Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-27
ADJUSTMENTS.


National Theater last night was one Of the
most remarkable performances Of the kind
ever given at the national capital. 1t was
remarkable not only for the excellence of
the performance, but also on account of
the eminence of those who contributed their
SKILL the distinguished audience that was
present and the notable effort that is being
made by the Lambs to lift the debt on their
club house in New York that prompted the
affair. When 1t Is realized that the COM
pany was made OF actors whose fame ex-
tends not only in this country from Maine
to California, but to the English stage as
well, the fact that the theater was packed
from the gallery to the orchestra with such
representative audience as only Washing
ton can turn out on extra occasions such
as this one should excite no wonder. The
spectacle Of Stuart Robson, Willie Collier,
1gnacio Martinetti, Nat Goodwin, JEFF de
Angels and H. c. Barnabee doing duty as
the end men of a minstrel aggregation,
with DeWolf Hopper as the middle man,
and with such men as w. H. Macdonald,
Eugene Cowles, Van Rensselaer, Wheeler,
Edmund Stanley, William Philip, Digby
Bell, Chauncey Olcott and Edward E. Kid
der in the line, to say nothing of Victor
Herbert's splendid band, led by such mu-
sicians as Victor Herbert himself. Jesse
Williams, s. L. Studley, Victor Harris and
]. s. Hitler, to set of the efforts Of these
stars. is to be seen but once in a lifetime,
and the show put up by them fully merited
the unprecedented attendance. The sum
total raised by the performance was So .264,
the proceeds exceeding the amounts raised
in Boston, Brooklyn and Baltimore, the
only city going ahead of Washington being
Philadelphia, which was, Of course, to be
expected with Its theater of much greater
seating capacity.
AS a fashionable audience in this city is
always late in arriving. and no such aggre-
CATION would want to ring up" to sparse
ly filled house. it was $50 o'clock before
f1a1 ttrn
curtain UP, and two lines Of black-face
Ministries were shown, with Stewart Rob-
son. Ignaeio Martinetti apd Willie Collier
on the bone end, while Nat Goodwin, jeff
De Angels and Henry Clay Barnabee. with
tambourinss, were disclosed. De Wolf Hop
per the elongated and gymnastic comedian.
occupied the position Of interlocutor, and
with his remark BE seated. gentlemen"
the overture, by Victor Herbert's celebrat-
ed band, which formed the background Of
the picture, began. The minstrel part of
the program included songs, by VIM. Philip,
Chauhcey Olcott, Eugene Cowles, Stewart
Robson. Nat Goodwin; incidental solos, by
w. H. Macdonald, Van Rensselaer, Wheel
er, Edmund Stanley, Digby Bell and De
Wolf Hopper, and Come Where My Love
Lies Dreaming" by a triple quartet. The
songs were of the old-time type and
brought back memories of the early days
of minstrelsy, only they were better sung
than any of the old-timers present had
heard them. The band, Of course. fur
nished splendid accompaniment, and 1t
was led at different times by Messrs. Her
bert. Jesse Williams. Sam L. Studley,
Victor Harris and ]. g. Hitler.
The stories and jokes by the end men, as
well as their comic songs, were not, how
ever, of ancient vintage, but were thor
oughly up-to-date. and provoked the most
hilarious merriment among the audience:
There were some personal illusions but
not 80 many as was expected. Goodwin's
story Of his trip on Cranes yacht wound
up with his giving limitations of the way
a song was nung by Sir Henry Irving. Joe
Jefferson, Crane and Robson and each imt-
tation was as accurate as Goodwin could
make It, Robson also told some good
stories and sang rafting comic song, and
in the finale there was some quaint dane
iEg by Barnabee, De Angels, Collier and
Martinetti.
The olio commenced with THE Lambs
Big Four''-De Angels. Collier, Chas. H.
Hopper and Fritz Willians-in Ma Onliest
Girl" which proved to be an ordinary negro
sketch, although it was very well done.
and then followed burlesQue of Belasco's
Heart of Maryland" with De Wolf Hop
per as the emotional heroine, and his ira
vesty on Mrs. Leslie Carter's red hair,
ly funny. The others in the cast were
Crane as Gen. Kendrick, Macdonald as AL
Ian Kendrick, Digby Bell as the Sergeant
and Walter Hale as Bludso. All entered
Into the spirit of the burlesque which made
a decided lit. Perhaps the most artistic
work of the evening was the pantomimic
sketch by Joseph Holland and Fritz Will
liams which was entitled. "L'Affaire dune
Melodie,' the amusing feature being the
way in which each whistled the air from
"Massaniello." which caused the duel.
Called Perfect at 49, skit by Edward
A. Paulton, which gave a glimpse of stage
land, was the most interesting feature.
aside from the minstrel part, and gave
representation of a rehearsal, in which the
trials Of an author and a manager, the
capriciousness of the leading man and the
NO nf rfrnr
members of company. the stage hands
and the prompter. The parts were taken
by Messrs. Lackaye, Collier, Barnabee,
Carlyle, Conor, Lipman, Burr Mcintosh.
rawley, Grismer, Jack Saville and Chas
Klein, and all made a great amount OF fun
The authors lines were badly cut. the
utility man had more work to do than q
hotel porter, the comedian stood around
guying everybody else, the leading lady
wanted the business fixed to suit her so
that she could keep her face to the audi
ence, the leading man had his own way in
nearly everything, and the stage director
bossed everybody and everything, and just
as things seemed to be satisfactory Digby
Bell, John Kellerd, Alfred Klein and George
Barnum, made up as A. NJ. Palmer, Au-
gustus Daily, Charles and Daniel Frohman,
respectively, came in and Interrupted the
business with a demand that all should sing
the national anthem, Columbia" words
and music by Clay NJ. Greene and Victor
Herbert, with which the performance
closed.
There were two band selections during
the evening which were especially noticea-
bic, Victor Herberts american Fantasia
and the Victor march. composed by Mr..
Sam. L. Studley. Each was led by the COM
poser. The first ended with the Star
Spangled Banner" which brought the
whole house to its feet, as did the same
patriotic song when 1t was sung by the
Ministries in their finale.
When the Lambs arrived from Baltimore
carriages were at the depot to convey them
to the theater, but they scorned to use
them, and, headedby Victor Herbert and
his band. they marched up Pennsylvania
avenue Just as any other minstrel organiza-
ton would have done.
THE HUTCHINSON CONCERT.-The
concert given at the Universalist Church
last night by Mr.. John W. Hutchinson, the
venerable survivor of the famous Hutchin-
son family of bygone days. was a most en-
joyable affair, and amply repaid the large
audience present for its attendance Mr.
Hutchinson was the youngest of the fami-
ly, and although at this time over seventy
seven years of age, gave a recital last
night that would have done credit to his
earlier years. Mr.. Hutchinson sang, or
Friends" Good Old Days of Yore," I'm
Gle Sans Farm" ''Calomel" "Old Granite
State and He Worried About It." Mr..
Hutchinson was assisted by Mrs Postell-