New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-27
,CiDEuy or VI SIC-'NiII RI. y

Tho spectacle which was witnessed at the Acan-
envy Of Music last evening was unique ana IL VIII
probably always be unique. The lite or II was
Mature" though 1t might as well nave oeen any
thing else. No theatrical entertainment, prooaOY,
was ever evolved In quite the way that Nature
was since theatres hrst began TO be Long ago
.The Black Crook produced at Niblos Gar
den and made great success The man who maze
the properties for THE Black Crook" the dragons
the banners the spears and al the portable furni
ture that added glitter to the affair. was william
De Nerna.
De Nerna was proud OF what he had done for
The Black Crook" but he thought that he could
10 something better. After long time he began
work to that end and FOR a long time he kept 1t
up. lie not the familiar poor man OF the
story-teers. toiling through weary years 10
great end. alone and unappreciated. He was doing
a good business at his trade OF making theatrical
properties But when he got little time he made
something for has one great pet spectacle, that was
20 throw all other spectacles into tho shade. 1t
was be jus in the manner of The Back
Crook" only il was to go far and away ahead Of 1t
in its line. While Mr.. De Nerna was doing
this The Black Crook and its kind went quite out
of fashion, but tina. did disturb him. lie went
with his work and after a while The Back
crook revived and again successful. He
went on with his work still. and. after many years.
he thought that it ready for the stage. Then
the actual business Of production began. and two
weeks before the theatre was to be opened Mr. De
Nerna died. q 'erwork on his play killed him. and
he never saw it.
But the play-here called play for the mo-
ment. because II must he called sOmething-was
presented TO the public last night AT the Academy
II belongs 10 the class and to the time of The
Black Crook" but. AS Mr.. DE Nerna intended that
il should do II far SURPRISES IL I'm uXurousness
and gorgeOusness Of production. No manager
would think Of going TO work deliberately 10 make
production Of the proportions and the brilliancy
of this. The cost. If IL were TO be done all At
once. would mean too great a risk. II could he
done only by Mr. De Ncfnd's method OF spending
a little money and little time and then
through course OF years.
The result Is a spectacle that keeps the ego con-
stantly dazzed The beautifully
painted. rich and glitterng to fault. the actors
dressed in robes of armor that sparkle and
glimmcr like the sun shining on lake. there are
hundreds OF marching and singing and dancing
people and the mere apparatus OF the piece Is be-
wildorng in its quantity and richness and variety.
BUT there Is nothing to the piece but apparatus
IL IL a continuous display Of scenery and properties
The story and dialogue are nothing and wherever
they were thrown in the audience wished that they
might be thrown out. The music was also moth
ing but there had to he something to accompany
the marches and the dances. The entertainment
all lay in the ystas OF scenery and the gttsring
groups of people. There probably never
before so far given over TO spectacle
One shining effect followed another without
quence Of time. place or incident. The audience
went away with its sight weared with display and
the rest OF the perceptive and apprcciatve powers
brought to bear upon n stage perform
ancc practically unused.