New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-08
THE PURPLE ROAD
New "0peratiC Romance" at
the Liberty Theatre.
PLEASING MUSIC RENDERED
Well Staged, Elaborate Co.'S
tunes, Good Scenery and
Ineligible Libretto.

There is much pleasing music in The
Purple Road the new musical comedy by
Heinrich Renhardt and William Frederick
Peters, book and lyrics by Fred de Gresac
and William Cary Duncan, which was
presented at the Lyric Theatre last night
for the first time in New York. after a
weeks postponement II the composer
has not given us another Spring Maid"
he has certainly written several num-
bers that are worth hearing. and that
will be heard ere long where musical
comedy songs are played al night. among
them The Mysterious Kiss" sung by
Nall Nalli, and Feed Me with Love.
sung 10y Eva Fallon and Harold H. torde.
and an orchestral march, Austrian
Patrol" in the first act, and Diplomacy,
basso profundo song for Talleyrand
edward MartindeD: Pretty Little Chi
CHS and Five Little Pages there
were seven, by the way in the second.
And, if the music is occasionally reminis-
cent, the Renaissance is chiefly OF the
composers Vienna school.
Fred de Gr6sac has told coherent
story. Napoleon. al the Austrian En-
peror's castle at SchOnbrunn after Aus
terlitz falls in love with an Austrian
peasant girl (Nalli NallD. who petitions
him TO set at liberty the Mayor of the VII
lage. in order that eight happy couples
may be married that day. She does not
know Napoleon: he represents himself as
a simple captain in the French army. and
sends her TO Fars, where she Is 10 await
his coming The scene of the second act
is laid in the Tuileries The peasant girl
overhears conspiracy against the En-
peror's NE entered into by Fcuche. Tai
leyrand. Murat and Bernadotte. and eN-
poses IT, \ final tableau takes place OH
ST Helena. at the hour Of Napoleon's
death
In this second act the court costumes
are Elaborate. costly and historically cor
rect. In fact throughout an attempt ut
historical similitude has been made. The
story of Joseph VI Gaitess hunt FOR
baritone who looked like Napoleon has
already been told. He found him. so the
tale runs after having wired 10 LONDON
in one of his own road companies. Hat-
rison Brockbank's BARITONE was some
what uncertain last night, no doubt be
cause this was his first appearance AS
the Emperor on any stage but he Ger
tainly can say with the Colonel IN )
Milk White Flag" Napoleon looked Ike
me" The Fouche Of William j. Fergu-
son was properly sinister. with Just
little touch to shoN that he knew that
he was playing in musical comedy. The
Murat Of John Maddern and the befna
dotte Of John Ward were well made up
SO was Edward Martindels Talleyfand
Harriet Burt as the Duchess OF pant
zic had an am sing Madame sans Gene
song in this act Vail Vail sanE ana
acted prettily and sttracuVeiN az ever
and Eva Fallon carried her share oi the
auolause they both received. Harold H.
ForGe was amusing. So was bita Proc
tor Otis. a. woman who knew soldier
because she had been through three III
vasions" Janet Beecher played the
Empress Josephine iu the costdm" made
familiar 20 as in many pictures. 'hit"h
webb. as the dancing master of ihc court
and Emile Lea. ~ an italian p'ima bal
lerina. danced well.
CAST or THE PURPLE ROAD