Life — May 19, 1904 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

486 A Poor Investment. “ wt care we for worldly store ?” The lover cried. ‘It cannot last. ‘Tis you I love, you I ador The bonds of love will hold us fast “Thave no wish,” the maid replied, “ To emulate the cooing dove; Nor could we, howsoe‘er we tried, Cut coupons from the bonds of love." With the Flavor of Venice. ay “AN NETIAN ROMANCE was properly named so far as the Vene! tertainment is cc an part of the en- cerned, but the romance, if there is clouded by not perceptit ny, is so er things that it is This comic opera comes very near being really music- al, The adjective fits perfectly one ive refrain which runs through the whole piece, but the other num- bers, while sprightly and attractive, just miss the strength and origi- nality which would make them very, very good of their kind, After this season's experience with the musical pieces set forth to attract the public, one is forced to the conclusion that Mr. Frederic Coit, Wight, the present composer, has, like the others, devoted too little study to orchestration and distinctive harmony. If this is the correct explanation for all of our musical pieces. sound much alike, it also expla and out above the others, s why Mr. Herbert's sc and why many of ...s numbers are longer lived m, at first hear- ing, to have equal or greater elements of than others which se popularity, The deficiency of plot in “A Venetian Romance " js also equalled by its lack of fun. It has an apparently capable corps of fun- makers, but the matter entrusted to them is so hopelessly unfunny that they fail to get laughs even from New York's easily tickled audiences. This suggests the thought that it is almost time for the producers of entertain- ments in this class to wake up to the fact that it is their duty to the public and to their own purses to encourage the use of that rather rare commodity called brains, This piece, for instance, is very handsomely and correctly mounted, The carnival of course limited in impressiveness by the size of the stage, is lavish in costumes and accessories. The settings throughout preserve the Vene- scene, a ea tian atmosphere, and the costumes seem to have been provided without regard to cost. A small percentage of the money expended on to improving the libretto would have made a considerable difference in the yencral result, “A Ve years ago, these things put tian Romanee,” produced a few before even the Tenderloin taste became cloyed with its favorite form of entertainment, might have been very suc- cessful. THE DRAMATIC EDITOR OF LIFE: Ina recent issue you speak in your theatrical notes of a play as lish but funny.” The palpable insinua- tion is that there is an incongruity between wit and British authorship, I know this is the impression assiduously fostered among your people, but 1am sur- prised to see a paper like LiFe pandering to such a sentiment, Not long ago, when Fitch's * The Stub- bornness of Geraldine” was running-at the Garrick, with a Count and a British'Lord as two of the leading characters (how your re- publican Uncle Sammite does hate the old country titles and how your American heir- esses love to marry them so as to help im- prove the strain!) the aforesaid Lord. was heartily congratulated upon seeing a joke, some time after the others, it is true, but so. quickly—for an Englishman Atthat very time four of the brightest ard most laughable productions in New York were English—"* A Country Girl,” at Daly’s ; ‘A Chinese Honeymoon,” at the Casino} “The Night of the Party,” at the Princess, and‘ A Country Mouse,” at the Savoy By the bye, there was a Duke, a Lord, an Honorable and a British M.P."in the last- named play, so perhaps New York's approval was prejudiced. ‘Contemporaneously with these produc tions, Martin Harvey, the great young English actor, was at Herald Square ; Campbell at the Garden ; Gillette at the bocker, doing that British creation, Sherlock Holmes"; while “Iris,” Pinero's play, held at the Criterion, fr laughter to tears, the best 45 were Engheh, as they usually are in your city. Metcalfe’ knows that, W then, is he not frank enough and fair enough toadmit it, instead of indulging in such cheap and unwarranted innuendoes as that quoted ? Yours truly, FD. Reville, BRANTFORD, ONT., May 2, 1904. Our correspondent is so obviously right in many particulars that Lire is glod to print his communication, He should remember, however, that the ‘Confidential Guide,” from which he quotes, is a sort of guide-board for the American public, and that the A can public cherishes an idea that the English are not funny, except unconsciously so. This may be a mistaken impression among Ameri- cans, but they judge largely. from tain curious characteristics which mark the Englishman in America, and from the dull- ness of the humorous publications in Eng- land. Hence, it seemed necessary to state that although a piece was English, it was funny. As to the monopoly of the New York stage by English entertainments, our intelligent correspondent doubtless knows eri- cer- the reason, The timidity of the Theatrical Syndicate gives the right of way toa London success over anything America can produce. * . ORE than eighteen hun- dred people in a theatre, with the smoke from a burning scene-loft. pours ing into the avditorizm, and every one ef them out of the building safely and without panic! Such is the record of the recent fire at Proctor’s, in One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street. High credit is due to the managers of the theatre, not only for their personal conduct in the emergency, but for the safety provisions which made such an accomplishment possible. Could there be any better argument for the energetic enforcement of every law bearing on public security in places of amusement? And what parison with the conditions and results at the murderous Iroquois fire in Chicago! a com- . . . IFE has been sued for libel by Messrs, Mare Klaw and Abraham Erlanger of the Theatrical S: They claim that Lire has damaged them a hundred thousand dollars’ worth. Whether Lire has damaged, nage, these worthy gentlemen to that extent will ind ndicate. or could da time be determined by a jury of their superiors, . LIFE, continue to criticise their shows without prejudice. Metcalje, on Mase \ Ay mo vg i 2) Cpuade lo the Theatres Academy of Music.—*Two Little Sailors.” Melodrama, Beta Meanwhi' Last week of “Sweet Kitty Bellairs,” Henrietta Crosman in the title part. Hand- road The Yankee Consul.”* and musical. Casino.—* Piff, Pail, Pouf.”” ight, but amu: Criterion —M = Funny Musical comedy The Dictator." Farcical comedy. Laughable. Daty's.—James K. Hackett in Romantic melodrama. Empire.—Jolia Marlowe in“ Knickerbocker.— A Venetian Romance.” See “The Crown ngomar.”” above. Lyceum.—“The Other Girl,” by Augustus Thomas, Diverting comedy of contemporary life in New Yor Lyric. —" Wang.” Revived Wholesome, musical and funny. New Amsterdam.—Weber and Fields with “all star’ cast, Savey.—Miss Elizabeth Tyree in" Tit for Tat.” Delightfully-acted and clever comedy adapted from the French. Watlack's.—" The County Chairman" continues to elect his candidate every evening. Laughable and well done. comic opzra, comicbooks.com