Life — April 23, 1908 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE IN THE LATE SIXTIES, lusions of Don Quixote to ridicule the extrav- agances of chivalry, Mr. Sothern bring our reasons the insanity of the character i flesh and blood reality, The author’s satin escapes us, but we have the faithful picture of the gentleman, noble in his mistaken ast pathetic because he is a to purposes and gentleman even in his insanity. The char- acter doubtless could be broadened and burlesqued so that it would be laughable, vd of his but at this peri rtistic career it h it would be impossible for Mr. Sothern to do this. The chivalry he personifies so admirably is so fine and so foreign to our own matter-of at by itself it puts the character on a high plane and commands our respect. His ty is so honest and the mental suffer- ing at fancied injustices so genuine that we do not laugh although we know its un- reality —we are sorr 1 for him, Even his lean face and gaunt figure do not seems as the ctness th ia with him make us smile, but rouse our sympathy. We do not share the merriment of the bors who jest with him, but their lack of under- standing rouses our indigna’ In the face of so plishment as Mr. Sothern’s Don Quixote it may seem trivial to hark back to minor faults, but it is only to state that they are noticeable by their absence. have long been offended by and have long resented his peculiarities of cadence and accent. But of late he has appeared to con- quer them more and more. In his Don ne ine an artistic accom- sensitive cars Quixote the minor note either blends so well into the character or has been so completely Capyght 1908 by Lie Putsiaing Co MX. CHARLES FROIMAN, IY LONDON, 1880 effaced that it is not disagreeably, if at all, Mr. Kester’s dramatic version of “Don Quixote” is perhaps as good a one as could be made probably never be popular as a pla ng to the book, but it will And no denying that, as its hero, Mr. Sothern has touched the tistically that he has reach highest point ar- d in his carecr. * * «© REAT thoughts and great ambitions are sometimes found lurking in the most unexpected places. B, Mr. Hammerstein is said to cherish in 1SE> his heart an ideal of grand opera conducted on a high plane at low pri- masses. Just how this is to be accomplished with the fees of operatic stars ces fort climbing almost as fast as the cost of living is difficult to ¢ tari under our prote understand, alth¢ a solution so far concealed under the re- gh the secret may have hat of the Thirty-fourth Street impresario. Certainly it won't be achieved at the Manhattan Opera House if that in- stitution conti esteem as it has in the past two seasons. Any one, however, who saw the great Italian constituency which went enthusias- ues to grow in fashionable tic over the not-at-all-bad performances of n unheralded Italian company at the Academy of Music last week might well have been convinced that there is room for 435 another opera house in New York which w | cater to our great foreign-born popula tion. Their appreciation of the Verdi and Gounod operas was inten The majc ity of the audiences were Nalians, of a sort who are never seen in the high-priced seats at the regular houses and who prob. bly are not regular pat of the top galleries at those in Th also a fair sprinkling of others who liked opera patronize it enjoy it in comf at reasonable expenditure, ‘The opera greater by habit, by immigration and by t increasing resources of our fore its own sake and who would re frequently if they c rtable seats a wing population. eccentric dre it will soon t York a great opera creditably presented at pi the reach of the le to establish in New lar opera FES GxfibENTIAL ) © GUIDE Te Tee THEATRI Academy of Mu Herbert an: Blossom's very musical and clever comic opera. “Mlle. Modiste.” Astor—"P temporary d in Full.” Thoroughly American con na. Interesting, weil written and well staged. Belasco—"The Wa: Mille, Charming love of the Rebellion. Exc Bijou—" The Wolf, “Paid in Full.” Notice later. sino—"* Nearly a Her s of Virginia.” by Mr. De ty of war times at the ch the author ¢ with Mr. Sam Ner as the comedian. Diverting musi Casino type. halle adaptation from the nd the Boys," with Mr. William American farcical c¢ “The Luck of MacGregor.” Hackett—Mr. Augustus Thom headed by Mr. John Mason and Mr. Russ Why Herald Square—""The Girl Behind the Couns Laughable and m k new circus features arlted The Battle of Port Arthur s ballet, “The Four Seasons.” The Honor of the Family." Very light Nape era with Mr. Otis star. Amusing, In Square—"Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall.” Madison S re Garden—The original Buffalo Bil Wik! West St Stuyvesant—Concluding performances of Mr. Da vid Warfield in “The Music Master" and "A Grand Army Man.” Both artistic in acting and presentation Weber's Music Hall—Mr. Weber and his company in burlesque of “The Merry W: 7 West End—Dramatic attractions with weekly change of comicbooks.com