Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14
This Weeks Attractions.

THE appearance of MISS Lydia Thomson
and her celebrated burlesque company at the
Bijou next week recalls a previous visit and
some of the roles in which she made her most
notable successes. There is a vast deal of diff
ference between the English burlesque of to-
day and that of a few years ago, and the differ.
ence extends in every direction. The bur-
lesques themselves that is to say, the librettos,
bear but little resemblance to their predeces
sors and the fashion in which they are staged
and costumed constitutes almost new de.
parture. There are more differences to be OBJ
served In the matter of burlesque costumes
tnan in anything else. They are richer and
more expensive than they used to be, while, at
the same time, there is considerably less of
them, that is, a great deal less material is em-
ployed in the making OF them. In the older
burlesques the costumer was won't to use Yards
and yards of stuff in draping his figures where
somewhat different effects are now secured
simply by the employment of scarfs and like
devices. The changes that have been made in
the costumes of burlesques, taken in connec-
tion with the changes which have been made in
the burlesques themselves; have resulted in
what is practically a new form of
entertainment Burlesque writer's of the pres
ent day 20 in for very much broader and bigger
effects They do not elaborate small points as
once they did: ne fashion for puns has gone
out altogether. Old burlesques used to be
stuffed with plays on words: line after line was
written for the obvious purpose of working up
what was then accepted as witticism. But
the day for such work is past The first half of
the week there will be produced Stephens and
Solomon's satirical burlesque "Penelopen It
is the old Grecian story of Penelope and
Ulysses, and is SAID to make one of the best
librettos ever written. The music by Edward
SolomoRis said to be sprighsly, catchy and
original. The last half of the week will be de-.
voted to the production of the new his
torical burlesque' Columbus" :" by George Dance
and A. d. Gordon. 1t treats of the trials of
Christopher Columbus in his efforts to get. an
outfit with which to discover the Western
world the visit of Ferdinand and Isabella. the
sailing on the Santa Maria, the mutiny on
shipboard and imprisonment of Columbus the
landing of Columbus on the Island of San Sal
vador, and the discovery of America, The
story is concisely told, and the events have a
historical flavor, which is known to every
schoolboy who has studied his history. Both
burlesques will be produced with the most
gorgeous mounting as to scenery and costumes
ever seen in Pists6urg, and the company uum-
ber some of the best known artists on the
English burlesque stage.
THE whole of next week at the Grand Opera
House is devoted to the performance of the
thrilling militarydrama, "rhe Fall of Atlanta. u
for the benefit OF the relief fund of Abe Pat.
terson Post IS, g. A. r. No worthier purpose
than benshting the men who served their
country so well could be conceived of, and on
this ground it is the duty of every one who can
to visit the Opera House this week. But aside
from the charitable side of the case the "Fal]
and romantic interest. In it will appear Mr.
g. NJ. Council, the renowned Irish comedian
in his unparalleled creation of Barney DoLdn
the spy, supported by the best local talent
among which are: Leon j. Long, Ethiopian
comedian, as Ponlpey; David Jones, as Mdjo1