The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-26
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.
BurIesaue ut the Chesuu,.

something has been said by nearly ali tho rarors
Of this city about certain not altogether commend
aoe features connected with the performances of
the buresque troupe at the Chestnut IL IA to be
hoped, however, that no considerations of severe
propriety will prevent any one from visiting these
entertainments for any young man or woman whose
morals could possibly suffer would have no morals
worth speaking OF to begin with Il is the first re-
qusVe ior tne success Of gded sin that 1t shall be
amusing that 1t shall present attractions Superior to
those held out by decency and godliness When the
Devil begins to be bore we Immediately vote him
to be avery disreputabe character and incontnently
kick him out OF doors. To say that the new bur
lesque entitled Paris, the Judgment, which has
been brought out this week at the Chestnut by the
Elise Holt Troupe, is stupid would not do it Justice
or adequately represent the facts OF the case; it
is solemn, and, with all due regard for
the seriousness OF the subject have no hesitation
A. declaring that a good lively prayer-meetng is a
Wk better entertainment and even far more funny,
looking at the matter merely from iocular point of
View
DR.. Franklin had a recipe by which a restless
w0uld-be slumberer might induce repose. This was
TO imagine mock Of sheep jumping one after the
other over gate, and to count them as they went
over. Amore certain method than this for producing
somnoence would be to try and keep the run of the
puns and jokes in this buresque in an effort to under
stand them, and see where the laugh came in. This
Is not altogether such a bad idea, as the sleeper
might wake up at the fall of the curtain and imagine
that he had been well entertained, and he certainly
could not persuade himself into any such belief if he
kept his eyes and ears open.
We have seldom seen amore appTeciative audience
in any place Of amusement than there was at the
Chestnut last evening Row after row they sat and
faced the performers determined to see the thing
through at all hazards. On the stage the facie legs
Wriggled, and blondes grimaced with q certain
soemnity Of demeanOr, II they fully appreciated
the ponderOus character of the work they had in
hand Some OF the hymns-ahem! we mean the classic
songs-such as "Captain JinRs" and unpublished
Feminine" awoke responsive echoes of applause
from the back benches, but for the part serene
silence reigned in the auditorium. The golden
haired Britons called in vain upon our national
heroes from Washington to Grant, but not even one
patriotic youth in the gallery was to be found
!, to do them honor in such a connection. A
complimentary notice OF Butler and his
spoons failed to excite any sympathetic response
and mention OF Andy johnson even was answered
by nothing more than sardonic snicker The per-
formance was not even agreeably nasty; there was
not quite much undress the part Of the female
performers noticeable last week; it was not
navored with such gems OF song as ''Rocking
Rams" "Cheekty Little Cove" and others OF
similar character and the diotic dreariness OF the
whole affair appeared to affect the actors as much as
1t did the audience.
1t is possible to have too much even of
good thing and the signs OF the times seems to ind
cate that classic burlesques and yelow-ha Eng
llsh blondes have had their day. 1t is to be hoped
that the next freak OF public taste will be for some
thing OF little higher grade. or such performances
h as Paris; or, The Judgment, we have certainly had
qudntum SuG