The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-12-20

the following:
We are indebted to our valued COL
respondent, Lancaster" for tho follow
ing description of the scenic spectacle Of
the Black Crook" as it appeared to
him on the occasion of recent visit to
witness its representation.
l. Thought it was doing the "squaro"
thing to see Philadelphia. l have for.
saken my crooked ways since left Bos-
ton. Speaking of crooks, I've seen the
Black Crook, aud, with the exception
of the elbow crook, it is the mott popu.
lar crook in New York.
1t is advertised in the New York Her
raid editorial columns, and by minis
ters at the Cooper Institute.
You, in the innocence of your puri.
tauical Boston Heart, suppose the BLACK
Crook to be shepherds crook of that
color; nothing of the sort, it's dark
complexioned sorcerer, with an affiiction
similar to the same blessing enjoyed by
Richard No. III.
The Black Crook is played at Niblo's,
so called because it's kept by Wallack.
Price of reserved seats one dollar and
fifty cents.
All the seats that you can see from,
end several that you can not, are ore.
served" All :he good seats are sold in
advance-prncipalIy to spectators and
hotels, who resell; consequently the
real price to see "the crook" is two dol
lars and upwards. The "bare" mention
of the crook has attracted crowds-it is
principally a legend d-ary drama, although
there is more seen of the ballet troupe
than ever before in any other piece.
The revelations are startling. The
success of the Crook has been detrimen.
tai to other places of amusement. The
Anatomical Museum and model artistes
are losing many of their best customers
\ petition is in preparation among
the medical fraternity to have the name
of Niblo's changed to the New York
Academy of Anatomy.
But to the play.
1t was announced to commence at
halfpast seven P. NJ. The performance
by music from the Orchestra, enlivenod
by frantic rushes of ushers Of different
groups of spectators to different parts of
the house, interspersed with growls from
dissatisfied rustics who couldn't get any
seats below stains.
| had Preserved seat" and so kept
cool amid the excitement. My seat was
the extreme end of the outer edge of
the auditorium and partially occupied
by an iron post-it was also situated qui.
distant between three open doors and
two open windows
l maintained my GOODNESS throughout
the whole Of the exciting performance.
At twenty minutes to eight STAN.
} pede Of outsiders, with campstools, took
place to vacant spaces about the par
quette. A few smashed bonnets and
black eyes caused by the carelessness Of
! the stool holders, added to the liveliness
of the scene. A quarter to eight the
; curtain drew up, and my attention was
} agreeably occupied the next quarter of
an hour, by such occasional glimpses Of
stage as we're not interrupted by the ar
! rival of people who were late.
The first scene revealed village at
the foot of the Hartz Mountains, quite
, a densely populated village judging
; from the number of inhabitants who ap
, peared.
Of course their was peasants dance
b ard various other dances, in which the
, costume of the Hartz mountaineer coulG
; be studied to advantage.
5 Hartz is evidently corruption Of
? Hotz, judging from the style Of appare
of the female Inhabitants, which con
{ sists chiefly Of one pair of thin lace
? drawers and six inches of pink silk shirt
9 The noble young man, who is always
6 in such plays, and dares to love the vir
:; tuous young maiden, is in this one, anC
q is torn from her by the count of that de
6 scrict, and sent by him, in charge of tw'
3 old,style Bowery theatre villains, 10 thu
0 lowest dungeon in the castle moat, il
I heavy tragedy style, Emusic, big fddl
+ = and bossoons,) and the vituous Y. NJ
8 aforesaid led off in triumph by the count
!. Scene next, laboratory of the Blael;
S Crook, melo, dramatic sorcerer, ben
2 nearly double, and with blush purple
3 3 face. comic servant in this scene, o
:. course.
Scene next, the Black Crook in vii,
= mountain pass, where, after consultation
y with fat skeleton he concludes to rails
IS the -. He does raise the Santana
: majesty generally, besides ghosts, wit
l. towels on their heads, pyrotechnic hors'
and rider and short demon, about 2
inches in height. Crook signs his soul
: away, which, unless straightcr than hi
l. body, is hard trade on his sulphurou
e majesty-blue fre-white fre-red fir
i calcium lights-trap doors-violins tire
3 molo kettle drums pianissimo-trumI
n cts fortissimo curtin.
EuH of First 1ct-Snuad drill +