The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-02-12
Brick Pomcroy's Description OF the
Black Crook,

description of the celebrated Black
Crook performance in New York:
Niblo's is the theatre, not to fame
unknown, located in this somewhat
sizeable city.
At present the Black Crook pre-
walls there; has had "big rum" in
theatrical parlance, and will probably
keep the boards for several days and
nights longer, if not more. Among
seasons dramatic it will be remem-
bered as "bully" run.
Everybody goes to see the Black
Crook, because not to have seen it is
to be prudish, old fogyish, behind
the times-that is why I concluded to
behold the b. G. in all its glory, and
regardless of expense.
Entered the vestibule of the the
atre about dusk one evening, and
drew nigh unto the coop in which
the man who selleth choice seats sit
teth. While hunting for suf1icien-
cy of filthy lucre in the right hand
pocket Of my "weskit," o fat police
man standing beside the apartment
aforesaid, probably to watch over the
Black Crook, remarked: "Do you
want q reserved seat?' Looking at
him Indignantly, then remembering
the courtesy naturally belonging to
the residents of the West, urbanely
calculated Yes" The fellow in tho
bin handed forth a ticket with cou-
pom attached, and raked in Lincoln S
substitute for money.
An hour and half afterward was
shown to q pew, close up to and form
list the stage, from which point good
view could be obtained Of the entire
Black Crook
People came piline in; they filled
up the parquette, the parquette circle,
the orchestra chairs, the dress and
family circles, camp stools and stair
ways, and stood around promiscuous
like.
By aud by Harvey Dodvorth came
with lot Of bald-headed horn blow
ers and thin-visaged iddlers. He
sat in q high chair and shook stick
at his musicers, and they blew brass
and sawed catgut tremendous. After
they had played until black in the
face bell rang once and they "shut
pan, then it jingled again and the
curtain rolled up to the roof.
Looked for the "Black Crook, "
didn't see ia fellow in brown
clothes stood under the windows of
a story and half shanty, clapped
his hands three times, fat girl came
down and talked love and other
things to him until an old girl
(fatty's foster mother) came out of
the shanty and sent fatty in, while
she explained to the young brown
clad chap, who, by the way, was a
poor artist, that he had better s'git, :"
as fatty was betrothed to Count
possessed Of much postal and many
1905.
Young man rushes off despairingly,
and about seventy girls, with ex-
ceedingly we'll developed legs pro-
truding from very short skirts, pour
ed on the stage and took positions,
while eight or ten of the same sort
proceeded to dance. Looked over
the ballet corps, (Which is the French
for girls who dance muchly in few
clothes, } for the Black Crook None
of them ''filled the bill, although all
filled their fesh-colored tights to the
fraction of pennyweight. Talk
about dancing-but how those a No.
damsels did let themselves out. They
would spin around the stage on the
tips of their toes, each holding one
of their limbs parallel with their
heads, squirm, wiggle, writhe, twist,
bend and do heaps of gymnastics,
and the more agility" they showed,
the better the audience seemed to
like it.
After this thing had gone on q
while, the Coun5, with his bold
gamboliers, came for a glimpse of his
sweetness" that was to be. The
presumptuous brown cuss trotted
fatty out, and began "sassing" the
Count, who looked as if he would
like to chaw brownie up. Some of
the Counts fellows took brownie in
charge, and foster-mother explains
that he is crazy, and has an extraor-
binary idea that every girl has pro-
missed to marry him. The Count
pretends to believe her palaver, tells
big fighting men to let brownie go,
but secretly bids two gipsey looking
pirates to follow and seize him, con-
veying him to deepest dungeon be-
meath tie castles moat." Exit
brownie and the gips. Then the
maidens of the short skirts shake
their legs awhile, and scene closes