The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-30
ar US EN- ENTs.
varicay Theatres In New v ork-w What IL done
In Them. md What Onsht TO be Done.

In the city Of New York at least sixteen
play houses In which the English language Ia |
used are new regularly receiving public patron |
age. Two more, namely, the Lyceum and the |
Park theatres, arc temporarily closed. In six Of |
the sixteen now open complete plays, each one |
OF which is long enough to occupy the ordinary |
time OF evenings theatrical entertainment. |
are represented In one negro minstrels disport !
themselves after their peculiar fashion and In
the remaining nine what called variety per-
formances take place. Any ordinarily intelli-
gent person who should visit these nine variety
shows on nine consecutive evenings would be-
lieve that the use OF the word variety was In
tended as a huge Joke. Nothing seen upon tho
stages Of these houses respectively would ap-
pear half subtly satircal. more dreary
round Of tircsome repetitions would be difficult
10 invent. " Dclineators" Of negro character
whose most important and useful quallnc alton
IL the length Of their sprawling, rust-colored
shoes who all walk alike sing alike, dance
alike, tumble down alike; whose singing has no
artistic and rarely any melodious quality; whose
efforts NJ grOtcsuuc sltntiOn often result at best
i'm ludcrous contnrtions; whose Jokes are, for
the most part too silly to reasonably excite the
laughter Of children. seem to be considered
necessary as a part OF the combination.
have appeared In great numbers since clever
mimic and Wit attracted much attention by his
clever caricatures Of the German boor, exhibit
their roarsencss and Vulgarity In bad limitations
Of their model, presenting. 1t Is true, a reason
| main doing work that has no redcemng quality.
| The banjo player would be really agreeable when
| he plays well. II he would refrain from all at
tcnipts to be comica and would not consider
| the exaggerated rust-colorcd shoe the funniest
thing about him. though. for the most part, he
Is right In this belief. Ballads and stupidity silly
| songs are introduced at intervals 10y singers Tor
| the most part utterly unframed. many of whose
| voices have no attractive quality. Acts and
sketches, some OF which manifest real comic
| talent, generally speaking very coarse
| grained, and are acted In a very rough manner
| Kicking and culhng, knocking down and drag
| ging out exhibitions 81 the crnuest Nina nI
| practical jokes, which II played on the stage
| would he simply brutal, with other like things,
| go to make up these portions of the entertain
ment Gymnasts aud acrobats with occasion
| ally some dexterOus doer Of strange feats, are
in general really the most meritorious per
| amount of real skill displayed.
As for anything that can properly be called art,
It Is very rarely seen at any of these houses, with
few exceptions. Let 1t here he said to their
credit that the managers OF two or three OF these
| efforts to elevate the character Of performances
Of this kind both as to artistic merits and free
| dom from indelicacy. But some Of them appar-
emily care as little for art as they do for public
catering to- The lowest tastes as NAV be inferred
| from their advertisements and are only re-
| strained within such limits as they observe by
fear of the police.
entertainment In this city T. not to the credit Of
IT, Inhabitants. 1t Is even less 10 the credit OF
considered rs kinds II elementary schools Of
dramatic art. II, as has been well said good
Ice liNcnCd t. a group Of statuary. these variety
performances should In a similar way he COM
pared with a procession in high relief. Let there
Ice as much variety ~ is desirable. but let every
part Of such variety have some artistic merits,
The more the better IL il fact which any man
ager may demonstrate for himself that In the
course of such a performance the portions which
most nearly approach true ant are those which
even the galleries most applaud.
| by improving the quality of these entertain
mcnts. these gentlemen would greatly increase
the number Of their patrons. Many people Of
refinement and cultivation Of both sexes would
then pass AN evening agrceahlN al their theatres,
especially when. as now. dramas are running at
the urst-,la-s houses. In some cities of Europe,
| ~ at Madrid. Tor instance. good art may I've seen
at the variety theatres. Hut they are conducted
on a plan entirely different from that pursued
here. -Four performances each Of nearly All
| hour IA length. are given every evening. The
visitor buys tIcNct to uac or all of thcin as he
may desire. They consist, for example, of a
vaudeville u comedy. ballet and a farce. All
is well done, and presents an agreeable variety
Dy raising the standard Of the work, managers
of these theatres would widen the field from
which to obtain suitable pieces for representa-
tion. At present the want Of invention on the
part Of both managers aud actors, a. general
rule, Is notable.
\, has been said. few have done much lately
to elevate the general character Of this class oI
amusements and they have found their pecunt
AIRY profit in so doing. Let them continue thcil
good work. and let Others follow their exam
plies.