The evening times., 1896-12-29
AS THE CROWDS COME OUT.

served ffom dalnt1ly decked table.
AS THE CROWDS COME OUT.
The old favorites of the BDStonian Opera
| Company reappeared at the New National
last night and gave De Koven and SMITHS
robin Hood its 2,1UOth performance
| The mousse was packed and the enthusiasm
seemed in harmonious proportion to the
size OF the attendance. The encore fientl
was omlnpresent and insistent, and the
amlable artists sang their SONGS three and
| four times over with every grace.
This opera bids fair to rival Une percnnity Y
OF the brook. Now, when 1t counts is days
by the thousand, 1t is more popular than
| when first IL came an operate founding
| into this world of chance, and even he ju-
| diciOus BoStonians had not the confidence
| In it to give 1t proper raiment But now
tits decSed in the glory of one of Sulomun's
| brides, and its days increase as Mcthu-
| selah's. The tunefui songs wnose very SIM
plicity are their chief charm, were reished
| last night uIure than ever. The tinker's,
| armorer's, sheriff's and tailor's songs were
| Justify encored, and the other favorites
| were recognized and applauded from the
| first bar.
The company is, in most OF its principal
| members, familiar to all theateT- goerS. II.
| c. Barnabee, Jessie Bartlett Davis, Eugene
Cowles, Josephine Bartlett, and George
rockingham led the list of ola faVOTIteS.
Mr.. Macdonald was too ill to sing his part
| through He gave Mr. Charles k. Hawley
| chance to make u positive hit as Little
| John
W. +. Philip, who waslast year hea rd here
| with Ills EXcellenCy," made an accepta-
| Bile Robin Hood, and Hilda Clarke played
nd al Anr L..tt I,~,,.
| her predecessors. 4 welcome newcomer
| To the Bustoaian cast is Miss Gracia Qnive,
whose personal attractions and musical ac
complishueiits fit her To hold first place
| in the best company organized. She sang
Annabei last night and attracted favorable
| comment FOR ali she did. Her progress Will
be Wa caed win firm belief IN her destined
eminence.
Inc chorus sang with fidelity, unity and
harmony. Tie augmented orchestra added
to the pleasure OF the production, and the
details OF scenery and costumes were quite
up to precedent. Robin Hood will toe re-
peated daily except Thursday and Friday.
The Gay Parisians'' is the current at
traction at the Lafayette this week. 1t
opened its Washington engagement last
night before IN audience that en. Dyed the
excellent comedy with all the relish of the
crowds which greeted its first week here
so ENTHUSIASTICALLY.
The piece rare fun. 1t is Conceived
i'll a rather broad spirit, which pI obably
gives it largef clientele thanif it had been
formulated ot the circumspcct German
pattern. Thele lis a spiciness about it
that gives it high flavor, and the audi.
encc apparently liked it, for they laugh
most and most heartily, at the points
NEST distinctly Partisan. AT one point
whole family of very pretty girls appearin
their robes de mutt, which witty sally
was considered an admirable conccit.
The company presenting The Gay Pari-
slams maintains a perso mel almost identi-
cal to that of the last seasons engagement.
There is. in fact, but enc iml ortant change,
and fairness compels a confession of
preference for the newcomer, in spite a
partiality of long standing for the former
incumbent of the part. The role i'll cues
tiou is that of the gay wife OF Architect
Iaillard, and the fair Comedennc who now
gives distinction to the part is Sadie Mar
tinot.
W. J. Ferguson cxCclS himself i'll his hn-
morous performance OF poor pinglet He
isaconiinual Joy to the hunter for diversion
Everything he does IL freighted with all
the evidences OF art which best recommend
1t for Commendation, yet his work is all
light, delicate and exquisitay choice, with
al. The balance of the company is good,
and includes among its leaders Mrs +. j.
rows and Willis Shirley.
Bargain matinee will be given tom orrow.
kcllar fnystified hundreds at the Colum-
bia last night with his feats of slight-of-
hand, exposes of alleged mediums an
limitation Of space ami time defiance to the
laws of eravitatiOn, and other equally
puzLling Incidents. while Mrs KelIar put
TO shame all lightning caIculators by her
m1TV(.lnnS M Dinntafiap pf
MI. keilar is unsurpassed in the various
fcatS OF oflegerdeInain. He changes wine into
water and water into wine right beforethe
eyes of his audience; in fact ,pUurs both from
an ordinary china pitcher; superb roses
blossomed instantaneously from sandy soil;
finger rings, hammered out of shape and
loaded into pistol. were fired into a
locked box inclosed in three or four others
also locked and found tied to beautiful
blush roses.
The latest mystery of 4 ellar's is his Fly
to- i'll which a young lady locked in a cage
standing on the stage, is passed in the
rwinklng of an eye into one also locked
which is suspended in midair by chains
handkerchief, personating the ghost of
the famous necrornancer. Cagliostro, per-
forms dance ON the floor. and thus the
audience is kept in u continuous state of
wonder and amazement
Mrs. kellar's engaging personality con-
d ittlt 10 tfe interest OF the
entertainment, which will not fail To crowd
the Columbia all this week.
full house attested the popularity of On
the Mississippi onits temperance at the
Grand Opera House last night. MeIodra-
matte effects abound throughout the play
and are interspersed with laughter -provok-
Ing situations in such profusion as to exert
a most pleasing effect on the audience.
The story related Is that of the expert
ences of young Northern mine owner in
Tennessee with the once-dreaded Ku KIux
clan. A counterplot is discovered in the
intrigue of consumnate adventures to
acquire the young mine owners property
The curtain rises on a scene in the Chat
Mountains, changes to New Orleans
and to the swamp north Of that city, and
shifts back to the Tennessee mountains,
where all ends well for the hero in the
arrest of the Ku KluX leader and the art
full adventures Realistic scenery assisted
The strong cast in unfolding the story.
j. j. Farrell as the Yankee mine owner
was forceful Robert McWade, tr., was a
happy combination OF detective, good fairy
and soap agent. Valerie Bergere as the ad-
was admirable, her delineation
Of the character being free from the slight
est mechanism, while Alfred Beverly was
a quaint old Southern Jailor.
There was mirth and jollity in abundance