The record-union., 1897-01-19

New York Vaudeville Company We
think. is certain to be popular here. 1t
Will deserve success. There will be a
repetition of the entertaining pro-
gramme each evening this week, and 1t
win be given in its entirety at the mat
inee on Saturday next.
The Brownies spectacle and musi-
cal performance drew very large house
at the Metropolitan Theater last night
only very few seats We're vacant. Be-
fore the going up of the curtain Palmer
Cox was greeted by great many people
who were anxious to take by the hand
the man who has contributed so much to
the pleasure of children, and who by the
aid of his Brownies has inculcated so
many good lessons, and has opened up
to the minds of children moral truths
that scarcely any other teaching will
better impart. He believes in reaching
the child to conviction through the
imagination and the fancy. Mr. Cox
must feel a world of satisfaction in
knowing that hundreds of thousands Of
children all through the continent revere
and love him. The spectacle is not alone
for children, nor alone for adults. 1t is
very much like holiday spectacles of the
stage, with which most people are ia
miliar. 1t differs only in the introduc-
ton of the Brownies" those good lit
tie men" there are no women In
Brownie land) whom the Scotch believe
to be the generous helpers and COM
forters of every worthy household; lit
tie fellows who go about between twi
light and sunrise doing good, aiding the
feeble and unfortunate, but never ap-
pearing to human sight Withal they
are merry and mischfevous fellows, but
their mischief is always harmless, and
they play no practical jokes. The
Brownies were individual household
fairy deities among the Scottish folk. 1t
remained for Mr.. Cox to group them and
give them a sort of national character,
representatives of all tribes of men
nearly, and send them on voyage
about the world on missions of mirth
and mercy. The spectacle is rapid
and brilliant one. 1t is rich in tine
scenery, new electrical and stereoscopic
effects, charming In vocal music and
comedy presentations and acts, dances,
ballet dancing and grouping. and in
athletic exhibition. There are five COM
edians among the Brownies" who as
Little German Band" are indmitable
and the source of any amount of fun. Ida
Mule handsome. plump Liliputian, Is
comedienne of great cleverness and
adds much to the nlirth and interest of
the performance. The ballet and chorus
is by all odds the most comely. graceful
and handsome group of young women
who have appeared in many years upon
the stage here. Two athletes Of very
superior order contribute much to the
variety of the entertainment. The
Brownies" are fifteen in number, and
are small people on the whole, but II
must not be understood that they are
youths, much less children. They are
quite as mature as are stage fairies, and
we are content with those at full 1oo
pounds weight sometimes, though the
traditional fairy abides in a rosebud, as
does the Brownie in a thistle cup.
These Brownies In the spectacle are
clever actors and pantomdmists, and
represent very neatly the fancy or MI.
Cox, but as a matter of course are not
faithful presentations of the strangely
humorous and grotesque creatures his
art~has given to the pages OF maga-
zine literature But the pop-eye, the
protruding abdomen, the squatty posi-
ton, the quick, groteeque movement
and the merry couDtenances, are all
there, with costuming precisely after
the design of the artist and poet, with
which all his readers are familiar There
are some wonderfully handsome scenes
irf the spectacle, and one, "The Flying
Ballet" is perhaps SOME notches ahead
Of anything ever seen here. 1t Is a
brilliant and artful piece of stage work
and the effect Of the floating fairies In
brilliant robes With flashing diamond
lights produced by electric incandes-
cents, is quite indescrfbable. The cos
tumery Of the troupe throughout is
handsome, and in some eases extremely
rich. Muscally the piece is very pleas
ing. There are numerous superior light
choruses, several very good quartets
and duos and one lady is remarkably
high soprano; indeed, Miss Celeste has
phenomenally high soprano, and she
uses it with much skill and with mark
ed effectiveness. There are two tnstru-
mental players, mandolin and guitar,
who have not been surpassed here.
Their number last night received no
less than four encores. 1t is novel and
brilliant playing. The story of THE
Brownies" is the story of the jealous
demon who interferes at a fairy wed
ding and carries off the queen to pre-
vent her acquiring greater power. to his
discontinue But the rescue usual in
such fairy tales is effected by the good
Brownies, who embark upon a raft,
seek out the demon in his retreat, and
gaining entrance by disguise, blow him
out Of his realm, and where, none can
tell. Rescuing the queen they receive
their reward in the consciousness of a
good deed we'll performed, and wind up
the adventure In revel in which the
very beautiful scene unfolds, with the
aerial ballet in midair, midst the play
Of wonderfully we'll managed and bril-
liantly and many colored lights. This
afternoon there will be a matinee per-
formance at which the admission will
be 81, rs and so cents. This evening
the final performance. The manage
ment announces that there will be no
hastet or abridgment because 1t is the
last night, for the company Of seventy
or more has a special train, which will
not leave here until a. m. tomorrow,
overtaldng the overland express at
Wadsworth.
Was Very Small Matter.
The four young men who were ar
rested on Friday night for the alleged