Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-11
THE THEATRE
Gilbert & Sullivan
1870 and 1915

.,,r, NJ 1870 and 1915 was the es-
=, me double bill which De Wolf
uo,ner and the Gilbert ana sui,isan
80 80 Company gave at the Metropolitan
s,.rdov afternoon and evening Two
..r,isst OF their pieces-in fact the
~, ~ memory doesn't slip-picture-
~. oplnsfore" and that earlier version
poVN ooend Of Leonora,' Trial by
4 Oh "5.tIcb is so fearsomely entitled "a
Juiy, ~, cantata, supplied the basis OF
epsrs..oiix,.t n,ixture of times and styles was In
~. i,rrial by Jury as period! Inc
an.I easns ~ and costuming the young ladles
,spinafore" with up-to-date iace lrocks
q .nsrs very. very different from the
tfiat W.. surRested by the title. Push
eath,tIlsiai nv Jury" into our own day
ins .sdonabie and plausible, however
n,ors charming It might have been
muen r,odish eccentricitlos OF the 7Vs.
n m, ~ "plnafore" with square-sail rigging
pSs butteroups pantalets broodlng-lt
ny, word will do-over moaern Inces
'ns' ,,odern 'shapes"-l The whole
tno iSpd drsssed in the ways of wooden-
h,,n hns days would have added tenfold
..n ponaiItv OF fairy-tale which saves
s,.,nls old "Pinafore.'
Hpl,bsns Trial by Jury" Is only curl
ll.,,,. N never sees the footights now
vs.y, except In amateur productions. But
Y y very good fun, quite polished
.n.cnen Of song and satire lot SO early
work It ought. OF course, 10 oe per
y "a intimately instead of flung across
~. Ssstv spaces OF the Metropolitan.
nv .,s, ,h.rs Ia a good deal of amusement
"a, Ia the few words you can catch dis
.tnctly 1t is fun to see the jury tiinB
.un.rnselves over the edge Of the jury box
~ ths bridesmaids enter and toss their
ro,s vreaths to them. and, II you can
- hear them carrol, Cheer UP, we love
son0 10 the weeping plaintif, como IN
YOU .Jd,ng dress to press her breach
:, nst nrornise, The defendant is undeniably
Va,rsIng and up-to-date as he tries to
solye the problem with
.1'll marry this lady today
Ana marry the other tomorrow"
An for MFR. Hopper, with his egg Of n
mad ana his floppy gray wig, he is as
arnusine as ever but he comes very near
inSIne out to the red-nosed Usher OF
Arthur Cunningham until he thinks OF
+ thA expedlent of marrying the plaintiff
himself and dissolving court.
Two Bills From Mr.. Mantell
Yesterday afternoon and evening Rob-
.,t Mantell unrolled two more in the long
y rallery of parts that single week brings
~ ths Lyric. In the afternoon there was
NRomeo': In the evening, amlet." II
,ba latter came off the better IL was
moi because of an artistic fault In Mr.
Mantell. 1t is only the very exceptional
actor that can alter a matter of years
Romeo must be young whatever else. and
Z n Is the failing of both Mr.. Mantell and
Mr. sothern that they can't achieve the
impossible But Mr.. Mantell. at least,
dnasnt turn the hot young lover into a
new version OF the melancholy Dane.
As for his Hamlet, there is hardly an
other part in Mr.. Mantell's long roper
tory where his rich voice comes into finer
use.
New Pieces Coming
Following Robert Mantell at the Lyric
on March % comes that expansive COM
edlenne Marie Dressler. This year she
has deserted musical comedy. The result
Is farce called "A Mix Up" in which
she has been dlsportlng herself as a re-
tired burlesque queen who has to pose
as young husbands wife in order to
save" one OF those characteristic situa-
lions that are always turning up in farce.
The play Is by Parker Hord, and 1t comes
from stay in New York.
Philadelphia is to be fortunate this
winter in call from Ethel Barrymore.
Moreover, her play, THE Shadow" will
bring her back In one OF those heavier
and more serious parts which have shown
The deeper powers of the matured actress
It Is an adaptation by Michael Morton,
who wrote THE Yellow Ticket" from
the French of Dario Niccodeml, and tells
the story of woman who recovers from
long years of paralysis to find her hus-
band and her best friend lovers.