Life — June 4, 1903 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

* LIFE « would be a market for libretti and scores showing brains and originality, but the reverse seems to be the case. Each net one is worse than its predecessor and panders to a less educated laste The praiseworthy productions of the season are quickly enumer- 1, Conspicuous stand out Everyman,” “The Country Girl,” “The Darling of the Gods,” “The Earl of Pawtucket,” and that charming study of child-life, “The Little Princess.” A small 5 f/NRASANS list, ix it not, for America’s metropolis? Mr. Fitch's numerous CAE UDISSS Safer, > plays of social life as it ix at present have, of course, been A Good Season to Look Back Upon. very much in evidence, but their value is ephemeral, and their hoon eaters mate a ; fluence or bad, either morally or artistically, is I ACING THE MUSIC” is the tite of not considerable. Mrs. Fiske’s “(Mary of Magdala” was in “one of the last and one of the bestof gq way a effort done with an effort at artistic com- pleteness, but a trifle too meretricious and sensational to be of this season's offerings. It's only a trifling farce, but it is uproariously funny, which is really the principal, in fact, the sole, merit of farce. In addition, high importance. Eliminati then, musical comedy, there remains too little of f 1 of 1902-3 to make its finish a matter of lamenta it is remarkably well acted by Mr. = om It has been, from the point of view of dramatic art, worse than the season before, which was worse than its predecessor, and so on for the past decade. Au essay might be written about this decline and its causes, but, briefly stated, the responsibility rests between 1 uneducated public and the commercial managers, who naturally prefer the patronage of the masses to the approval of the critical few. Th et American and the average American's wife and : daughters, who make up the bulk of supporters of the theatre, up in short order by people not entirely id doubtless be dif they were informed that they didn’t devoid of brains, In farce, however, know enough to enjoy anything artistic. That happens to be the just as in religion and medicine, one truth, however, and their fondness for amusement cheap in qual- has to take a lot on faith, but t ity, if not ia price, is rather a blot on the reputation of a people once done with * Facing the Music,” there Henry E. Dixey and the unusually clever company he has gathered about i OF course there are the con- ventional appearances and disappear- ances through convenient doors, and, of course, in real lite the improbable complications would have been cleared Which claims for itselfanything in the way of education, culture is a lot of fun to be had out of the piece and refinement, There is a section of the public, comparatively Mr. Dixey is at his best in this Tittle sinall, to be sure, which enjoys and is willing to patronize what is play. He has certain qualities as a polite , ntertainment, but its opportunities for such comedian which make him almost great— nd far between almost entitled to rank in the class with ‘The bright star of hope in things dramatic is behind a very deric Lemaitre as we read of him, and with Charles Matthews heavy cloud. Hut we are told by the proverb-makers that it is as he is remembered by the older play-goers in our own generation kest just before the dawn, Let us hope that this is also a Given industry and the proper medium, and Mr. Dixey might lay entific truth. claim to a fame which should obscure his Adonis and other charac- . > ‘ ters with which he is most closely associated in the popular mind. The company associated with Me, Dixey isamost eapabl Lite face of formal protest by Lt and by Mr. prising such clever peopleas Mr. Johu Mason, Mr. Ralph Delmore, “+ Gibson, George W, Lederer announces for pro- Katherine Grey and Grace Heyer. ‘The result is one of the most duction a nondescript entertainment to be called performances of the season. he Gibson Girl.” George W. Led- cing the Music” means only laughter, but it is hearty erer has as much moral right to use laughter, and should be avoided by persons who are secking to Py this title as any common thief has to reduce their flesh eT property he may steal. And yetthere * ° ° are a few persons who claim that Lire HE season of 1902-3 is dead and its corpse is not maligns Jew managers. Metcalfe. entitled to be surrounded by any large display of LIFE'S CONFIDENTIAL GUIDE TO THE candles. Besides lly artistic productions, he THEATRES. it is entitled to notice chiefly for the great number of Broadway.—" The Prince of Pilsen." Mustcat entertainments which, for lack of a better name and very comedy. Pretty music and well staged. Casino. The Runaways." Musics medy. About the worst ever, except in the matter of expenditure for mounting. ions of poor verse, cheap wit F allusions Garrick —Mr. Henry E. Dixey tn farce, “Facing the are not entitled to its use. With few exceptions they are not Music.” See atove. “The Wizard of Oz." Masica!l extrava- ganza, Qaite worth seeing. : Manhattan,—"* The Earl of Pawtucket." Well-acted, clever comedy by audiences who either can not or will not enfoy ansthing which, ognstus Thomas makes the slightest demand upon the intellect. It might be Walleck’s.—""The Sultan of Sulu,’ Musical comedy, Tunefal and thought that with the lavish patronage these pieces enjoy there laughter-causing. correctly, are called musical Comedy is a word with a fairly definite meaning, and these conglomer- musical in the real sense. They depend for success largely upon the display of the female human form divine and upon pleasing comicbooks.com