Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24
MUSIC

The element of contrast was abundantly
provided in the weeks offerings at the va
rious theaters of this city. From THE
/ Eternal City" to 1.-The Maid and the
Mummy is wide step. The first-named
attraction is already familiar, the good
opinions of it expressed at the outset of its
career having survived several seasons.
"The Maid and the Mummy" is one of the
nondescrpt pieces which seem to be about
nothing at all. The characters are intro
duced in SO irregular a manner that the
performance appears to be merely foot
race by a lot of clever performers for the
center of the stage. But it serves to in
troduce real novelty. Janet Priest has a
character that resembles one of the little
street waits that Wolff used to draw with
SO much quaint pathos for the illustrated
papers. 1t is a genuine creation, and de-
serves better setting than it has in this
incoherent melange. The humor and versi-
fication are of the reminiscent school.
They remind the auditor of a poem by
Longfellow; the enc about the blacksmith
who stood under the spreading chestnut
tree. Yet handsome costuming and good
stage management can work wonders, and
the appeal to the eye and was so strong
that the intelligence could afford to take
ing note of promise. He has good COM
edy sense, which finds expression in a fire.
quent and original employment of the bass
instruments. His melodies are jolly with
out being commonplace and simple without
being crude.
!. :: x
The clouds of discomfort which lowered
over the theater orchestras have to a large
extent been dissipated. Peace prevails,
and the accustomed harmones flow unin-
terrupted from the old-time sources at the
principal theaters. The instrumentalists
who consented to help out in an emer-
gency last week were doubtless relieved
on Monday to be freed from an unfamil-
lar task. In some cases the performers
were of the confidential description,
breathing melodious secrets into the music
racks before them, and and then UNI
burdening their surcharged souls with
what is technically known to the profess
sion as blue note. Manager Luckett, who
has been professionally associated with
good music for years, stood out on the
curbstone in front of the theater looking
wistfuIly at the street cars which ran into
the serene silences of Cabin John or Ana
COSTA and Manager Rapley, whose musical
environment has been that of grand opera
and oratorio, appeared no less disquieted.
1t was speedily found that the differences
We're easily adjusted, and THE Maid and
the Mummy" this week had the benefit of
one of the largest orchestras that musical
comedy has enlisted in this city. Some of
the musicians and the managers have been
associated for many years, and the mutual
esteem which existed went far toward
making prompt and complete understand
ing easy.
= = &
Musical comedy will again hold sway
next week, with "A Little of Everything
at the National Theater and Eva Tanguay
in THE Sambo Girl at the Columbia.
Chase's theater, which from the outset
avoided all musical differences, continues
to pursue the even tenor of it's prosperous
way and expects especial popular recog-
milton for the new Japanese living picture
artist, o Hama San. The Lafayette will
offer u namesake in the magician who
makes himself known the Great La
fayette, and the Academy and Kernan's
promise especial offerings, respectively, in
melodrama and burlesque.