Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-15

for the title role and the episodes surround
ing 1t did not much matter so long as the
uetfte prirna donna smiled with Fritzi-esque
coguetry ana sang Victor Herbert's alur-
Ing melodies with the vivacious confidence
OF the artist who has botn technique and
Temperament Audience after auu'ence
that crowded the thea ,er last week found
II "a delight to hear something so confident
" distinct from the wailful warnings
which so often betray a tremulous regard
for recent lessons. rit2i-and was ever a
stage name more piquantly becoming to its
possezsor?-never for the fraction OF q sec
ond seems to be asking the kind indulgence
of the public; that kind Indulgence
which is so ruthiossly overworkea. she IS
security itself ,,ucu she sings it is con-
descenslou: not Of the naughty sort, but a
graceful sympathy in the mood Of lot Of
grown-up children out in front, world
weary ones who want some one to sing to
them and show them pictures OF people who
are different and far away. And she sets
us all rompiug tin we laugh, and clap our
hands again and wish we could hope TO be
so gloriousiy clever and yet so sweetly COM
panionaDle.
1t is small wonder that bitter jealousies
arise behind the footishts. 1t is well
enough to repeat kind hearts are more
than coronets," and handsome is that
handsome does" and all the other re-
sponscs in mediocr!ty's consodng ritual.
They afford scant comfort to those WHO
would gladly give years of toll for a little
fraction of the applause which another
claims freely as the reward of mere eN-
istence. The bankers themselves, who
made so perceptible portion of the
-fs1 hay1
blythe favorite of nature. There is not
woman in the theater who, had fairy god
mother offered to grant a. beIated wish,
would not, under the spell of these dainty
fascinations, have repudiated all the pomp
that social formality can give, asking only
TO be FRITZ Scheif, and have the whole
world blowing kisses at her from its finger
tips.
When a musical production of any con-
sequence appears 1t is so customary to find
fault with the libretto that 1t would seem
like sighting Mr.. Blossoms book to pass
1t with no more than an acknowledgment
OF its genuinely humorous touches, es-
peciaIy in the lyrics, and its entire suih-
cheney with so distinguished an interpre-
tation, for all practical purposes. The pro-
gram does not identify the source of he
y
uity Badly narrated it becomes a story
paper plot, with the humble but beautiful
and grammatical shop girl. who secretly
loves above her station, as the heroine.
How often has that stern stage-parent been
wheedled by the charms and artitices OF
his sons sweetheart into exclatminS;
whats that, you young dog? Refuse 10
marry her! Egad! I'll marry her myself!-
or words -tO-that effect. But Mr.. Pruette
goes through with 1t SO earnestly and i'm
pressively that it seems almost new. IN
some of the jestful lines, with which the
piece is so abundantly supplied, the author
manifests a cuIpable tendency to make
erudition take the place of originality.
With too much modesty he turns from the
current Of his own fancy to dig up the
lore of long ago Some Of the lines suHer
by contrast with their own surroundings
A writer who can produce anything as
crtsply modern as
"a promoter is man who will provide
the ocean if you will furnish the SHIPS
should be content to allow that depIora5ie
etbe about a doctor being man who takes
life easy to slumber In the archives.
1t is always interesting to speculate on
New York's probable reception OF new
play. MILE. Modiste," aside from us IN
trinslc charms, seems sufficiently exotic IN
IT'S general character 10 Claim the interest
and admiration of the metropolis.
Mr.. Cranes play. AN American Lord IS
on the contrary bluntly, almost crudely'
native It treats the English nobility as a
strange and mysterious class, dlsregardful
OF the fact that playgoers have Of late be-
-,,g.. .crrctpr1pd a INSPECTION
through their opera glasses of all kinds OF
aristocracy. The prejudice which the play
so generously seeks TO remove no longer eX-
lists Mr.. Crane of late seasons has been
constantly under the disadvantage Of hav-
ing a mast to live down. Having identified
himself with that broadly comic character,
David Harum." It was hard to receive him
I'm the gulse of the relentless Lechat in
Business is Business" But he played
Iechat so well that now when he comes
back to us as his old-time good-natured
self. the imagination finds 1t difficult to
keep that mercenary miscreant from leer-
ing and threatening in some of the actors
most jovial mannerisms. Mr.. Crane will
always have a following There are certain
individualisms upon which he can always
rely. In his moments Of JUNCTION he is ir-
resstible. No one throw his voice down
in the region Of his couar-button and say
''awr-r-r-r!" with such convincing and in
fectlous geniality. Good lines suffer moth
ing in Mr.. Cranes accomplished delivery;
and yet he is the only actor who sometimes
manages to be a. his best when inarticuIate
4 =
George AIDE has been writing about the
drama in Japan. Recent experiences may
have made him DESTROYS Of getting his mind
as far away from the drama in America
as possible.
x
The stage is held responsible every now
and then for the misdeeds of some public
offender. Every burglar and pickpocket
imagnes himself Rafiies. But no detec-
tive has yet had the assurance to pretend
to be a Sherlock Holmes
y X *
Richard Mansfield has been invited to
deliver a lecture before the University OF
Chicago. This viii give him an opportunity
10 meet Prof. Balaam Trggs, or the man of
some such name. who once declared that