The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-15
RUbENS And HIS
new MUSICAL PIECE
''Lady Msdcap" Is Presented
in London and Promises
Well
Special Foreign Service

Special Foreign Service
LONDON, Jan. 14-''Lady Madcap,"
the new musical piece by Paul Rubens
and Newman Davis which George
Edwardes produced last Saturday
might, had been waited for with un-
usual interest. And no wonder, for
Paul Rubens-who supplies the music
and some of the words of the new play
lis the author of Three Little Maids"
and in his latest effort several of the
company who played the Maids at
the Apollo, in the United States, and
more recently in Australia, make their
temperance. Chief of these is G. p.
Huntley, whose acting as a silly swell
seems to have made almost as big
hit at home as it did in London-the
others being Maurice Farkoa, George
Carroll. who was the Cadde in Three
Little Maids" and Della Mason.
Curiosity was rife to see whether
these players had been supplied with
another vehicle worthy of their talents,
and how these latter had been affected
by travels through the United States
and the Antipodes
Let it be said at once, then, that al
= though Paul Rubens has not written
another Three Little Maids the play
which he and Newman Davis have
stands, and promises to be an uncom-
monty attractive one by the time it is
presented to American audiences
Newman Davis is retired lieutenant
colonel in the army, who has written
amusingly for several years about gas
ronomic matters the world over, and
who now makes his first appearance as
a librettist.
Lady Madcap" is all about the
pranks of a nobleman's pretty daugh-
ter. She has fallen in love with
young. soldier named Smith, as the re-
suit of having seen him make "cen-
tury" at cricket, and hearing that his
regiment is stationed close by invites
the Whole outfit to her fathers coun-
try seat, Egbert Castle. Now, Lord
Framlingham detests soldiers, so Lady
Betty sends him a telegram pi1rport-
ing to come from the foreign office, as
the result of which he posts off to Lon
don, taking with him his highly severe
butler.
When the soldiers arrive, however,
Lady Betty discovers that her hero,
Smith" is only a private, and there
fore, unable to meet her on equal
terms. AS matter of fact he is
Auroya Brown, young millionaire who
Is doing short tour of soldering for
the fun of it. But his pretty hostess,
knowing nothing of this, urges him to
&
taking the place of the absent butler.
Brown agrees, and, in order to keep
him in countenance, Lady Betty mas
q.4erades as a ladies' maid, first per-
suading her girl chum, Gwenny Hol-
den, to pass herself off as daughter of
the house. Of course, all sorts of COM
plications arise Immediately. The
amateur butler gets himself into hot
water by undue familiarity with the
guests, while Lady Betty's chum, in
her assumed character of a peers
daughter, is overwhelmed with atten-
tions, notably from a French count
e (Maurice Farkoa) who is among the
company.
Finally, it having leaked out that
the real hostess is disguised as a Ia
dies maid, every pretty domestic on
the place is courted in turn in the
hope that she may be Lady Betty. The
end comes when Lord F'ranlingham re-
turns and bursts in wrathfully on the
merry scene. He is plaeated however,
upon discovering that the young man
whom he sees in buffers dress is
millionaire who has proposed marriage
to his daughter and all ends happily.
q. T. Huntley is the nake-believe
butler, and when he has worked up
his part more will be quite as amusing
as he was in Three Little Maids"
Madge Crichton is not in the cast. the
part of Lady Betty being taken by
Adrienne Augarde, another of George
Edwardes' fn0s and a most winning
young woman. Della Mason plays the
part of Gwenny Holden, Lady Bettys
chum, while George Carroll is di-
minutive corporal At present there
are not as many good songs in Lady
Madcap' as there were in '"Three Lit
tie Maids" but that is a matter that
can easily be remedied. Maurice Far
koa, however, has a titty called, 'T
Like You in Satin; Love You in
Plush" that is sure to be liked on both
sides of the water
If holiday plays for children were as
popular in the United States as they
are in this country, Arthur Bourchiers
Christmas offering for the young folk
would be sure of an American produc-
ton, for it is all about the famous lit
tie characters in the 'Dumpy Books
Rutland Harrington, the former Pooh
Pah" of the Savoy company, who
dranatized Kingsley's Water Babies"
so successfully a year ago, is author of
the new piece. 1t is. called Little
Black Sambo and Little White Bar
bara, and they, not to mention the
two aunts, DR.. Funnyman, Planta genet,
Black Jumbo and the tigers" are all
in it as large as life. With tuneful
music it makes an attractive enter
tainment, which is played by a capable
company, including Frank Lawton, the
American whistler of 'sThe Belle of
New York.
CIIDCEON CEEAI IAI