New-York tribune., 1906-12-26
WEBER's NEW SHOW.
operatio Burlesque by Victor Herbert.

Blessings on Joe webeT's head! AT his Music
Hall last night he played Santa Claus and made
the town present Of one OF the most entertaining
the most diversified. and IN some ways thu most
nearly new shows that the town has had for many
a day First Of all he secured Victor Herbert TO
write the music for Edgar Smiths book. and he
let Mr. Herbert have full swing Next he en-
gagged company that numbers Miss LOTUS. Otis
Harlan, VIII T. Hodge. Maurice Farzoa. and In
order that Mr.. Herbert's music should be properly
sung Frank BeIcher and Miss Lillian Blauvelt.
Finally as IL this were not enough. he told Edgar
Smith to go ahead and write piece with a plot
In IT, Mr. Smith rose calamity to the occasion.
and for the first time IN history plot has broken
into the Music Hail. The result Is a novelty and
Joy And that the name should be differ
ent II Is called Dream city and The Magic
Knight"
''The Magic Knight" comes last Cthough It should
be introduced into the second act OF Dream
City, in some way for It naturally belongs there)
But II must be first in attention II Is burlesOue
of ''Lohengrin.' with Miss Blauvelt Elsa, "a
typical grand operatio maiden In the usual dis
tressing predicament'' Maurice FarAoa as Lohen-
srin Otis Harlan Frederick and Frank Belcher
as ''ths bass monarch" II is a burlesQue in the
hest sense Of the word. thoroughly musical. an
tirely charming and convulsively funny. There II
not a spoken word IN tit Is grand opera in FORM
but grand opera made deliciously ridiculous. Even
the costumes are operate well as charming.
The muscular chords OF the overture-and how Mr.
=
orchestra is marvel-slide from Wagner into a
popular tune the curtain rises; themes from the
opera glide into Irish jigs even the strains OF
'Ach, du leber Augustin'' the opera progresses:
Miss Blauvelt for her entrance song. shouts
wagnerian defamation. only to end up by pur-
suing the flute up the chromatic scale In the style
OF Lucia" and declaring that Il is up 20 her to
make good as a human canary" LOhengrin enters
IN a hanson cab drawn by swan, and sings
'deIn ueber Schwan." to be greeted by a "ouack.
ouack'' from Frederick. The bass monarch takes
his throne and thunders forth IN recitativs Now
1 arm here. Cut all that orchestral tone cOloring
and get down to business. What is the first case
band of Ortrud. dressed in comtcai chain mail
convulseS the house by refusing to fight In the
words and music OF the popular song. My Wife
Won't Let Me- The Herald holds his trumpet
calls are sounded in the orchestra, and you think
Of SeiSfried and his pipe and smile. The bur
lesque too. has instilled astounding lot OF
musical life into the choI IS ana is tuIl OF pretty
tunes that. IL not Wagner, are surely Victor Her
bert IL is Just long enough, ceasinS before you
are tired IL is a triumph of musical fOOlng.
land booming Long Island. ctrcllng around the
farm OF Joe Weber and his thin wife, who Is Miss
Lillian Lee, probably the original lee rail- VIII T.
Hodge Is now the foil for Mr.. Weber. In OF his
match is one OF the funniest bits OF the Miss
LOTUS and Mr. FarkOa have two scenes with all
the dainty charm OF English musical comedy
and Miss LOTUS does Initiation Of Rose Stahl
with otis Harlan playing all the other parts in
the drama, which Is almost uncanny IN its repro
ductton OF The Chorus Lady" You only near
Miss Stahl: you her. The entire performance
moves on a high plane OF fun and foOling. and
although the plane is so high that they won't let
Won smoke in the theatre any mere Mr.. Weber
Undoubtedly has success on his hands.