Punch (86.1884)

Mat 24, 1884,]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

241

LETTERS TO SOME PEOPLE

About Other People’s Business.

Mt hear Mr. Morton,

You are so engaged with the Leicester Square Empire, on
which the Sun never sets (which is a lucky thing for the Empire),

that you have not been
able to traverse the nar-
row space that separates
you from Holland ; I
should say, Mr. William
Holland, long since
known as the People’s
Caterer, and now the
supervisor of the Alham-
bra Show. Well,—if you
had been able to look in
there with me, you would
have been delighted with
the subdued and peculiar
tone of the decoration (for
you must be glad of some
rest for your eye away
from the gorgeous glitter
of your own bright parti-
cular place), you would
have been pleased to see
an audience which seemed
to fill every part of the
house, except a portion of
the Gallery, and, above
all, you would have been
immensely pleased with
The Beggar Student, which is about as well acted, as well sung, as
well danced, and as brilliantly put on the Stage as anything of this
sort can be.

What you, with your fine dramatic instinct, your knowledge of
popular taste, and real love of fun (for ’twas you who brought out
Genevieve with its inimitable Gendarmes, and its charming Offen-
bachian music, wasn’t it ? at the Philharmonic, eh ?) would especially
applaud and be enthu-
siastic about, is the acting
of The Beggar Student at
the Alhambra. The Opera
has a good, easily-followed
plot (a trifle like the Lady
of Lyons—but so much
the better), and clever
Miss Fanny Leslie, in-
valuable for such an enter-
tainment, is the hero, and
the heroine is that pretty
and sweet songster, Miss
Marion Hood. Mr. Fred
Leslie is highly divert-
ing as General Ollendorf,
a sort of first cousin to
General Bourn of La
Grande Duchesse, with
the same way of taking
snuff that runs in the
Bourn family; while for
dash and go you would be
really pleased with Miss
Marie Williams, who
gives her lines with great
distinctness, — a praise-
worthy quality at these big places, where the talk goes for less
than it does at most other Theatres.

Fond of Opera as you are, you would, perhaps, after reading in the
programme that you were to be treated to the “ Celebrated Rosa
Troupe” in the Second Act, be at first disappointed at not seeing
The Canterbury Pilgrims, Colombo, Faust and Marguerite, con-
ducted by Mr. Carl Rosa,—for surely this is the Rosa Troupe par
excellence,—enter in procession, but your eyes would soon be sparkling
with delight, your feet would be moving in sympathetic action with
the first-rate ballet-music, composed by our friend Mons. Jacobi,
and played as only Mons. Jacobi’s Orchestra can play it, as you
recognise the graceful, sprightly “Little Rosa,” with her merry
companions, Anna, Kattie, and a Master Abrahams, who, I shrewdly
guess, from his name, must be of Hebraic extraction, though you
would not find it out from his make-up, for he is disguised as a
Lady of uncertain age, and the lot of ’em are as startling and
amusing as they possibly can be, without vulgarity. Then, you
would be in ecstasies about Miles. Pertoldi and Palladino, and, in

fact, you would have so thoroughly eDjoyed yourself, that I should
have had great difficulty in getting you to return to your duties at
the Empire. You would be pleased to notice, too, how cleverly Mr.
Leslie indicates his capability of imitating the squeaks of mechani-
cal dolls, and the twang of a guitar. “It needs no Frenchman,”
you would exclaim, “to do this sort of thing;” and particularly
when it can be worked into the piece naturally, and become part of
the eccentric business of
the character, just as Mr.

E. D. Ward’s accompany-
ing his songs on his own
fingers was one of the great
attractions in Gvffin's
Elopement, when Mr.

Toole couldn’t catch the
Speaker’s eye.

It’s a “ good book ” this
of Mr. B eatty-Kin g s -
ton’s, and I hope he ’ll
make as good a one on the
Derby, or leave it alone.

The grand Military Bal-
let-music, which I suppose
was written by Mons.

Jacobi, is an admirable
finish to an entertainment
which you would especi-
ally like, because there is
a clear, well-told story,
illustrated with sparkling
melody and continuous
action, which is never once
interrupted for the intro-
duction of any element
foreign to the nature of
the piece, and conse-
quently, as you would emphatically say, it never flags—except
when they wave them in the Military Ballet—and is never dull.

Doing first-rate at the Empire, eh P Got a new dancer, I hear ?
Qf course, whatever class of visitors may come, Directors cannot
complain of wanting More-ton.

Toujours a vous, as M. Jacobi wouldn't say, as he pretends not to
understand French. Yibbs

CALLS TO THE BAR.

The Bar Convivial is said to be quite as overcrowded a profession
as the Bar Legal. But one would hardly think so after reading the
following advertisement from the Daily Telegraph :—

BARMAIDS (two, young, active, about 48) WANTED immediately,

for-, Edinburgh. Hours 10'30 a.m. until 1T15 p.m. Board and

lodging out. Photo and references, &e.

Possibly in Scotland, where so much “whuskey” is consumed,
they require barmaids of gravity and experience. But if this
advertiser considers a Hebe of “ about 48 ” to be young, we imagine ;
he would account one of eighty to be middle-aged. It is marvellous,
too, to think that women verging on half a century could officiate in
a public bar for well nigh thirteen hours daily. But they are a
wiry lot in Scotland, and doubtless innumerable Baristresses will
apply for the appointment.

BUSKIN v. RUSKIN.

The London Correspondent of the Sussex Daily Neivs seems to
have mixed matters up and puzzled himself. He is angry with j
Mr. Wilson Barrett, and says—

“ But why does he call his eulogist ‘ John Buskin ’ ? This is the way j
the name is printed in the Telegraph to-day. One might say at once that j
the mistake was a printer’s error, but for the fact that buskin is a theatrical
term. Perhaps Mr. Buskin’s enthusiasm for Claudian may be a little
cooled by this abuse of his illustrious name.”

This Gentleman evidently does not read his newspapers carefully,
or he would have seen that John Buskin’s opinion was on Paw
Clawdian, and quoted from the Mall Pall Gazette, while John
Ruskin’s opinion was on Claudian, and appeared in the Pall Mall
Gazette. Surely both these Gentlemen have a right to their opinions,
and should even John Tuskin wish to say anything on the question,
we fail to see that anybody has a right to complain.

Appropriate.— Cornhill, with its network of overhead wires, is
now called Birdcage Walk.

The Bill of the Alhambra.

The Beggar Student engaged with Ollendorf.

Keeping ’em Pianissimo • or, Three-fingered
Jack Obi.

Yon. 86.

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