Evening star., 1893-07-27
SHOWS IN GOTHAM.
Sacred Concerts With High Kicking and
Songs That Are Wicked.
Sabbath Day Entertainments as the Roof
Ga rdens-French Dancers From the
Cafes-Nove1ties From Psria.
ence os The Evening star.

Special Correspondence o. The Evening star.
New York. July q. 1888
Sunday shows in New York are threaten
ed by the police. Should they be closed,
the metropolis will take a step backward
In certain peculiar sort of artistic culture.
For these entertainments, which are dis
tinctively Partisan in type, were unknown
here until within the last five years. Up
to that time the only Ssbbath-day exhibi-
ton at all approaching the theatrical in
this town was the sacred concert OF the
familiar and highly respectable kind.
The Sunday stage performances now In
vogue still retain the name Of sacred con-
certs, and are advertised as such. But
they embrace certain attractive elements
which were not comprised in the old-style
programs. 1t used not to be considered
that high kicking and the singing OF i'm
proper songs from the boulevards were
legitimate features Of such entertainments
on the Lords day. At present. however.
they are regarded as essential, and women
of more than dubious character are i'm
ported in troops from the cafes concerts Of
Paris TO astonish Sabbath-day audiences In
New York with freshly invented antics
There are six places in New York where
such exhibitions draw large audiences
root gardens. These u resorts sorts for for s1eq sumner
entertainment are simply concert halls In
new guiss Drinking and smoking are
paradoxical situation of affairs. Whereas
no stimulating beverages are allowed to be
Bowery or elsewhere, which are closed by
the law on the sabbath. fntoxicants are
certs at the roof gardens on the frst day of
the week.
Thus, while all the decent theaters are
ument- six shows are permitted to run at
full blast every Sunday. with high kicking,
and liquor aa liSisnmzSfl al s unaeT sSe eSar. sSa
table title OF sacred concerts.
Parisian Styles.
With the growth Of a popular taste for
the Partisan style OF entertainment in New
York has come increasing tendency TO
render such exhibitions more French" in
character. They have steadily yersed
nearer and nearer on the indecent 20 the
great apparent satisfaction of audiences
TO the songs sung in French would be hor-
| rtfed II they Were able to understand them
be promptly ferbdden Rsse bR tse sneg wSs,d
ngt tne police are happily unacouainted
With the language Of Johnny Crapeaud.
phasis TO a singer named Fougere who Gre
ated a considerable sensation last summer
| at the Casino ana the Imperial
IL is rather odd TO consider the fact that
! whereas IN gay Paris the cafes concerts
are are rarely visited by ladies on account OF
| OF the best fashion and repute flock TO tie
| roof gardens in New York 70 see en,ertsin-
the same objectionabie and and - sussestiye msn se
| songs. Thus In response TO the popular
| demand French women whose dresses
| begin low and end high" are being i'm
| ported for the Sunday and week day con-
certs IN greater numbers this year than
The roof gardens offer exactly the same
! programs on Sundays that they give on
/ week days. The only difference is that
! they advertise the Sabbath performances
| as sacred concerts" Some OF the shows
described are continuous variety, one fea-
| ture rapidly succeeding another but at the
| Madison Square Garden and Casino a piece
| OF music rs performed by the orchestra be-
| tween each two acts" This latter plan
reduces the cost OF the entertainment con-
exhibitions referred to that. while they at
| tract a superior class of people. the expense
or producing them is much less than that
J incurred by the management of any va
profit on the sale of beer and other bever-
| ages being an additional advantage.
| As has been said Sunday shows were un-
| known In New York FIVE years ago. Their
| introduction constitutes a revolution. Per-
chance IL is not the Sabbatarian ''cranks"
novelty in its present form as a misfortune.
| Now that II has gained so secure foot
hold the police are likely TO find trouble in
| suppressing IT. Probably the best they can
accomplish viii be TO modify some of the
| more objectionable features OF the perform
ances. New York is decidedly a more wick
| ed city today than decade age. Notwith-
| standing the efforts of Mr.. Anthony Com
| stock and other reformers, vice has grown
! boider and makes itself more conspicuous.
necessarily accompanies the increasing
| density Of population. Incidental TO which
| are the growing poverty OF the poor and the
growing luxury of the rich.