Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-09-30
DOWN IN MEXICO.
intellectual Rmussments, Such as
EuII Fights, Very Popular.
Ire Many Uses Of the Theatre-LadjeS'
Opera Toilets Between the Acts
Interesting Facts About
Southern Life.

MENfCo, September l5.-The theatre
in Mexico is an important factor in so
cial life. There friends meet, political
intrigues are planned, gossip is ex-
changed, and eourtship is carried On at
a long range. The theatre buildings
are spacious and well arranged, but
dingy and dirty. One regularity isthat
hey all close on Monday, while two
performances are given on Sunday.
The prices of admission are rather lower
than in New York. The general price
of admission to the opera IS q Mexican
dollar, equal to eighty. five cents of our
money, and admission to the upper gal
leries costs this amount. Double and
even triple rows of boxes run around
the auditorium, furnishing accommoda-
tons for families, NOT emitting the cry
baby, who is an Indispensable adjunct
TO the
Opera in Mexico,
The fashionable residents of the city
of Mexico are fond of operate music,
and support a fair troupe Of French
singers, who give the standard operas
fairy well. OF these artists NJ. Delrat Is
perhaps the leading favOrite. Like all
French b%aritones, he copies Faure, and
at times reminds one of that great sim
ger. Delrst's William Tell is a robust
and graceful performance, often too
noisy, but upon the whole pleasing.
The alleged tenor Of the troupe has a
~s,upularly harsh and unmusical voice,
Int produces some striking effects, and
ia plainly q favOrite. The troupe is weak
in I, male voices, and the orchestra and
chorus are Door. All through Mexico
the music one hears, both vocal and in
trumental, is inferior. The organ play
ing i'm the churches and the band music
on the plazas is poor and cheap. The
cathedral choirs are also interior,
though there is q boy chOrister i'll the
cathedral in the city of Mexico who
has a voice like a cherub.
There is
Little Dressing
| for the opera. The ladies wear bonnetS
in defiance of the church which has
waged a losing fight against this Paris
ian iniQuity. The gentlemen, for the
most part, wear silk hats, and keep
them on until the curtain rises. Every
| body smokes, of course, and there Is
chatter of conversation that would not
be tolerated among AnglO.SaXOns, who
are earnest even I'm their sports. Most
of the audience is in European costume,
but here and there may be seen q
spreading sombrerO and a short jacket,
beneath which peeps forth the national
pistol.
The ladies do not strike a visitor from
| the United States as beautiful, though
| they have lovely eyes and fine hair.
They are very graceful, modest. aud
| pleasing in manner, and have delight
fully soft and musical voices. They
powder to q ridiculous excess, but paint
| very little. They dress mostly in black,
and few snowy toilets are to be seen.
The men wear wear frock coats, as a
rule, and no gloves. Full boards are in
fashion, and are much affected by mid
dle.aped men of the world. A feature
of ali Mexican audiences is the presence
of small children, generally well be"
p. -ed, but sometimes vociferous. AeXi-
co is not without the small boy, who
fingers about the entrance OF the thea
tire with hungry eyes, and oegs for
YOUR check if you leave before the
close.
Between the acts nearly all the
Men 60 Out
into the Hobbies to smoke and talk, or
visit their friends in the boxes. The la
dies, left alone for the moment, gossip
busiiy among themselves. The inter
missions are long, especially after the
tirst and second acts, so that patrons OF
the theatre can take a stroll, enjoy a
luncheon at the buffet or q neighooring
cafe, or pay q call. Three minutes be-
fore the curtain rises some n rings 3
huge dinner bell land the ushers shout
through the lObbles that the perform
ance is about to go on, whereupon the
strollers throw away their cigarettes
and resume their seats with q llstless
air.
The two leading theatres are the
Principal and the National. The per-
formances in both ofthose are supposed
TO be first class. There are, besides, q
number of variety theatres, the best OF
which is the Arbeu, where 8 good bur-
lesuues can generally be The act
ing at the Arbeu is very fair much
better than the singing. One actor in
particular is exceedingly graceful and
mirth. provoking. His style reminds
one ofN. c Goodwin, especially 10 his
easy and expressive gesticulatiOn. BE
ia a roaring favorite, and cannot open
his month or twist his wrists without