The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-04-25
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

Jdurl rldhurtssssss.N W. ~ M''HnAi
Walt Quackenbush. sh..............D Dan Baker
Jim Pessely.. Percy pronson
Lutte Plummer......,,....... Clara Martin
Mrs. Homer ketchum. Mary WILCOX
Lem harvey. ey...........s....,....bu WILCOX
Tessie Higgins .OliVette Haynes
Cicero j. Cramps Thomas II. Burton
Montague Fish h.............She sherman Wade
Alexander Nerveen. Hilary Benham
Reginald Hickey. ey............Arthur DEACON
NJ. Hommard rd..........,..........Da Dan Baker
NJ. Folies- Bergere. Percy Bronson
Dixie Drexal. .Samuel Chao"lck
Peggy Plummer. Grace belmont
sophie Blatz,....,..,.,.......,.J Josie SduleI
Mrs, Montague Fish....., Alice Hageman
Lily Ann Lynch. Florence Willard
Buttons. s......................O .OiNette haynes
Al the Providence Opera house for the
fret half OF the week. with matinee to-
morrow, Madison Corey offers George
AIDES Peggy From Paris" musical
comedy in prologue and two acts, the
score by William Lorraine, with additional
numbers by John Raynes.
Peggy From Par.s' is one or those
raight-be endless and pretty nearly tire
less entertainments that have no begin
ming In particular, 10 set purpose as 10 an
ending but Just GO on and on with all the
free and easy abanS"a OF a kaleidoscope
70 ,he delight OF IN audience that IA not
likely 10 show any disposition 10 stop IL
Githin the brief two and three-quarters
hours OF Its performing.
And yet Peggy aims TO teach moral
according 10 the bill OF the play-to re-
mind us OF the faulty of depositing our
American admiration and our American
dollars at the shrine Of the made IN
France" or some other furrin-part pro
outtlon II tells n fomely tale with the
scene set In Illsnis. As the bill or the
play pathetically and appealingly puts It:
I'VE have had musical plays dealing with
London, New York Paris Japan. CHINA
Turkey. the Philippines. Egypt etc; why
not 1Linois?'
WHY not. indeed! Peggy From Paris
mnkes its own answer in song AID story,
II nimble footed ballet, In grotesque
comedy. In wealth ~ costumes and blan-
cishment OF fancy lights. There Is not the
least objection 20 making the scene IN IL
lnois for the excellent reason that, unless
you we're told. you wouldn't know II was
Illinois that Peggy" is staged in-she Is
no wise different in the essential features
Of musicale production from the more ia
niliar kind that are set in Egypt, Japan
OF whcrc-not We refuse 10 believe, Tor
instance that folks I'm Illinois dress IN
spangles and tights for the street and DO
ap-faps at soirees IN good Chicago So
v. Il
Il OF an orchid and esoteric nature In
Peggy" lust as they do in the musical
shows that are located I'm fancy islands, IN
London, Paris or New York. And so we
really don't see the difference. In word.
the point is not well taken with an eXcep-
tion. may IL please the court, OF the char-
nct,r OF farmer from Hickory Creek
a George AIDE farmer, that is, Just FOR
Illinois local color.
e ,pt ~ I'D n idea
that Peggy is not novelty, for she is. II
only signifies that you needn't fear that
YOU will be robbed OF tho usual musical
comedy delights OF a pretty and numerous
chorus, fine and fanCiful clothes and ter
rischorean evolutiors. Just because the
claim is made that Illinois is the scene.
On the contrary, these things are all in
evidence I'm an uncOmmonly prolific pro-
rortion.
Against -selH+illating background
appear variety OF characters that are
distinctly George Ade " not generically
Illinois productions Indeed. the first act
OF Peggy Is more pronouncedly tho
Chicago humorist. II seems 10 us, than
anything this breezy young author has
furnished the stage, not excepting tho
County Chairman" And the dialogue
and lines are very strongly possessed OF
the flavor OF the original Fables in Slang.
More than that. the characters are like
the grotesdue pictures that McCutcheon
has provided 40 numerously for those
classic fables. And what with their phys
ical appearance, the things they do and
the things they say. the first act OF
Peggy" is one unmitigated laugh The
second act works into the ballet and light
and costume effects more literally but
even throughout this part OF the bill,
the extra ordinary Ade-McCutcheon char
pany OF comedians. continue to make
plenty OF fun for an audience that could
easily stand the same in all It's variety
for another hour or so and displays a
marvellous reluctance 10 leave the theatre
when the curtain falls.
There Is talent amounting to positive
genius in the Peggy" company OF come
dsns. Miss Sader. for instance. is an
unique and individualistic specimen.
There IL none just like her in all the vast
COMPANY. Of stage merrimakers that -4+4ttSi-
cal comedy have made known 10 us. Her
witchinR song about her lover i'm the band
who played the bassoon captured last
nights audience completely and they
couldn't get enough Of II. Mr.. Deagan,
the leading comedian who gives physical
utterance 70 most OF the characteristic
Ade voca bulary. Is an all arounder OF ex-
trsordinary parts-a rattllng low come
uldns an FNCepilondl udnCef an ACROBAT
and n singer who could easily do the role
Of the genteel hero in a light opera His
mate Miss Willard. IL almost equally
remarkable AZ sweet voiced singer
dancer and comeSienne. Miss Hageman
gives a remarkable reproduction I'm the
flesh of a type Of McCutcheon girl that is
srotesdue In attenuation Miss Belmont
as Peggy sings and looks splendidly
sumptutuous. Sherman Wade gives an
excruciatine character sketch Of an old
high-hyer. and Mr.. O'Connor fairly
eradiates the atmosphere OF what we as
sumo is local 10 Hickory Creek. H. And
me rest OF the cast is equally well fitted
IN appearance and acting to their merry
responsibilities. The chorus is pretty and
tuneful and whole lot OF pretty and
tuneful music falls 20 them.
We don't wonder that Peggy IN her
foreign clothes catches on in Illinois and
elsewhere. though tho moral OF the com
edy r. that she oughtn't to-