The sun., 1913-11-27
HOP O. MY THUMB Is
HERE FROM LONDON
English PantOmimc Seen ut
the Manhattan Opera
House.
LACKS SPIRIT AND Fun
De Wolf Hopper the Most Anus
ing Figure in the
Proceedings.
Hop n My Thumb"-N the Msuhsttaa
ODrrN 11O,,se.


The Manhattan Opera House. which
was 80 successfully devoted last winter
TO the divulgence of British spectacle
~ another form. last night lent its vast
stage and its spacious auditorium to the
uses Of transplantcd pdntomi,ne imported,
moreover. from Drury Lane. which ann,i-
ally produces the genuine product for
consumption on the premises. New York L.
not altogether unfamiliar with this form,
OF stage amusement a decade or more
ago several Of these spectacies were
brought here to he shown at the Broad
way and the New Amsterdam theatres
They we're luckily treated with n sum
cient administration of native hunsor. and
there were some of our own actors 10
make the fun recognizable. After "A while
taste even for these dcnatured specimens
began to languish. 80 IL was not until
Morris Gest. W. A. Brady and Ray Com
stock divided the responsibility for "Ifop
o My Thumb last night that a spec
men Of this very British form of enter
tainment was seen here.
These managers had also taken the pre-
caution to engage American players to
interpret the text. Thee. being few sixty
pound actresses In this country Iris Haw-
kins had to be imported to act the hero.
But De Wolf Hopper. who furnished "A
complete physical contrast To her Viola
Gillette. who Is well out of the sixty pound
class Eva Fallon. Albert Hart. Flavia
Arcaro and Texas Guinan. whose fiuctua-
tions In avoirdupols have recently been
the subject Of much publicity. were among
the entertainers. while from some un-
named foreign cline came the he Sierries
living statues to figure i'm certain scenes
Of the pantomime. Then there were un-
classified cohorts. apparently numbering
almost as many AS the programme as
serted.
The story OF the play.
80 the result was the liberal and var
led entertainment to he found in these
theatric puddings. For those who do not
like citron there are currants. and
for those who do not like dane
ing there were immovable statues. ,
And there was an abundant lack OF
Nvacity in the movement of most OF the
figures in the spectacle. The story fol- |
lowed the hint given by the title. 1f
there be those 80 worldly ar to have for |
gotten its touching adolescent narrative
there Is no help for them here. 1t IL
altogether too late AT night to be tell |
ing fairy stories even to grownups, who |
hurried OF to the play at o'clock in !
order that all it's wonders might he un-
folded in the accustomed theatre period. |
II everybody In the Manhattan Opera I
House last night did not understand the
story 1t was from no lack of complete il |
lustration.
For the succession OF the scenes was
".nematographic II not in swiftness AZ
least In frequency. There were the wood
cutters home, as well forest and :
castle and secret passage leading to =
dungeon "a garden OF living statues and
the bower of fairy called Forget-Me-
Not q; as II these scenes were not enough
Tor any play there were the land OF lost
memories, which must he a pretty pleas ,
ant place to dwell In after seeing Hop u
My Thumb and the terrace OF a royal
palace which came before the entrance OF
Hon and his brothers. who were as nu-
merous as the Foys Of New Rochelle. into
ahe happiness F Ftiryland. So there
were plenty OF scenes to make clear the
story Of the first poor woodcutter who ex-
perienced the hardships OF the high cost
Of living and pondered on the wisdom OF
race Suicide.
But ther. were undeniable drawbacks
to the pleasure Of the spectators, who
found their patience almost exhausted by
the long and uneventful first act There
were the occasional accidents TO be ex-
pected at the first performance OF such
a complicated spectacle. But they were
not responsible for the lacl; of animation
that prevailed throughout the nrst hair ot
IN. evening. a ballet OF figures in white, |
even to their hair, was a picturesque fea-
ture Of the finale of the first act, but II
vas so poorly lighted as TO be almost
Ineffective, while the living statues which |,
seemed 10 be gracefully posed, were too
remote from the spectators to be seen
well.
The rest of the act was mediocre, al |
though the scenes we're well painted. The |
songs--Manu Klein having composed /
them, there was Of course a moon song
made no moro impression than the
dialogue written by Sydney Rosenfeld for |
this country. II was probably more
u rnusing than the original text. which may |
be a consolation to the audience.
De Wolf Hopper added some gayety to
his first scene In the second act. but he :
had scant material to work on. His most |
amusing speeches seemed to be i'm
promptu Iris Hawkins, the diminutive
hero, 10 an engaging mite who acts and
dances neatly. Ross Snow won an occa-
sonal hard earned laugh as "A woman in
All ultra modish costume
But "Iiop O. My Thumb" will have to
De much more melodious, more humorous
and vivacious II II Is intended to serve as
anything more than holiday entertain
pnent for children-young. ones at that.