V
14
THE COURIER
the Academy of Music; vaudeville at Herrmann's Theatre; Lillian
Russell at the Casino; "Sowing the Wind" at the Empire Theatre;
"Jane" at the Grand Opera House; "Utopia Limited" at the Broad
way Theatre and Mrs. James A. Heme in "Margaret Fleming" at
the Fifth Avenue Theatre.
&
i
ij-
r
One critic in this city in writing of Rich
ard Mansfield's presentation of "Beau
BrnmmelT at the Lansing theater Monday
evening, said: "Mr. Mansfield's acting was
'far above the understanding of the majority of
his audience." It is greatly to be regretted that
so few people in the audience were on the same
high plane as the critic, But we are inclined
to think that this eminent dramatic authority may be mistaken in
his or her estimate of the understanding of the audience, which If
not large, was select, and seemed to appreciate and enjoy the admirable
stage picture presented by Mr. Mansfield and his excellent company.
There was nothing to indicate that the audience was bored. Mr.
Mansfield is one of the most painstaking actors on the Btage, and
seldom jf ever, has there been a more thoroughly artistic and polish
ed presentation than that given by Mr. Mansfield and his company.
There iB little of what is denominated dramatic incident in the play;
but the exquisite art of Mr. Mansfield invests the titular role and the
play itself with the keenest interest There is absolutely no action
in the piece, but .the actor makes what wtfuld be in ordinary hands a
colorless picture, a vivid character portrayal. Mr. Mansfield pro
ceeds in the character of the beau through the glittering avenues of
hey-day success, down to failure and disappointment, and finally to
abject misery, with calm deliberation and graceful poise, and yet he
is ever forceful. In the main the play traverses historical lines,
-bringing in many of the incidents and anecdotes that have made the
name of Brummell famous; but the closing scenes, which are the
most effective, are supplied largely by the imagination of the play
wright. It was very pleasant in the play to bringin the reconciliation
with the king and the restoration to favor at a critical moment, but
there is no historic basis for such an incident. The character of
the Prince oTFafe, and most of the other parts, were most ade
quately rendered.
Hopkins Trans-Oceanic company gave the best vaudeville per
formance at the Lansing theater Thursday evening that has been
seen in Lincoln this jeason.
"Lady Windermere's Fan" has now passed into the hands of
Gostav Frohman John Drew will remain at Palmers Theatre
New York, until May 5, and "The Butterflies' will be kept on until
the end of the engagement Henry Irving reappeared last Satur
day night at the London Lyceum in "Faust. r He will present a
new Shakespearian production in the autumn "The Heavenly
Twins' is being dramatized by Sarah Gralad, its author, and George
Moore, the novelist The entire assets of the Chicago Entertain
ment Company, which operated the Steele Mackaye scenitorium,
were sold last Friday to Frank Hall of the Casino, for 9675
Taos. Q. Seabrooke's new comic opera, "Tobasco" has made a hit in
Boston, and is destined to have a long and prosperous run. As
Francois, the French Irish cook, Mr. Seabrooke has achieved a
greater success than he did as the King in the "iBleof Champagne.
The company includes ninety-two people. Among the principals
are Otis Harlan, Elvia Crox, Walter Allen, Catherine Linyard, Jos.
F. Sheehan, Rosa Cook, Robert Bell, Edgar Smith, Mile. Paris and
Grace Vaughn. 1'he orchestra of thirty pieces is under the direc
tion of Mr. Paul Steindorff Eleonora Duse, the Italian actress,
declares she will not appear again on the stage of her own country.
Because a variety performer wore a red wig and green whis
kers at a benefit at the New Fork Park Theatre last Sunday even
ing, he was arrested and held for trial for a violation of the Sunday
laws The following are the important attractions this week in
New York: Vaudeville at Tony Pastor's Theatre; "Rival Candid
ates' at the Madison Square Theatre; vaudeville at Proctor's; "1492'
at the Garden Theatre; Joseph Jefferson at the Star; John Drew at
Palmer's; "Charley's Aunt" at the Standard Theatre; James C.
Roach at the Fourteenth Street Thertre; Charles Dickson in "Willie"
at the Bijou Theatre; "Shore Acres" at Daly's Theatre; vaudeville
at Keith's Union Square Theatre; "The Girl I Left Behind Me" at
BBkbYbYbbYbYbBBB
9E3bBbbbH
Is John Philip Sousa to be the comic opera Sullivan of America?
It seems that he has a fine chance in that direction, as he has on
hand three contracts for this class of work, one light opera for De-
Wolf Hopper having been nearly
completed during his winter stay
in New York. A few years ago he
produced two or three comic operas
and now that his many marches
have become so famous, and the
superb excellence of his new band
has brought him into such great
prominence, the comic opera sing
ers look to him to furnish just the
sort of catchy musical brightness
.that the public of to-day want.
His clever pen is likely to make
him known ere long as the "Comic
Opera King" as well as the "March
King." This, in addition to his
undisputed supremacy as a band
master, will earn musical honors
galore for the genial John Philip Sousa.
Among the mass of music published annually, scarcely one piece
in a million makes what is called a "hit," and even then hardly any
composer makes more than one hit in a lifetime. With John Philip
Sousa, however, it seems to be different. He has of recent years
composed five consecutive marches which have Bpread throughout
music-playing America with marvelous rapidity. The sales or his
"High School Cadets" and "Washington Post" marches have sur
passed any ever issued in this country, as everyone must know who
hears them played in parlors, ballrooms, concerts, parades, etc., all
over the country, and played on hand organs, whistled by messenger
boys, and hummed by everybody. Following in the lines of these
famous marches, are Sousa's later ones, "The Beau Ideal," "Man
hattan Beach" and "Liberty Bell." There is surely some popular
vein that Sousa's genius has struck, or this unheard-of success could
never attend so many of his works. The comic opera people are
getting after him now, and besides numerous people who are negotia
ting for his services, he has three comic opera contracts on which he
is already working.
Sousa's band will give one concert in this city, Friday, May 4
afternoon only, at the Lansing theatre.
John Philip Sousa.
If there is one theatrical event this season that will stand out in.
bolder relief than all others, it will be found in the engagement of the
romantic actor, Alexander Salvini, at the Lansing Thursday. May 3
The make-up of the company, its generous equipment as to scenic
effects and comprehensive accessories, will be in every sense, a real
ization of what so many prophesied it would become when the actor
first made his appearance .as a star, two years ago. Atthattime
Salvini was speculating on the public taste, and making practical"
tests of the old romantic drama as a modern theme for entertain
ment, for at first he-was discouraged by the claim of so many writers
for the stago that these old plays of romance and chivalry had seen
their day. Salvini was not convinced, but like the English states
men who feared the minority, lie "appealed to the people," and the
verdict, as everyone knows, was an endorsement of the most enthus
iastic kind. Salvini's remarkable success with the works of the
great French dramatists, is, in a measure, a rebuke to the modern,
playwright who has failed to'heed the fact that the great mass of
theatregoers demand action on the stage rather than words. IT
Dumas and his contemporaries have bewildered some by the mul
tiplicity of stirring events, plots and counterplots, adventure and
intrigue, the modern writers have gone to the other extreme and.
have grouped their characters like a domestic caucus which pro
pounds dry social theories to an audience that can find better and
exhaustive reasoning in the literature of the day. But Salvini has.
also been acquiring fame in a new direction that of stage" manager
and producer. The dramatic world of this country k only too ready
to applaud achievements in this direction. Though it has seen in-
X
k
y
S
-x: .