New-York tribune., 1912-03-18
LONDON NOTES
A Gay Capital-PIays Ancient
and Modern.
London, March 2

The small ana early season followinv
the meeting Of Parliament has been CO..
verted into the dancing period for boy.
and girls. This year there has been
court mourning, which may not ba
brought TO an end until Ascot week: but
while 1t has dampened the ardor Of tn.
political hostesses for dull receptions. IL
has not interrupted the continuous
rounds of dancing. That goes on ar
hotels and West End houses, because
the young people must have their fling
before the season opens in May or they
will lose it altogether. Not only ara
there dinner dances throughout Lent.
but the costume balls are also multi.
piled, with their blends and contrasts OF
color and their Bohemian charm and
vivacity. This was one Of the conspicu.
Gus features Of the Coronation year, and
IL will be reproduced this season on A
larger scale Fancy dress has become
indispensable for the recreations OF
smart people. The Shakespearian ball
set the fashion, and now there are mas
querades and carnivals from January
until Goodwood.
The Chelsea Arts Club ball is one OF
and since the players from the theatres
Join the artists after midnight, II is
something TO be remembered for brill
fancy Of color and vivacity Of manners.
It will be followed by the Pageant Of
the Stage at Albert Hall and by the
Artists Carnival at Covent Garden, and
later on there will be a Thackeray cos
tune ball, a hundred years ago fancy
dress entertainment, the opening Of
Shakespeare's England at Earls Court
and many other novel events. Sir Ed
ward Elgar's imperial masque, The
Crown OF India" at the Hippodrome,
will be an allegory of the Durbar at
Delhi, In two scenes, with 100 perform
ers, beautiful scenery and realistic
tableau of the coronation; and while
there will be no Reinhardt show after
the middle Of this month, when THE
Miracle" closes, after attracting
million spectators, music halls and the
atres will compete with one another in
pageantry and dancing for the enter
tainment of the metropolis. Even the
court will do something 10 revive the
oldtime taste for pageantry, for while
next weeks function Of the foundation
of the London County Hall and the sub
seauent opening Of the London Museum
will find the Queen and her attendants
in full black, there will be water fete
in June, when the City is visited by the
King. Altogether, the new winged Vic
tory on the constitution arch has NOT
become the dominating figure Of a dull
and prosaic capital.
Critics and moralists may be deeply
interested in original drama pulsatpg
with modern ideas, but seasoned play
goers, especially in galleries and pt, are
satisfied with old-fashioned themes and
conventions Captain Browning has
known that one Of their favorites Is the
bookmaker. alive to all the trickery OF
racing courses and generous 10 patrons
who cannot pay their dues, and has In
troduced him at the Whitney Theatre IN
"A Member OF Tattersalrs, ana mas
been so fortunate as to interest Mr.. Rut-
land harrington in the impersonatlon'
The sporting drama, with ball az one
of the great houses near Goodwood ana
with the weighing room at kempton
Park crowded with jockeys, society
ladies and turfmen watching real horses
outside, has been received with raptur-
Gus applause. Pit and galleries are con-
WINGED that Justice is done when ras-
cally company promoter and an unprin-
cipled peer are exposed to merited con-
tempt, and when the real gentleman
the bookmaker, whose daughter mas
been masduerading among smart peopis
AS an irreproachable heiress, insists upon
going straight and procuring the risn'
husband for her Nobody may ever
have met the professional bookmaker IN
Goodwood drawing room, nor nave
witnessed the discontinue or a olach'
leg peer among patrons OF the turt' ou'
the spectators like TO have these tnlnss
happen on the stage, and "A Member" ="
Tsttersalrs." instead of being ignominl'
ouslv "booed" like Sir Arthur Pineros
brilliant comedy, is at once rated @A
CHEEKY success.
Playgoers also know where they can
al ipAr a
ligious background, and they have JOY
OILS. mellow evening when they see In'
Monk and the Woman" at the Lyceul"
Mr.. Frederick Melville understands u'
art of producing thrills and contrastns
the inexperience Of novices In nlon''
terv with the gallantries of a Continents
court. He has handsome actress Ms'
Marie Polini for his heroine, ana "
knows how the SPECTATORS will sigh anu
chuckle when the villain, De Montrae
leaves the fair Lame prisoner s"Vn'
the monks and the impressionaole now
falls In love with her. There Is an e'os
tric thrill when the villain returns VIZ
troops and the monks are transror"
into fully armed musketeers; tnefe
another one when the monk denouh''
the king at a court ball, and, holding W
a cross, defies the soldiers to hre uPO
II, and there is a titillating series
them when the virtuous Paul wa''''
and disarms the wicked bridesroV.s
takes his place at the wedding, maf'''
the heroine and looks on in u'ur,
when the castle is upset by an eS'
quake and all the enemies OF religion
engulfed! The Lyceum in its paiiin
days may have had better drama s..
"The Monk and the Woman" but y
ravar had a more rapturous mom'D