Life — April 18, 1895 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

-LIFE-: GOOD OLD ALADDIN. ='VE had importations from everywhere—from Lon- don, Paris, Boston, almost from Brooklyn and Philadelphia, and now, not for the first time either, from Chicago. Those from London and Paris show a greater or less measure of merit. From Chicago we had “ Adonis,” for which we owe that town a debt of gratitude. Now from the same breezy, would-be-if-it-could-be metropolis comes * Aladdin, Jr.” Dear old burlesques and extravaganzas since Scheherazade, the liber- ator of her sex, originated him that we are not surprised at any sins committed in his name. Every one has had a chance at him from the early London pantomimists to Lydia Thompson, from Scheherazade to Chicago, and as usual Chicago takes the prize. The production at the Broadway Theatre is one calculated to make the afflicted grieve and the merry mourn. It is gorgeous, if mere aggregations of tinsel, electric lights, betighted women, and delirium of color can make gorgeous- ness. The whole business is a grand glamour of color and shape, which is theatrical and nothing else. There is not a speck of humor in it, and its music is four hundred and seventy-six degrees beneath contempt. It is probably one of the worst expensive shows that has ever afflicted Broadway. But by the time this reaches our readers’ eyes, the effective press agent and the artistic theatrical boomer will” -probably have convinced New York theatre-goers that Shakespeare never wrote anything like it. In which we heartily concur. . . * uy HE HONEYMOON "at Daly's is largely reminiscent of “The Taming of the Shrew.” The production is less elaborate, but still faithful, and the company adequate to this performance as the other. Mr. Worthing lacks the fineness of Mr. Drew, but with greater experience we think his angles are likely to be rounded off and that he will add to his force the polish of his predecessor, Miss Rehan was charming in the part of /u/éana, but it is not to be denied that her mannerisms become every day more pro- Miss Elliott confirms the early good impressions of her powers but shows a strong tendency to over-act, especially in the matter of facial expression. Her features are so strongly marked that very little in effort produces much in effect. It is difficult to discern just what Mr. Daly's policy is. He seems to be. trying a number of experiments and giving none of them a chance to succeed. “A Bundle of Lies” for instance, nounced, Aladdin” has been tortured into so many | was not by any means such a failure that it could last only a fraction of a week. Worse things have had long and appar- ently successful runs at other New York play-houses. We sincerely hope that’ Mr. Daly in his artistic honesty and scrupulousness is not becoming over-sensitive to the point where it will make his theatre an impossibility. His standard, fortunately for the public in these degenerate days, is a high one and he cannot be too particular to please the critical mind, but a sound business policy is essential to its support and Lire cannot believe that fickleness of purpose is good business sense, . . * HE circus has become a good deal like the modern monthly magazine. It isn’t expected that any one person is going to take it all in with enjoyment, but there must be something for every kind of a taste. For the New Woman it is in the shape of a Female Clown. . . . NE” YORK is just now without a “ Madame Sans Géne.” We have had a good deal of that lady for the past few months, and miss her sadly, but —— we're going to have “* Trilby. A ‘D now come back to New York the grand opera artists, and we hope they are leaving their bronchitises and gripses and other ailments behind them. If their non- appearances in provincial towns are to be taken asa standard, what a magnificent climate is ours. . . . . * * HE theatrical managers are getting up a movement to discourage the dead-head system. To be thoroughly successful they will have to discover some kind of an anti- passine with which to inoculate the entire American people. Metcalfe. LYRIC COMPLAINT. 1 ASS more sweet You will not pass In any street— Ls Alas! un. A miss above 3 All dreams of bliss, She takes my love Amiss ! J. Russell Taylor, IN THE GLOAMING. HE (pointing ata star): Ah, there ~ is Orion. VOICE (from the darkness): Yez mishtaken, mum, it’s O'Reilly. are BACRING UP AN ASSERTION. comicbooks.com