.
when Barlow Brothers and Wilson were
stars I'm minstrelsy. but which has been
worn out a dozen times since. Miss Boz
ley and Miss Rowland were the bright
spots. Otherwise, as some ore in the au-
dience observed Monday night, ''The
Maid anu the Mummy was always just
on the verge Of being good.
The Eternal city lacked drawing
power for two reasons-it is not good
play, ard it was not well acted With
Miss Allen in the leading role Il Is easy
TO understand why people should want
10 see the play; because her sweet per-
sOnality and fine art would redeem al
most anything. But without her, with
a substitute held down to a slavish imi-
tation OF all Miss Aliens rflanuerisms.
the play IS totally unredeemed. As some
Frenchman observed trenchantly the
purpose of a copy is TO disclose all the
faults Of the original. Miss Waldorf
might easily have acted the role Of
Roma WITH marked strength II permit
ted to do so in her own way. Mr. Nor
gan's art has not grown since his per
Torrance in THE Christian" What this
actor needs is more training and less
stardom.
The Lafayette with n good company
in King Dodo'' did the real business of
the week-and deserved it, Chase's with
the Boys Symphony Orchestra, held its
Characteristic patronage Elsewhere
things went on as usual.
"A Little OF Everything and ''Tbe
Sambo Girl are nearly an even match.
Miss Templeton and Mr.. DALEY are on
one side. without much OF a medium
gaueed by title and author-and Miss
Tanguay. in an opera. more or less CO.
herent-gauged by press notices else
where's on the other side. Those who
like musical comedy will be in their
element. The Great Lafayette" (the
adjective is self-conferred) and japanese
living pictures are underlined at the
Lafayette and Chase's.
Two announcements for the weel, NJ
October will arouse extreme fntereat
one is that Mrs. Patrick Campbell win
produce Sardou's "Sorceress' at the Co /
um0ia on the day named for The first
llme on any English-speaking stage. /
Inc other Is that FRITZ Schen viii an
pear simultaneously at the National in [
Inc Two Roses" new opera founded I
on She Stoors to Conquer The SCR
ceress was first produced in Paris about I
= year ago. by Nine Bernhardt. and |
was received as the venerable plav-
"rights greatest success. According 10 /
the French reviews IL should suit Mrs /
tampbeiIs art admirably. The Ameri- I
can company outli'led in another column
Is wonderfully strong Miss Scheff-she
prefers that name for stage use to her
utIe as baroness-was the operate SEN
sdtlon OF last year. Her engagement
IN washington was triumphant. and in
new YORK her success was more than
IeitiarA abte IN season when nearly
every thing else failed The Two Roses
Is me work OF Stanislaus STANCE and
Ludwig Englander.
We shall soon be facing an er,ba-
rassment Of riches.