The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-12
ADJUSTMENTS.

The Passing Show" filled the Met
Topolitan Theater last night from pit
to dome" in the main al 81 30 a head
ana it was money wasted by the audit
or>,. The piece is presented by a group
of some fifty people on the stage, a half
dozen of whom are clever and who are
supposed TO introduce in "travesty' ex-
tracts from d round of operas and
dramas, with which the public is famil-
lar. These excerpts, harmless in them
selves, were given we'll enough in weak
burlesque. but We're read by men and
women into whose stage business some
one had put idiocy and vulgarity, and
into whose mouths the author has
placed, or the actors have gagged.
few funny expressions, a few thread
Lare jokes and some tired chestnutty
COnundrumS. For the rest he has
secured the Sums for slang, the gam
bling hells for cOarSeneSS and the drink
ing places for filth. There could have
been no one of the auditors who accom-
panied a lady TO see THE Passing
Show who did not before it was half
over say to himself, if he thought at all,
Il would be ashamed to bring my
daughter or sister to see this thing,
knowing now what it is. if | had a
daughter or sister" What was original
in the thing was one-half below the
level of cheap clubhouse wit and the
other half was coarse. The action was
clean only in the dancing of the negro
boys. Some of the songs. the words of
which could not be clearly understood
may in charity be credited to decency
But outside of the singing of the male
quartet, which was good, the lyric and
vulgar, and be in place only on the stage
spoken text was either coarse, full of
the slang of the slang alley or grossly
Of variety dives, or it was silly and not
level with wit. To this exception must
be granted to one song, sung by one
woman, with assistance from a strong
good juvenile voice from the gallery.
The men in action We're clever and
one is a remarkable fellow for cunning
DISCUSSES and make-ups. Henshaw
who led the whole thing, is supposed to
% witty, but not line of his wit arose
above slang and cut phrases of the beer
joint, the poker-room, the saloon or the
Earbary Coast The nudity of the
women was not greater than in the
usual spectacular. and in much comic
opera, but it had not the apology of
beauty, and in the main was raw gross
ness with little grace and less of fine
lines which go so far to remove offense
from such display. Miss Daily is a rat
Ting dancer and high kicker. and good
al both, but her action was coarse.
= ne Passing Show simply puts to-
Sather lot of extracts from operas
and plays upon a string OF weak and
coarse text. SO far from being trav-
cSty. it was not as = whole even good
burlesque. and the hugging and kissing
that SO Gisgustingly pitted the piece had
not the redeeming feature of seeming
To be acting. or of feminine modesty by
81 much as shading. 1t was vulgar
squeezing and handling, and nothing
less. ard IS such must have been Of
fcnSive to every decent woman who was
50 unhappy as to be present. and unwill-
Inc by retiring TO attract attention 1t
would. however. have been better had
taCre beer made such a protest The
whole of these remarks will be with
drawn if any person can recall a single
sentence original with the play that will
pass muster as wit, or another that was
rot either witlesS. coarse or vulgar The
s; age is being pressed very hard indeed
when IL is made the means of drawing
people to hear Verona Jarbeau sing a
bawdy song with her mouth while she
attempts TO hold her clothes on with her
hands.
The new management of Eldridee &
Hallett. in conjunction with the house
management of Mr. Todd. began its
season last night at the Clunie Opera
house with the old stock company-and
Il is a good one--in the clever low corr
edy "Humbug' IT was well-pleyed
and gave entire satisfaction TO the au-
Gience 1t is safe TO say that il will
run the week through to good hopsos
The people We're up in their lines and as
quick TO the command for action as if
they had played the comedy for q
month. there being absence of any
st-nightedness," to coin a term.
The company is TO be commended TO-,
the thorough good work Of last night