New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-18
"TRILBY" BURLESQUED
Present Production Like the
First To Be Caricatured.

When "Trilby" was all the craze
twenty years ago because of the enor-
nous vogue OF Du Maurier's story and
Paul VI. Potter's play, the late Richard
Mansfield sent for his former manager,
f. D. Price, who now, by turn OF the
wheel, Is the business executive in
charge of the new "Trilby' revival at
the Shubert Theatre.
81 have a lease of the Garrick The
atre on my hands" said Mr.. Mansfield.
"My new play, The King Of Peru has
not aroused interest, and ! do not want
to fall back on my old repertoire or
produce so late in the season. Joseph
". Herbert has written q clever trav-
esty called Thirdly | know nothing
about casting or producing burlesque.
You select the people and take entire
charge OF It and can keep the theatre
open"
So II was that Herbert's travesty
"Thrilby," with music by Charles
Puerner. came to be given June 3, 1875,
at the Garrick Theatre. where it ran
for several weeks. The first act took
place in the artists studio; the second
at the stage door Of a music hall, fol-
lowed By a quick change TO the stage
where the hypnotized singer came to
grief.
There was very notable cast-it
would be worthy Of distinction as "all
star" to-day. Carrie Perkins was
plump and amiable Thrilby and Alex
ander Clark gave excellent mimicry Of
the original Svengah. The three
musketeers of the brush were parodled
by Robert F. Cotton and Edmund Lyon
both since dead and Adele Richie,
the latter personating a cute Little
Billee in velvet knickerbockers. Joe
Herbert, the author, contributed a gem
Of drollery as IOu-Zou. Lou Wesley,
now vaudeville producer, made his
first appearance as an acrobatic Gecko
who turned fip-fops without breaking
his fiddle in the wild excuses of his
emotion.
Of course. there were specalties ga
lore, the greatest hits being the comic
songs of Flo Irwin as an Irish con
cierge; the black face drollery of
Willis P. Sweatnam as the stage door
keeper, and the cOquettish Widow Ba
got of Lillian Greene, stunning stage
beauty of the period, who introduced
a new version Of Lottie Collins's then
sensational song and dance specially,
Tara -boom-de-aye.'
Thirdly" was notable also as really
the first of the beautiful girl shows.
II included as models in the studio
revels that statuesque divinity, Irene
Do, E. e
Smith, the librettist; Grayce Scott,
who makes a small fortune every year
at the head Of her own stock company
in the South; Grace Rutter, well known
on the present stage as the emotional
actress Grace Elliston; Helen Hatha-
way, the most perfect type Of blonde
that ever stepped before the New York
footlights, now the wife Of a well-to-do
multi-mil ionaire, and the three Sis
ters Don, a dashing trio, from the Lon
don music halls.
II was al very pleasing to the eye
and excellent foolery, conceived and
executed in the spirit of artistic bur
lesque. It proved immensely diverting
and provoked shouts of merriment. 1t
was considered good form 10 laugh,
cry or applaud, as the spirit moved
one, twenty years ago That the eX-
preston Of enthusiasm IN the theatre
is not yet wholly out of fashion, even
If infre1uent, is nightly proven at the
Shubert, where the eight-star Thirdly"
hit causes tumults Of applause such
as are rarely heard in modern plhT-
houses.
And now that Joseph Brooks's res
toration of "Trilby" has created
fresh sensation, it is to be burlesqued
anew in roof garden show. The ira
vestying of play is the surest sign Of
the public interest it has aroused.