Life — April 19, 1906 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

Looking Towards Summer is not able to foretell at present writing just what will be the fate of the bill now before the New York Legislature which, if made law, will compel managers of theatres to admit any citizen who is presentable and pays his way. he time this reaches the eyes of Lurr’s readers the bill will probably have been passed or defeated. gressman who is prominent in New York local politics and who is also part owner of a variety hall known as the Dewey Theatre. ‘The result will show whether the legislature of a great State is more influenced by concern for the public wel- fare than by the private business interests of a local politician and Tammany leader. It will be a fine display of to just what extent Congressman Tim Sullivan controls the Senate and the Assembly of the State of New York. * os HE SOCIAL WHIRL,” the new musical piece which has been put on at the Caisno for an all-summer’s run, certainly has a plot. Most of these pieces are so deficient in this particular that we have become reconciled to the omission. This is not a very praise- worthy plot, because it is extremely difficult to tell just what it is about and what it has to do with a lot of other things that happen during the progress of the piece. Just when matters are going along in promising fashion, up jumps the plot, which every one had forgotten existed, The piece begins to ittle swing and dash and immedi- rudes again on the ngs andwe are all at s i Some one has sung a_ nice song or done a clever little dance and we are beginning to get a en in tramps that cussed plot again and once more we 1 down in the dumps. Fortu- future of ocial Whirl” any number of y be taken with the plot up to the point of utter extinction and the piece will be nothing but improved. “The Social Whirl” is typical of the later days of the Casino. It docs not belon ” «The Black Hussar,” “ Nanon,” “ The Wizard of the and the other light opera successes. It is more in the class with “The Belle of New York,” although neither in music nor lines docs it approach the standard of that international success. Its_novel features are a bootblacks? chorus, based on a rather vulgar postal card which had a considerable sale, a catchy song, entitled, “Just the One I'm Looking For,” and a very funny rag-time concoction sung by Maude Raymond. The rest of the piece is highly commonplace with its talkiness strung out little cheerful and buoyed to the point of being wearisome. Its two scenes are laid in a very complete manicure establishment and in an elaborate and effective set representing the exterior and grounds of a country club. The costumes are not up to the standard nec- essary in the day when the show-girls' gowns are supposed to represent the very latest thing in the art of the dress- In the cast are the names of well-known people, such as Messrs. Charles J. Ross, Frederick Bond, Ada Lewis, Adele Ritchie and Mabel Fenton. With good material they could provide excellent entertainment, but, unfortu- nately, they are wasted on the kind of thing that even York's silliest audiences have ‘ tired of. With the addition of some new and bright features, the reduction of that plot to subjection and the cutting out of a lot of tiresome antiquities, “The Social Whirl” may become a summer success Kept as it is, there will be a good many evenings this summer when the electric light bills at the Casino will make a big hole in the total receipts. maker. MR. CHARLES J. ROSS IN “THE soctaL wumee” * 8 8 T’S a pity Ellen Terry's fifticth anniversary is to be cele- brated onlyin London. Over here we haven't the intense loyalty for our players that the English fecl and show, but Ellen Terry gained so much admiration as an artist and made so many friends during her tours through America that a celebration similar to that about to take place in London would meet with generous support. eo #8 recent anniversary has brought his DWIN FORRE Etats beter oe public again and largely with the enconiums It would be interesting to know, if such a thing were possible, in just. what estimation that are bestowed upon dead heroes. Forrest would be held by theatre-goers of the present day. The writer has a distinct recollection of him in the character of Virginius. That was a part so virile and robust that few of our present-day actors would be physically competent to deal with THE CRUMBS—IF ANY