The evening times., 1898-05-27
THE LA,rBs, aA,rBoL.
Big Crowd Attr scted to Their Per-
for nance at the National.

fOl moDce at the Natt0uni.
Good often comes Of evil. Had the
Lambs not owed q considerable sum OF
money on their new club house they
would probably never have been tempted
to make public the gambols which have
hitherto been heard of only through the
columns of the dramatic papers. In whicn
case the National Theater would not have
been crowded last night with everyone In
this city who cares to keep afioat in the
social swim. But the organization owed
a large sum, a public series Of perform
ances was determined upon and Manager
Rapley's house was packed to the doors
yesterday evening with the elite of WASH
ington.
Contrary to expectations the entertain
ment given was interesting alike to pro-
fessional people present and to those OF
the audience who attend the play put
once a year. The former class of patrons
found interest in tracing the eccentricities
and mannerisms of their favorites as they
leaked out through the covering OF burnt
cork, In laughing at the absurdity of see
ing established stars in acrobatic comedy
or pure burlesque, in interpreting the
stage slang that would occasionally spring
up and in laughing with rather than at the
players. Those more unaccustomed to the
theater found delight in the really ex-
cellent comedy contributed by the stars,
in the novelty of everything, In the orfgl-
nality displayed, in seeing the men OF
whom they had heard SO much, and. most
of all. in listening to what was undoubt-
edly the finest musical program ever
given in this city.
When, at twenty minutes OF nine, the
curtain rose, 1t showed the regulation
semi-circle of blacked faces. Additional
interest, however, was loaned the affair
by the knowledge that every makeup
covered a well-known face, and, while ex-
preston and voice soon identified each
of the performers. the DISCUSSES were at
first so complete as % fustrate all at
tempts at recognition. hind this double
line of dress-suited en ainers sat Vic
tor Herbert and his band of fifty pieces.
each member of which was in uniform.
ConductorHerbert himself wore the garb
of the organization, as well as dozen or
more medals which were made the butt OF
many jests during the evening. Jesse
Williams, S. L. Studley, Victor Harris
and ]. S. Hitler also occupied places on
the platform and led the band at different
portions of the performance.
De Wolf Hopper was the interlocutor.
while Stuart Robson, Ignacio Martinetti
and Willie Collier manipulated the bones
and Nat Goodwin, Jefferson De Angels
and H. C. Barnabee handled the tam
bourines. Dan DAILY. Walter Jones and
Henry E. Dixey. all of whom were to
have been present, were unable to attend
the gambol, but the excellence of their
substitutes almost made up for their re-
gretable loss. All OF the end men proved
during the evening, their ability to twirl
toll
written jokes, sing comic songs and do
break-downs quite as well as If they were
not used to being at the head of dignified
companies in dignifed plays Nat C.
Goodwin, possibly by virtue of his ex-
perience. as the hind legs of a burlesque
heifer won the honors. his stories being
well told, his business new and laughable
and his entire performance thoroughly
enjoyable. His rendering of unique
comic song, which went by the uncom-
promising title of Hit With Brick
was nothing less than artistic. Stuart
Robson was a close second, and might
have come out ahead but for his rivals
remarkably clever limitations of Sir
Henry Irving, Joseph Jefferson, William
H. Crane, Marshal p. Wilder and himself
Mr.. Robson did, however. keep the house
in uproarious laughter, his singing of
THE Chestnut Girl being enough to
make one forget that its vocalist was
of Errors
Henry Clay Barnabee was great dis
appointment. He did not seem at home
in his work. brought very little humor to
the front and had so few characteristics
that one would not have known him but
for the presence of his name on the pro-
gram jefferson De Angels was the soul
of humor and told many good tales clev-
erly. while Ingnacio Martinetti and Willie
Collier made up for the little they had
to do by the manner in which they did 1t.
Mr. Martinetti's Me Now and Mr.. Col
liers uplifted hand as he sat desconso-
lately listening to other men tell my
jokes" were provocative of hearty laugh
ter. Both distinguished themselves. too.
in the dancing which ended the first part
of the show.
The musical portion of the program was
excellent. 1t began with the usual open
ing chorus, in which solos were con-
tributed by Messrs. W. H Mcdonald,
Stuart Robson. Nat C. Goodwin, Van
Rensselaer, Wheeler and Edmund Stan
ley, and in which Eugene Cowles' rich
in 'Old Black joe" With Herbert's
band supplying the background the cho-
rus also rendered THE Star Spangled
Banner in a manner that brought the
audience to its feet in short order. Will
lam Philip pleased nightly with that old
time ballad. with All Her Faults
Love Her STILL Digby Bell and a picked
sextette were next heard in 20 See the
Little Lambkins Play" the selection win
ming hearty applause. Chauncey Olcott
was warmly greeted when he rose to sing
his perennial success, when the Robins
Nest Again There are few tenors with
the range and sweetness of Mr.. Olcott's
voice. and his contribution was most
pleasing. Eugene Cowles, too. gave AN
ME Laurie as that beautiful Scotch bal
lad had probably never before been sung.
and De Wolf Hopper surprised with the
excellence of his effort in the Lambs
charming madigral, 'The Imp in the
Wine" Messrs. Olcott, Cowles, Hopper.
Barnabee, Mcdonald. Bell, Wheeler,
Philip. Stanley, Charles Hopper, Fitz-
gerald and Baker, comprising a triple
quartette, were heard to advantage in
Come Where Ny Love Lies Dreaming"
and the end men each contributed a por-
ton to finale. All the comic selections
were as thoroughly novel as the authors
were well known. the combination prov
ing a great charm.
After Victor Herbert's band played an |
American fantasie, Messrs. De Angels. |
Collier, Charles Hopper and Williams ap-
peared in a combination of drolleries and |
dulleries known as Ma Onliest Girl"
There was little coherency about the |
piece, which was only saved by the eff |
forts of the four people engaged in pre- |
A.