Newspaper Page Text
Dramatic and $ocfar~'~~~ i News, Features, Etc* THE Walker Whiteside made a deep im pression in Minneapolis by his beauti ful impersonation of the young violin ist in "The Magic Melody." Visiting theatrical men from the east who had never heard him before, were surprised and enthusiastic. They found it hard to believe that so fine an actor was absolutely unknown in New York, and predicted for him a great future when once he is surrounded bv players in support who are worthy of him. The tremendous climax he achieves by simplest methods in the second act shows him to be an actor of refined in telligence. There is the simple, af fecting picture of the voung artist wrapped in his own poetic fancies, liv ing in his own world of music, admit ting to his sacred sanctuary of art his goddess' own twin sister, love. The boy is modest, retiring, sentimental. Out of the picture steps suddenly under stress of great emotion the man, rising to the full height of a terrfbte denunciation, exhibiting a heroic char acter whose stature had been hitherto unsuspected. I is a moment electric with emotion, not one volt of which is lost by Mr. Whiteside. Abouf Mr. Whiteside's play there tfro divergent opinions. I was writ ten, by the way, by Lieutenant Gordon Havnes, who also wrote his other play. V** Were King." The germ of the luea lav in the little curtain ralseY Mr. Whiteside used last year, and rttach the dialog Was firansferred'Ibomly. "ilke commonest rjc-isation against 33 ILL 3 qf trie W1EEC METROPOLITANFirst half, opening tonight with Wednesday mati- nee, Paula Edwardes in "Princess Beggar," comie opera. Second half, with matinees Thursday and Saturday and theatrical fates are not alto gether kind to Minneapolis. They do not give us a regimen properly diversified. For a time they feed us -entirely on musical comedy. Then they face about and. giye us a strong, meaty diet of serious- drama. The proteids in it are very nourishing, but we should do better with some of the sweets and fats to give them var iety. Such a Course, if persisted in, will give us dramatic dyspepsia. This week, for example, we are to have comic operanothing else. I is good comic opera, too, if the indications are at all trustworthy. Paula Edwarde3 leads off in "Princess Beggar." She is a droll little mischief and the piece is said to be as good in plot as "Er- minie." Comes then the iolly Jeff De Angelis, whom many consider the very funniest of all operatic comedians, in "The Girl and the Governor," which is praised as a real comie opera of the old sort. Thev divide the week at the Metropolitan between them. Then come three of the best pro ductions on the roadW. H. Crane and Ellis Jeffreys in their fine revival of "She Stoops to Conquer," Richard Mansfield with his epochal production of "Peer Gynt," and Otis Skinner in his mueh-liked new play, "The Duel." That makes plenty of fine pabulum! The Biiou offering for this week is "Texas," that pretty ranch play which proved so pleasing last year. The Frawleys will maintain their high standard by giving Richard Harding Davis' funny South American farce, "The Dictator." The Orpheum's headhner is the gentleman who walks down stairs on his heada bit of head work that is interesting if not brainy. There is a good bill besides, and so likewise is theTe at the minor vaude ville house, the Unique. At the Dewey will be seen the Broadway Gaiety Girls. anee Sunday evening, Jefferson De Angelis in "Tie GHrl and the Governor," comic opera, BIJOUAll the week, with matinees this afternoon?, Wednesday, Thurs- day and Saturday, "Texas," western comedy drama. OEPHEUM-All the week with daily matinees beginning today, modeisn vaudeville, with Alexander Patty, head walker, as headlines LYCEUMAll the week, opening tomorrow night, with matinees Tues- day, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, the Frawleys in "The Dictator," comedy drama. Ladies' night, Monday. UNIQUEPolite vaudeville, bill changing Monday. Performances daily at 2, 3:30, 8 and 9:30 p.m. DEWEYAll the week with daily matinees beginning today, "Broad way Gaiety Girls" in burlesque and vaudeville. Ladies' perform ances, Friday.* vextra pjjfcform- "The Magic MelodyH is that its idea was stolen from "The Lion and the Mouse" and its characters from var ious other modern plays. I ia true that a money Tting figures in both plays, but any* play that treats of modern couditions in Ainerica is likely to have a money king among its per sons. Mr. Klein was by no means the first playwright to make use, of the character, nor will he b& the4ast. So long as the treatment is original, no more can be asked. The music motive appears in Mr. Klein's other play, "The Music Master," but that, too, is an old motive, the use of which brings no discredit to the author of "The Magic Melody." An objection which is better grounded is that which lies against the way in which the revenge of the Italian singer is handled. From the care with which this character is elaborated in the first act and from the preparations made it seems evident that the play wright had in mind a great revenge scene later on. But as he worked out iis plot, it became evident that this could not be introduced without ser iously marring the' principal theme, with its powerful scenes between the young violinist and his putative father, the money king. So the author is left with the Italian on his hands and no real reason for his intrusion except to help out the illusion of a bohemian and musical atmosphere Charles Klein turned out another play of the moment in "The Daugh ters of Men," which has been having its first New YoTk .performances the past week. I is a drama of capital and labor, with- an old plutocrat as the central character. His daughter has fallen in love with a young lawyer allied with the laboring masses. The efforts of the plutocrat to break'u the match and the irruption into the affair of a young girl, who is the daughter of a German socialist, furnish most of the action. The cast includes Herbert Kelcey, Effie Shannon and other well known people. The newspapers in the south, where Annie Russell is touring as Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream," are saying that the interest "in Shakspere will be perennial as long as there are artists such'as Miss Russell to perpetu ate and illumine his characters. The production will be seen in Minneapolis this season. KJaw and Erlanger, encouraged by the long-drawn-out success' ofe dramatization of "Ben Hur, the hav ar ranged what is described as a wonder ful s(taging of Lew Wallace's less famous but equally picturesque story, "The- Brince of India." There are eleven great scenes,- of the most elab orate and massive description. In the battle scene, wherein Mohammed cap tures Constantinople, and in the later seene in the church j)f St. Sophia, there are 500 people on the stage. I ""."^"^'W' -B. Chamberlain. Harry Bulger, starring in "Tne Man from ^ow,"-claimstote'the Virginia Murray Willi The Frawleys i&aietv' Girl^ METEOPOLITAN- Paula Edwardes in "Princess Beggar.". The return of real comedy opera is as surely here as the trust-awakened pub lic intelligence. For fifteen years the absence from our stage of genuine com positions^ forming complete plays of action, with consistent and harmonious music by one composer, has become a source of keen regret. Since the days of Gilbert and Sullivan, with their classic "Pinaforej" "Patience,'-' and "Mikado," the history of comic-opera success contains but few important names, and none stands forth as clearly and persistently as "Erminie," that beautiful work of real wit and fresh music which made a dozen stars. And, so, the news that at the Metropolitan, during the half week beginning to night, winsome Paula Edwards will ap pear in "Princess Beggar," from the pen of Edward Paulton, and that his latest success and Miss Edwardes' greatest vehicle is genuine comedy opera, will be welcome. The further fact, that in music, story, style and production "Princess Beggar"'is not voudeville i n' costume strung on a flimsy thread and called musical comedy,'' but opera re wrote the music of the "Yankee Consul," which set1 w^d Wh 8 acclaimed as originator 'pf thfer-"-handed feint^a lemon" story wh\ch promises ,tp eush the popular t'skfaW' for.flarsl p% in the hearts against Fo" his slahg-ldvfiig countrymen. the nation af-whistling, that Charles DilKng- Lo^, ~C" vand ~T"j"^ r~"~- fein S X wardeess unstintingly with masterful comedians, brilliant singers and a fern* inine chorus, alike remarkable for their singing and- their charms, one feels that the good old days are back again, indeed. Not ince her pre-eminence in Augustin Daly's gems, or in the really big days ^of the New York Casino, has the sprightly Paula "Ed- wardes, it is said, had such a captivat ing role, or such a remarkable produc tion. JeffersQn^De Angelis in "The Girl aad the Governor." That the** is an enthusiastic return of popular N best. lnS favor to comic opera, so long suiSpJanted-by that bizarre admix ture of crude melodies and "slap stick", humor known as musieal com edy, is evidenced by the remarkable success of "The Girl and ttfe Gov ernor," by S. M. Brenner and Julian Edwards, in which Jefferson De Angelis assisted by four-score singers and tun makers, will appear at the Metropol itan the second half of the week. This delightful combination of good of all Mr. Edwards successes,"among whigh will be pleas *eA6mbjwsea \'"CD0iw,, Brian Boru," "The Weddine- Dav V*A*I and "The Three Musketeers.'' Un usually strong is the support "of -ihe jolly De AngeHBr I includes C^ Miron, a famous basso coniedfanj'iEs telle -'Wentworth? fi prlm a donna,* ami ~h most beautiful womsfiu Richie Ling, lyric.'*eno# o$-3naWmal rwjttter Edit? Bradford, 'iSdtrf^Ttof'whO^SieVel^rl 15 %B* uii "I, 'IH i MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, SUNIXAY MORNINQ, NOVEMBER 25, db* -*^C^ \-w.j 111/ S^y^n^rBroadwayS'avisl. nown with the Bostonians Lillian Rhoades, the Dresden china -com edienne, and. many others prominently identified with the Tchief muscial and comedy triumphs of recent times. Mr. Brenner, a newcomer among librettists, has produced a book-which affords the ebullient Jefferson golden opportun ities for effective' expression of his ec centric genius. Never in his long career has the famous comedian been fitted so happily with a character as that of Don Pascal-de Misquita, genial old rogue of a goverrior of a Spanish South American colony in the pictur esque sixteenth century. Scenically, few comie operas have offered such 'artistic effects. The ^costuming is upon an equal scale of magnificence and di versity. BUOtt- "Texas." the play. of ranch "Texas, WJt xa that en velops everything. The characters are bluff, wholehearted ranchmen, sWagger- bronco-busters,' cjrafty Mexicans, ESLJS i^^!!^^ lo*4 W en and a few specimens of old-world Civilization. A play without a villain would be like a cocktail without a cherry, and a treacherous greaser named Pa^quale, accuses Jack Dallam, the hero, of being a cattle thief. Dal That' startling innovation in methods of locomotion "walking on the head," will be exemplified when the -Patty brothers,, EuropeaU *aorobats,, v^^xxtu..^. ^w.vu*a.vj.\ju. UJL gooa. "W*I:IB JDUIU|JCn amupaia reappear. music and insistent merriment has been j^his week. The undanny manner in i A ^whichyoungAle2c,a1|d^rPatty propelled* himself along a ^platform and down a* -wv,-.^r- jjuj.ii flight of steps on his heat! is still well The Weddin Day,/' VDoll Varden^^rfimembered^d.since they were here' the Pattys brother^,. have so, greatly elaborated their act'as to make1 Suogersn TO thrilling a hand-to-hand knife-combat as was ever devised. The love theme is unusually entertaining. Dallam *kve and is be loved by little^T-eXrfifWest, the daugh- ,t,er^ of 'his emptoyef.^ Messrs. Broad hurst and Currie Jt&ke mounted the play adequately. Thje-* ast "i& again headed by Mabel Da?ey. and Gfiarles D. Coburn, -sui}porte| by practically.. ,the same^ excellent company that was seen hei lagt season.. IQO6 LMBTROPOLITAK^ext Wcz W. H. CraTig, te stoops To Conqggrl(xIr UniQ*xe-.La. Amelia. Angie Norton's study from *life, "Ella's All Rigirf." It's the story oi a young -married couple who attempt' to keep house on the $14 a week they earn in a department store. Miqs Nor ton and her playmate, Paul Nicholson, have been here before. The greatest of the younger iugglers is 2 the English Jad, who keeps'-his pretty gjrlj assistant, a chair and a table in the air at the s#me ti#e* Minnie Kaufmana,unebot in swo1 bicycle riding is said excelleja for, beauty, grae&An^ during. The Bwor^brothers^wijl afepearininim itable impersonations' of ttte southern^ 1 negro "Hayward, Conroyn & Hayward will present their comedy, "Marriage is Sublime." and the kinodrome wiM have the thrilling story of "The Automobile Thieves. "r LYCEUM- if "The Dictator." "The Dictator" will be the Frawley offering this week. T. Daniel Frawley will ,appear as Brooke T/avers. No brighter play has been written for the American stage than this lightsome and enia comedy by Richard Harding "The Dictator" is a delightful satire on the perchant of the South American to "revolute," but it is more than thatit is a clever and artistic comedy with a keen human interest. About the humorous situation offered by the constantly revolting little South American^ state, the author has woven a plot which involves a New^ York club man, his servant, Colonel John T. Bowie, engaged in the business of pa triotism in South America for a con sideration, a Spanish girl with a long dagger,/two missionaries, one of them a girl and beautiful. Travers is the star character. He is running away from an imaginary of fense at home, falls in love on the way to Porto Banos and falls into a lot of trouble when he arrives. The play will be staged with all the care and artistic completeness for which the Frawleys are notd. The custom of devoting Monday evening to a special ladies' night will be resumed this week. UNIQUE Polite Vaudeville., life, iC which runs at the Bijou this week(, might be called a Remington living Plcal icture, inasmuch as "the types are iden with those shown in this artist's famous work. The dramatist has the advantage in that he can people his canvas, with living, breathing person ages. The background is a glimpse,of comedy parched, glowing mesa, a blue haze of opera, is more welcome still. When, mountains in the distance, the shim- added to these one knows that Alfred mering heat waves that hover over the* G. Robyn, the composer who plains-, tfnd the- mantle of-dust Gilbert Sarony, character comedian, will open the program this week in a most interesting bill. Mr. Sarony leads in his line of work and stands high in the acting world. The Messenger Boy Trio, a well-known aggregation of vaudeville stars, will appear in a com edy singing act, irresistibly provocative of'laughter. La Adelia will appear in national dances doing her act in cos tume. La Adelia is a character change artist who is being starred on the vaudeville circuit. A straight singing act, possessing alluring charm will be by Seaman, a Chartiers & under the title The Harmoni ous Trio." The Bellefonts, acrdUats of unusual accomplishment, appear in their difficult hand-to-hand and head to-head act. Budd & Wayne, singing and acrobatic artists, r6und out the bill. The new illustrated song by Irene Lit tle is likely to prove a popular hit, while the moving pictures are bright and spicily entertaining. DEWEV- S[oneywhich ^r*KOT i ORFHEUM-,\!LV ^x- Modern Vaudeville. reappear it on" thermos,* remarkable in Vaudeville. -A ^delightful novebiyuwill be the, Eight Vttssar 3}irls insttinaefctalists, vocalists and, dancers, who will present a varied Defective Page any Will appear this week, has been lavishly spent in anNew endeavor to provide something wholly Superior to the average so-called bur lesque offerings with the result that a company of thirty pretty, young and vivacious girls, picked for their quali fications as singers and actresses as well as for their attractiveness and a coterie of comedians known i^hruout the country as mirth provokers has been gathered. It "is promised that the pro ram will be novelty from the rise of he,curtain on the openiijg burlesque until the closing of the burlesque en titled "The Land of Promise," which is said to contain more catchy musical numbers than.-the average comic opera. Between these will he aniOlio of choice vaudeville which will *|je-headed*by iBHHtmm&m OJRPRBUM Braggo, Hebrew and tramp. John Weber & Co., in "Nellie, the Avenue," Wilson & Haines, singers and dancers. All new and expensive costumes will be displayed and the scenery will be of the most elaborate character. A sou venir ladies' day will be given Friday, all women attending will receive one smoking will not be permitted. NEAR DATES Metropolitan A brilliant cast and a brilliant com edy is what theatergoers will dee Dec 3, 4, and-6, when Oliver Goldsmith's old comedy, "She Stoops to Conquer," is presented with the twin stars, Wil liam H. Crane and Ellis Jeffreys, as Old Hardcastle and his daughter Kate. Mr. Frohman and Liebler & Companjr have put together a remarkable cast and a splendid presentation for the re vival of this cameo among comedies. Bichard Mansfield, whose tremendous triumph in "Peer Gynt" is a matter of recent theatrical history, brings this play for two performances, opening with it on Thursday evening, Dec. 6, and also presenting it at the matinee on Saturday. Friday night Mr. Mans field will appear in "Beau Brummel," and on Saturday evening in "Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde." On Monday evening, Dec. 10, Otis Skinner will give us our first view of his widely dis cussed play, "The Duel." Adelaide Thurston in her new play, "The Girl from Out Yonder," will'be the offer ing Dec 13 to 15. "Sergeant Kitty," with Helen Byr6n in the leading role, follows. Bijou 7 Broadway Gaiety Girls. The rivalry among the burlesque managers this season has resulted in the formation of some of the most worthy organizations devotjed to this light and breezy form of entertain ment. One of the most pretentious is "The Broadway Gaiety Girls'" com- That Kellar has-'a host of admirers in Minneapolis if evidenced by the interest shown in his engagement Dec. 2 _to 8. The great magician is pre senting a series of weird and fascinat ing deceptions and illusions. "The Smart Set," a most talented organisa tions of colored singers and comedians, follows. One of Theodore Kremer's thrillers. A Race for Life.'i scored so well last season that it was thought de serving of a rebooking. The Bijou has reserved for its Christmas week attraction one of the best offerings of the season, Augustus Thomas' comedy drama, "Arizona." Harry Clay Blaney, the diminutive and agile com edian, will present his stirring military play, "The Boy Behind the Gun," Year's week. Orpheum" Papihta comes next week in a series of those mirror and fire that have made her famous. I^^SP^^^^^^H 13IJOU- Charles D. Coburn Lcad-iin^ .Man In "Tejca^ Alexander "Pattx Idances the bill too, are the Four Bards the American acrobats .who made such, a splendid im pression here*, and the Zazelle '& Ver non' company in their delightful panto mimic comedy, -"Th Elopement. Among the new artists will be a re cently discovered genius, Preston Ken dall, in his own. drama, "Across the Lines" Willa., Holt .Wakefield, a charming young lady who has trans ferred her song .leadings from th drawing room to th ^tagej jteamn Comedy fiwr. .an A NEW TRAGEDIENNE own deceit. *$ Mme. Nazimova in "Hedda Gabler" Other Special Matinees in New York. ^4^5' By M. LeRoy Arnold. -"$j Correapondenca of Th Journal. New York, Nov. 24.As tho by soma f* occult force, the doors of a number of 4 New York theaters flew open last week jySl? for various special matinees. The spe cial matinee is a unique affair. Given if on "off" daysthat is, afternoons -*p other than Wednesday or Saturdayit %*i is freguently presented by a constella tion of stars who regularly appear else- .Jf where in their own productions. The 5 audience is composed largely of actor ij folk, musicians, artists, authors, stu- :if dents and friends of the people on tha I stage. The special matinee, therefore, because of the friendly relation extend- Jf mg across the footlights, takes on VI something of the warmth and glow of the amateur performance. ,4*1 The variety of the performances un-^i der discussion is so great that it is ^31 antipodal, as a mere mention of tho dramatists presented shows: Oscar Wilde, Henry Arthur Jones, Browning, Ibsen. Mercedes Leigh impersonated Oscar Wilde's exotic creature, "Sa- lome," at the Astor theater, on Thurs day, Nov. 15, with fair success. On the same afternoon at the Lyric, there-was a notable revival of Jones' "Mrs. Dane's Defense," rehearsed by the an thor. *p The production was especially note-*' worthy because it contained the two actresses who originated the part of Mrs. Dane, Lena Ashwell in England and Margaret Anglin in America. On Thursday Miss Ashwell took the part of Mrs. Dane and Miss Anglin of Lady Eastney, on Friday they reversed the parts. I saw the second performance, certainly a very interesting one. Miss Ashwell gave a delightfully finished portrait of Lady Eastney, but she lacked the spontaneity that is the es sence of comedy. Miss Anglin, on tho other hand, is by nature the very incar nation of spontaneity. In point of fact, it would be difficult to find two actresses temperamentally more unlike. In general they seem to typify their re spective nations, Miss Ashwell repre senting the reserve of the older civili satiori, Miss Anglin the buoyant free dom of the new. Yet, as a matter of fact, both are natives of Canada. As Mrs. Dane, Miss Anglin holds the spec tator spellbound from curtain to cur tain. Hers is a high grade of emotional work, and yet one can't help wishing that she had masked her feelings more effectually. As she interprets the role, Mrs. Dane's guilt is so palpable that she could not have deceived her asso ciates, as she did in the earlier scenes. Perhaps the play is too banal-to require subtlety. Notwithstanding the social ethics sprinkled in by way of season ing, the interest is that of a detective story. With Sherlock Holmes' in^en* sity, the play reveals Mrs. Dane, poor.,, creature, caught in the meshes of %&$ ,i 38 W 4 i s^ Bobert Browning was not a writer^ o acting drama, and, of all his poems cist?* the_Man^ hi 4ramatifr*aMldy*aog w- *BWT'4uitab}e fc* the stage tha "Pippa I^es,**-* NeyertaelewMra.1* Moyw .appear-1