THE COURIER
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NEWS OF THE
THEATERS
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Mabel Strickland who plays Luclna
Merrltt, the -leading female role In
"Jerome, a Poor Man," which likely
will be seen In this city. This play is
a dramatization of Mary E. Wllklns
famous novel. The authoress is
greatly pleased with Miss Strick
land's clever rendering of her creation.
'TIS TO LAUGH.
Although the cable reports that Ki
ram, sultan of Sulu, is dead, the
American version of him. Interpreted
by Frank Moulan, is said to be very
much alive. The clever comedian's
role in George Ade's famous comic
opera now appearing: in New York,
has provoked howls of laughter all
over the land.
IN "A COUNTRY GIRL."
Helen Marvin, who takes the pretty
role of Nan in "A Country Girl,"
gives a display of histrionic talent
that has already endeared her to the
hearts of the New Yorkers and will
doubtless win her fame and favor all
over the country.
NEW YORK, January 31. "Mr. Blue
Beard," the great Drury Lane spectacle
so long expected by New Yorkers, was
presented at the Knickerbocker theatre
on "Wednesday evening; the 21st Inst.
It is unquestionably the greatest pro
"ductlon ever madeTyKla'wand
langer, which statement means much
Indeed, in view of the fact that they are
responsible for the most elaborate
theatrical achievements In the history
of the American stage. "Mr. Blue Beard"
really is three great shows in one, for
each act is more gorgeous In Its scenes
and costume equipment and presents a
larger number of people than any pro
duction now running in New York. In
each of the two ballets, which are mar
vellously beautiful, more than 250 peo
ple appear arrayed in the most magnifi
cent costumes ever seen in this country.
These ballets excel even the ballet of the
four seasons which attracted so much
attention in "The Sleeping Beauty and
the Beast" last season.
Beautiful Elizabeth Tyree, who is ap
pearing under management of H. B.
Harris & Co., at the Madison Square
theatre in "Gretna Green" is following
up her previous success at the Lyceum,
Daly and Empire theatres.
"Gretna Green" is a romantic comedy
of a most romantic epoch, the days of
1801 days of the stage coaches and run
away matches days when the old Eng
lish beaux and belles used to centre at
Harrogate, a health resort In the north
of England.
It Is at this place the romance begins
between Dolly Erskine and the earl of
Bassett, the leading figures in a little
comedy of love that once dangerously
approaches tragedy. It is In this pictur
esque environment that most of the
characters are introduced, the women
quaintly pretty in the clinging robes
and classic coiffures of the first empire,
the men brave In directory coats, buff
breeches, top boots and beaver hats.
Everyone is talking of the great suc
cess made by Robert Hilllard In "Jim
Bludso" at the Fourteenth Street thea
tre. The play is taken from three of
Secretary Hay's ballads, "Jim Bludso,"
-"Little Breeches" and "Banty Tim,"
-from which are drawn a story full of in
tensity, excitement and real heart Inter
ests. The main theme of the melodrama,
Jim Bludso" life and love, has been
drawn from two lines in the ballad which
tell of the engineer of the Prairie Belle.
The play opens at Tom Taggart's hall in
Gilgal and shifts to the levee embank
ment, where the levee breaks and the
waters of the Mississippi overflow. There
are some very novel effects used in the
eight scenes.
It is not difficult to find a reason for
the pronounced success of humorist
George Ade's witty musiclal satire at
Wallack's. All previous work by this
cheerful western writer showed wide
observation and in "The Sultan of Sulu"
he has simply applied his keen sense of
American humor to the portrayal of the
jra-IT?8 wlth-whlch-all-Americans-are'
laminar, unce tne scene and situations
had been fixed in a foreign clime it was
only necessary to Introduce American
types from society, politics and the army
and exploit the native American foibles
of human nature before a half-civilized
people to win laughter from a modern
audience.
Blanche Bates and "The Darling of the
Gods" remain the sensation of the sea
son at the Belasco theatre. The acme of
stage art has been reached In this new
Belasco masterpiece, which for Its quaint
Japanese charm and dramatic force,
must stand forth as the remarkable play
of the year.
"Mr. Pickwick," which has been mak
ing a hit on the road Is presented under
the management of the De Wolf Hopper
company at the Herald Square theatre.
The production is new in every respect
for Its metropolitan presentation. All the
costumes are exact reproductions of
designs drawn by the famous English
artist Cruikshank, and the whole con
ception is a delightful study of English
life of the time of Dickens. January
19th was the opening date.
Mrs.Fisks-isnow In -the-third -month
of her appearance in "Mary of Mag
dala" at the Manhattan theatre, New
York, and the vogue of that play Is so
great that from all present tokens it
can run there indefinitely. With all the
constantly-introduced elements of dra
matic Interest that characterize the
metropolis. "Mary of Magdala" sustains
its supremacy as the most uniquely In
teresting and impressive drama within
memory; and as a production on the
highest plane of art, with pictorial fea
tures exceptional for their appealing
beautysand the dramatic quality, it
stands "unchallenged by the ever varying
and elaborate offerings of a very notable
season.
At the Criterion theatre a series of
special matinees have been inaugurat
ed, to present Mrs. Hodgson Burnett's
new play, "The Little Princess." The
matinees will be daily except on Satur
day when the theatre is occupied, of
course, by Julia Marlowe's regular af
ternoon performance of "The Cavalier."
With Miss Marlowe every evening and
Mrs. Burnett's play afternoons, the
Criterion is about the busiest playhouse
in town except those given over to con
tinuous vaudeville performances.
In "The Bird in the Cage" which
Charles Frohman presents at the Bijou
theatre, Ed. Harrlgan who for so many
years delighted New Yorkers, returns to
legitimate work on Broadway. He has a
role in this play which Is similar to the
line of characters In which he made his
great reputation when he and Hart were
together, and later when he made pro
ductions In his own name.
The Whitney opera company has
scored a marked success in "When
Johnny Comes Marching Home" at the
New York theatre. All critics declare
this to "be the best American opera since
"Robin Hood." It is a great novelty In
every aspect and Is drawing Immense
audiences to the New York, such emin
ent men as Senator Depew and ex-Governor
Black, highly commending it. The
latter has seen it several times. Many
of the musical numbers have attained a
great vogue and are being widely sung
and whistled and played by orchestras.
Klaw & Erlanger's big production of
"The Billionaire," presenting Jerome
Sykes In the star role of "John Doe, who
owns a controlling interest in the earth,"
has made the greatest hit ever scored by
a musical farce In New York. It opened
at Daly's theatre to a capacity house,
kept up its pace till the end and closed
with the record of the largest week's
attendance In the history of this thea
tre. The oldest theatrical manager In
New York cannot recall any Instance
where the merit of a production has
been so quickly recognized by the public.
The Empire theatre company has
opened Its regular winter season at the
Empire with Robert Marshall's London
success "The Unforeseen." The plot o'f
the story deals with features of English
social life Involving love matches, elope
ments, matrimonial misunderstandings
et cetera, all fortunately, ending happily.
The presentation is of course first class
and the play is duplicating on Broadway
the success it has made in London.
At the cozy Princes's, Mr. Aubrey
Boucicaulfs adaption of "Alt Heidel
berg" continues to prove an exception
ally strong attraction. The pretty Ger
man comedy, with its picturesque cos
tumes and realistic scenes showing col
lege -life at the famous old-world seat of
learning, constitute a distinct and es
sentially different class of entertainment
from that usually presented. There is
a dash and charm about "Heidelberg"
that appeals strongly to the masculine
mind, and even more forcibly to feminine
sentiment. HERBERT E. CLAMP.
FENCING-THE IDEAL EXERCISE.
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Fencing as an exercise and art is becoming more and more popular with the fair sex. Nearly every actress of
note is now adept with the foils or striving diligently to become such. Society women of New York, London and Paris
have enthusiastically entered upon the sensible fad which gives health and animation to its devotees. This snapshot
shows a famous society woman taking a lesson from her fencing master. '
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