Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-06
LITTLE LOTTA.

LITTLE LOTTA.
Nat. Goodwin has been coming money
hand over fist at the Standard Theatre
for the three weeks in the silliest va
riety hodge-podge ever put on the stage.
Goodwin is the company and the play,
of course, as without him either would
be intolerable. The people have flOcked
to see him and hundreds were turned
away nightly. Tonight ends his en-
gagement because he could not buy off
Lolita, who is billed there for the coming
week. Extravagant inducements were
were offered to the little lady to give up
her week, but she declined them all.
Time has dealt kindly with Lolita, butshe
is rot in robust health, she fears thelos
ofpublic favor, and her ambition has been
sadly chilled. 1t was her opinion that
Mr.. Abbey ought to have given her the
preference over Mary Anderson in the
matter of appearances in England, and
Dame Rumor asserts in theatrical cir
cles that the Crabtrees and Abbey have
fallen out over it. Mrs. Crabtree en-
phasizes her declarations about Abbey's
short-sightedness by pointing to Miss
Anderson'sill success here and its result
ingpecuniary embarrassment. Meantime
a host of imitators OF various degrees
of capability are vexing Lotta's soul,
and, what is worse, diverting the public
money. Hence it is that she set so high
a value on her New York engagement
and resisted Nat. Goodwin's temptation.
Wallack's long lane Of failures has
turned at last into the high road of sue
cess with Hoodman Blind" as pre-
dicted would be the case last week. 1t
is a story whose principal scenes are
laid in the lowest slums Of London, and
it requires an immense cast Of thirty
two speaking characters. When one
remembers that Wallack's is patronized
exclusively by New York's most fash
ionable and exclusive people it seems
strange that such play, even although
it represents the triumph of virtue over
vice and inculcates high morality, should
be so great a success. tbs Of the fash
ion that the Bowery delights in.
NINETEENTH-C CENTURY CLUB.
The Nineteenth Century Club, com
posed of deep souls yearning for the
higher and better things Of this life, and
with argumentatiye and literary lean
ings, will discuss Wagner and his
school of music at their next meeting.
The Rev. Professor Haweis, the cele-
brated English writer on music, will
make the statement of the case for the
Wagnerites, and Colonel Mapleson will
speak against it and in favor of Italian
opera. Wagner's music is to Italian
music what the blare of the brass band
is to the tinkle of the guitar. Wagner
is the fashion now, and the Italians are
in very bad case. This is largely due
to Colonel Mapleson's lack Of enter
prise, or perhaps Of money. He
opened the season with some Indifferent
singers and threadbare repertory, en-
tirely unworthy OF the liberal support
he has hitherto received. He promised
prolusely to produce new works, but
he has gone fatuously on with the
things that used to enrapture our grand
fathers until now he plays to half.empty
houses and is driving the Academy-of-
Music directors to the bouncing point.
Meantime the progressive Germans at
the Metropolitan Opera-House are pro-
ducing opera afteropera with a gorgeous
ness Of scene and magnifcence of de-
tail such as New York never knew
before. Wagner's music, to my ear,
is about as interesting as recita-
tive, but his works require bar
baric pomp, splendid professional ef-
fects, vast stage distances, and masses
of color. They appeal to the eye of
the average man, and only to the pro-
foundly harmonious heart is the bang
crash Of the master of the North the
true music of the future. Therefore,
the meeting Of these two champions Of
the old and new in music is looked for
ward to with great interest. Mr.. Ha-
weis is expected to tell the Wagnerites
why they like that style, and Mr.. Ma
pleson-than whom no one is more
competent to discuss twill plead for
a renewal lease of favor for the Italians.
A BOOMERANG.
The political topics Of the week have
been the doings of the Gibbs investi-
eating committee and Mayor Grace's
libel suit against the World. Gibbs
came with power from the Legislature
to smoke out the Democrats who hold
Office in New York. Smarting with
defeat in the recent election, be has
left no stone unturned to find corrup-
ton. He has found it, but unexpect-
edly to him it proved to be Republican,
and now he poses as great reformer.
GRACE's SUIT.
The telegraph has probably told you
about Mayor Grace's suit for libel
against the World. He wants $4,000
dam Ca ~1.kx-.~l