Life — October 17, 1901 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

“LIP E« «e(MHE LIBERTY BELLES,” at the Madison Square, is a joyous proposition, It is not calculated to uplift the higher emotions nor stimulate the intellect, but is one of those care-dispellers which have their little season on the stage, and which, if they do no particular good, also do not do much harm. In these } days when lovely woman arranges her street attire so as to make mani- fest to every passer-by what ever beauty of form nature and her corset-maker have endowed her with, the dorm tory scene which makes the first act of “The Liberty Belles” is not so exciting to the vision of the prudish as it might once have been. The young women who figure in it as semi-robed school girls are, by comparison, quite properly clad, and in this particular the scene goes for what it is intended—the vivid picturing of a girlish lark. One or two little touches, for instance the appearance of the ghost and the total absorption of the novel-reading girl, are very good bits of real life. Mr. Harry B. Smith in several places rouses himself from the lethargy into which he has fallen since he accomplished the her- culean task of writing a thousand comic-opera librettos in a thousand minutes, and some of his lines show a return to his pristine brightness. ‘The piece has a number of musical features, all of which are jingly, and none of surpassing merit. ‘The best of them are the songs sung by Augusta Glose in the first act. Mr. Harry Gilfoil, who will be remembered as the whistling bartender in ‘Trip to Chinatown,” does some mimicry which almost touches the realms of high art. Miss Sandol Milliken is the prettiest of a lot of very pretty girls, who sing and dance at frequent inter- vals and add to the general joyousness of this rattle-brained entertainment. . . . VIDENTLY New York's theatre-ticket speculators are again being exterminated. This happens about as fre- quently as the extermination of Croton bugs by careful housekeepers, and the speculators remain exterminated just about as long. The fact of the matter is that any New York manager who wants to stop the speculator nuisance in front of his house can do it, as has been re- peatedly demonstrated by such managers as Mr. Daly, Mr. Moss, Mr. Dan Frohman aod Mr. Harrison Grey Fiske. Independent of the managers whoencourage this gentry, the police, properly backed the police justices, could easily dispose of the speculators as nuisances or disorderly persons. They hold licenses. but a license does not confer the right to obstruct the highway nor to insult non-purchasers of their wares. But nowadays no one expects the police to do their duty. . ° . BOUT such a production as ‘‘ The New Yorkers.” at the Herald Square, one may not speak absolutely. To judge these Casino entertainments from any point of view where originality, good taste or refinement have weight would do them and their best patrons injustice. They are written and pro- duced to please a certain class and their merits and demerits must be judged relatively. Of “The New Yorkers,” it may be said that it is fairly good of its kind. Mr. Englander’s music is improving in that it is getting nearer to the liking of those who are looking only for ‘‘catchiness.” In this particular several numbers, although not especially original, achieve their object. The book— if a suggestion of a plot and an occasional intelligent line can be called a book—is of the average Casino meri The nominal object of ‘The New Yorkers" is to introduce Mr. Dan Daly asastar. Mr. Daly is unique in his particular line and the line is amusing, but it is of limited dimensions. Its extreme limit was reached when he was called upon to sing half of a pretty and sentimental duet. Being a voiceless comedian the attempt was saved from positive disaster by irginia Earle, who sang her half well. A more successful number wasa solo, dance and song by Miss Earle, aided by a chorus of young men, Although this was an obvious attempt to imitate the “ Pretty Maiden chorus in “ Florodora,” it was the most successful feature of the perform- ance. “The New Yorkers” is a rather better than usual thing of the usual Casino kind. If you like that kind you will probably enjoy “The New Yorkers.” It has this advantage—that you can come late, or leave early, or drop in between times, without losing the thread of the story or imperiling your immortal soul. It is ust the sort of entertainment for people who do not wish to leave the dinner table too early, and for commuters who have to catch the Long Island and Jersey trains. Metcalfe, LIFE'S CONFIDENTIAL GUIDE TO THE THEATRES. Academy of Music. spectacular accessories. Broadiay.—The Castle Square Company creditably singin; nd opera in English at reasonable prices of admission. ized a Bijou.—David Wardeld in his artistic charactenzation of the East-side Jewish auctioneer. Worth seeing. Paty's.—Imported musical comedy, “The Messenger Boy,” with James T. Powers in the titie part. Fairly tuneful and amusiog. Heratd Square.—Dan Daly tn “The New Yorkers." See above. —Charles Hawtrey and Engilsh company in “A Message from tice later. —Mr. Arizona." Stirring drama of border life with BU. Sothern in “If I Were King,” by Justin Huntley ‘otice later, he Second in Command," with Jobn Drew as the star. iy Well presented. Naickerbocker.—" The Rogers Brothers tn Washington." vaudeville sketch. Lyceum.—* The Love Match." by Sydney Grundy. Notice later. Manhattan. —Mrs. Piske in Miranda of the Balcony.” A very artistic performance of a not especially good play. Madison Square.—* Liberty Belles.’ See above. Republic.—Scottish Adsl about “The Bounle Brier Bush.”* plece weil performed. Wattack"s.—" Don Caesar's Return,” with Mr. James K. Hackett as Don Cesar de Bazan. Picturesque, romantic melodrama well presented. Weber and Fields’ Music Hall.—Vandeville and burlesque, bigher tn price than in quality, Light-weight A pretry comicbooks.com