Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-29

Tho local theatrical field has not been
extraordinarily well occupied during the
week just past, There have been things 10
20 to ana some rather good things, but the
average was not high For this condition
Of affairs nothing was so largely responsible
as evorybGdys old friend, The Black
Crook" which appeared at the Creighton
on Sunday night and disappeared In the
direction OF Kansas City midway Of the
week Time was, as older theater-Eoors can
well remember. when this. the first Of a long
line Of spectacular productions. was so we'll
dono that tho memory Of It's excellence has
fingered swcetly through generation At
that period however, public taste, however
dcsirous, lacked the necessary hardihooi to
sanction such representations openly, and
the evil reputation which attached to THE
Black Crook" in these early days
has never quite departed from
#. That generation went, as 1t
were furtivcly to see the novel exhibition
Of legs and ncshngs. The present genera
tion is quite open about 1t. having become
accustomed and hardened to worse things
than pink tights; but the SAVIOR Of wicked
ness stll hoycrs family over the old spec
tacle, and there be many who know 1t from
their straight-laccd forebears as a thing to
be summed and who know nothing Of any
other OF the score of similar displays which
are now offered to the public.
Doubtless the name of the piece under
these circumstances has still a kind Of tails
manic charm to attract. It is difficult to oN-
plain on any other hypothesis the very con-
siderable business which THE Black Crook"
did here last week. 1t opened Sunday TO the
capacity OF the theater having played
through the week before at the Tabor
Grand in Denver with excellent financial
success. 1t was noticed, in 4 way, generally
favorable by the papers here on what
grounds 1t is difficult to say, unless 1t was
from a desire to shield local managers from
the consequences of their wrong doing. That
sort OF thing shows a tendency which The
Bee has been particularly anxious to avoid
In its cndeavors to make its comments on
theatrical dongs respected among its read
ers. That THE Black Crook received com
mendation in these columns is occasion for
regret. which is not likely to be experienced
again from the same cause. AS matter Of
fact the "show" had as little as possible
TO recommend II to patronage. The scenery
was limited in quantity and variety, old
and worn in quality; the women, ditto on
both counts; and the specially performers
with the exception OF one or two paSsablo
people. so bad that the air Of the theatcr
was nOticcably tainted. The usual carefully
blended sOubrettc sang an unusually nasty
sons which had neither the point nor the
dclicacy of some other nasty songs to make
it endurable, and the inevitable grotesque
comedian performed his antics in a man
ncr which would have been lit
tie, but not much improved by
less complete confidence, on the
part of the performer, in his prowess as
an entertainer. The BLACK Crook engage
ment kept the Creighton people in all kinds
of hot water, by reason Of trouble between
members OF the company and its managers,
resulting in legal complications which
stretched Mr. Burgess on a bed of sickness
and turned the hair of MIR. Paxton prema-
turely gray. 1t is to be hoped such n dis
aster may not occur again, for, seriously
speaking, The Black Crook" as ii was
presented hero last week, is out of place
in any irst-rate thcater
A much more enjoyable spectacle was
"The Twelve Temptations" which occupied
Boyd's thcater at Thanksgiving time. and
which will return to that house tonight for
another performance. And Rob Roy"
which was presented at the Creighton
through the last half of the week afforded
genuine pleasure to public which has not
heard really good light opera worthly rem
dered since the BostOnians were here a year
ago. Rob Roy" suffered somewhat in point
of business from the cnormties of band
of hardy Scots. who ConspiTed to produce Il
drama of the same title at the Creighton a
couple Of weeks ago. Many people. it would
seem, confounded the two and, having seen
or heard of the amateur performance. knew
when they had had enough. The sprighty
opera, the joint work of Messrs. De Koyen
and Smith gives n good deal OF satisfaction
to the thCatcr goer of average attainments,
as well as to the trained musician II is full
OF the clashng OF claymores. the skirling
of the pipes and the implied il not actual
dirling OF sllene-dhus against breast -banes
There is something too much OF a certain
comedian, whose name escapes one at this
writing. but who takes all kind of unwar-
rnntabe liberties with Mr.. Smiths really
excellent book This artist is funny, after
fashion from the waist down. If one
had him. one would try to find some means
of cutting him in two and using the upper
half of him for some other purpose than
to amuse people with. Mr.. Donaldson turns
out TO be n Swede. which satisfactorily ex-
plains his "German" accent II is a pity
he Is not n Scot. for he looks like one and
his name heIps out the theory. He prob
ably had a cold at the opening performance,
but he gave the impression of an exceedingly
good method, with a rather slender voice.
the third act. has great volume and little