The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-09-13

acts, with the aetlon ID Iouuleton' AUS
 tralia. The first is that Of a fashion
 able shop supplying .gentlemens' wants and conducted by a Paris Mo
 diste. while the second is in the camp of the Coddleton Guards. The shop scene affords an opportunity for the Introduction of bevy of beautiful, shapeIy young women as salesladies. They are strikingly gowned in black.
 with white aprons and large streamers of brilliant hued ribbons suspended from the shoulder. There are the ne-
 eessary accompaniments to a well con
 ducted and popular store of it's kind
 and accordingly many gentlemen
 shoppers. This gives acceptable chor- us and ensemble work and the author, Herbert Darnley, who is responsible 1 for the major portion of the words and
 music, aYailed himself most admirably of same. He has wrought out many beautiful stage pictures and evolved series of dances and happenings
 which keep things going at a lively
 pace. There is not dull moment in the entire first act. Everything is mo- l tion and activity from start to finish and the sudden transitions are so many that 1t was a difficult matter for even the more experienced of the theater- goers present to anticipate anything. It is seldom that more real and con-
 tinuous actrion is worked into an act
 than is in the first act of rMr. Wix of Wyekham.
 There was an unmistakable display of appreciation on the part of the au- dience last night and they very quick ly warmed up" and realized that musical comedy of exceptional merit, brimful of bright lines and pleasing situations was being enacted for their benefit.
 While there were no dull moments in the second act yet 1t can not, in truth, the second act yet 1t can not. in truth, feeling of freedom and abandon, nor is there that animation which is needed to make an act of musical comedy bright and interesting. Several feat ures can and doubtless will be elimin- ated without destroying the thread of the story or detracting from the in terest. The act has, however, several exceptionally fine and redeeming feat ures and will certainly be so brighten ed up that it will be the equal and per- haps the superior of the first. This be- ing done we feel certain that MT. Rice will be able to point to 'Mr. Wix of Wyckham" as being the most success full offering ever made by him from an artistic and a financial point as we'll
 The cast is such an excellent one that to indulge in generalities or even at-
 tempt to specialize on few seems un- fair and unjust. Each one of the prin- cipals is deserving of much commenda- tion and they will doubtless receive it at the hands of future audiences. liar Try Corson Clarke as the comedian,
 heads the list of the stars and he was
 inimitably funny last evening as sWil- fred Mix" who poses as a real but missing lord For whom the most dili- gent search is made. His naturally clever manner, funny sayings and ac- tions are heightened by the lines of the play and his work last evening kept the audience busy all the time.
 He has some able assistants in the fun-
 making in Frank Lalor as Shamus IO9Seoot, of Scotland Yard, Arthur
 Woolsey, Douglass Flint and Andrew
 o'Neil, important personalities of the town of Coddleton. David Lythgow, as
 ron Howard" the missing real lord,
 was capital as the young lover while Julian Dalton Eltihga. as J n Smyth, B. Al Toms friend and tutor was very acceptable Mir Eltinge, in the
 second act gave most remarkable fe- male impersonation and was recalled
 many times. He is regarded by MT.
 Rice as the greatest female impersona- tor of the day. Miss Thelma Fair, Miss
 Alice Maude Poole and Miss Laura
 Guerite were all bright and winsome Iandtheir singing was exceptional. The solos and chorus are all bright and much of the music will certainly be Whistled.
 The stage settings and scenic irlvesti- lures, as we'll as the costuming is of a high order, while the beautiful color
 effects are marvels of stage excellence.
 The entire combination is such that
 MT. Wix of Wyckhan'' should enjoy a Hong and prosperous run. The play will
 be repeated tonight and tomorrow might with a matinee tomorrow.
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