Life — November 24, 1898 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

LIFE A Cisier me bail a Stupid One. JEFFERSON DE ANGELIS'S highest ideal of light opera humor has been that which be could express most vigorously with the muscles of bis arms and legs. That ideal is still manifest in his im- personation of Henri, Count de Beaupret, in “The Jolly Musketcer,” at the Broadway. It is not so pro- nounced, however, as in some of his earlicr efforts, and, if Mr. De Angelis remains on the stage forty or fifty years longer, he may realize that banging a fellow-comedian on the back, or whacking him in the chest, is not the sublimest form of comedy, In his dancing, more of grace and less of vigor would also be an improvement. But it is not to bedenied that at times he is genuinely funny. Were the effort to make him a star less evidect his reputation would not suffer, and the per- formance as a whole would be improved. The company isan excellent one, and does its work with a heartiness truly refreshing. There are some good voices, especially those of Miss Waltzinger and Mr, Wheeler, and the chorus is perfectly competent. Miss Maud Hollins, who bas the leading female rdle. adds an agreeable voice to a pleasant personality. The music of * The Jolly Musketeer” is surprisingly above the average, The climaxes are well worked up, and the con- certed numbers are handled in a fashion which does credit to the composer, Mr. Julian Edwards. The solos assigned to Miss Waltzinger and Mr, Wheeler show originality, and the dance music throughout is delightful. The bad example of some of his predecessors bas been followed by the librettist, but, outside of his borrowing from Lire without credit (and the insertion of an occa- sional antiquity), the lincs are clever and mirth-provok- ing. The plot is admirably suited to the purposes of comic opera. “The Jolly Musketeer” is handsomely staged, and, taken altogether, is well worth sceing and hearing. . . * N the other side of Broadway, at the Casino, is to be found ‘The Dangerous Maid.” She will not be found dangerous—only stupid. She will not be found atall, except by persons who make terms with the extor- tionate speculators whom the proprietors of the Casino permit to sell tickets at their doors. The piece deals with the lives led by the emancipated ladies of Vienna, and culminates in an attempted repro- duction of the much copied painting of the duel with foils between two women. It resembled more closely a corset advertisement, and thoroughly dampened the On a thread of attempted seriousness is strung the display of glittering scenery and Tenderloin beauty and symmetry one always expects to find at the Casino, These are in ‘*A Dangerous Maid” in profusion, but it lacks entirely the fun and melody. which bave made the Casino successes. Even Mr. Sani Bernard, who at Weber and Fields’ Music Hall was most amusing, becomes here only a dull buffoon, Mr, Richard F. Carroll, whom some people have elsewhere considercd a comedian, is only tiresome. As to Mr. William Norris, who personated the hackneyed idea of the unexpectedly and often appearing bore, he should be promptly returned to his cage. With the three alleged comedians gone wrong, the responsibility rested on the music. So fzras originality and tunefulness went, New York would lose nothing if the vocal and instrumental score were at once packed up and shipped back to its native Vienna, It cost several thousand dollars to. produce ‘A Dangerous And there are people in this great city without bread! ° . ° Maid.” HAT is the matter with New York’s Fire Commissioners? Lire hasspoken of the flagrant violation of the fire ordinances at Weber and Fields’ Music Hall, At the Casino on the open- ing night of “A Dangerous Maid” there were certainly vot fewer than twelve hundred persons, If there had been a fire—if there had been only an alarm of fire—not half of them could have escaped alive. In ordinary circumstances, the Casino’s crooked staircases and inadequate means of egress would certainly mean a horrible death to many people in case of a panic, but on this occasion spectators were permitted to crowd into the aisles, and even the slight possibility of reaching an exit was destroyed. The Fire Commissioners should wake up. Metealfe. SIGNOR GAmMONTI TE ITALIAN Coun Ah | ese rif oe curiosity of the first-night audience which came to see something sensational, “DO YER TINK HE's REaL INJY RUBBERY" “Naw! BUT IF I HAD A BIT O° HIM TO CREW ON, f COULD TELL IN A MINNIT.”