The times., 1899-12-19
AT THE THEATRES.
Grnnh-NnHhcriIIn

II variety is the spice of life." In all
verify, the bill offered this week at the
Grand may be considered the most highly
favored affair yet provided by Managers
Burke and Chase. With the exception of
single number the programmes announce
no speciality that might not be expected
from such organizations as The Partisan
Purists' or The Hot Potato" Burles-
quers. Not that the performance Is less
entertaining because of this, for much of
the aforesaid metaphoric spice appears to
have been ginger. and the result is more
movement and swing than has been noted
at the uptown theatre in many moons
The greater portion Of the show" is really
good, too, while yesterdays audiences
seemed to enjoy all of it.
The genuine hit of the afternoon and
evening undoubtedly was the rendering of
Thomas II. Frost's sketch Tactics" con-
tributed by James 0. Barrows and his sup
port. Mr.. Barrows, either because of the
apparent ability Of the members. or for the
sake of 'auld lang syne," has brought with
him the nucleus OF the Columbia Stock
Company. both John Lancaster and Flor
enCe Wilberham assisting in his presenta-
tion. Each does creditable work, while
Brandon Mitchell decidedly is not infer
ior, and the star of the production furnish
es a portrayal OF a Texas colonel that viii
/ compare with anything he ever has shown
WashingtCnians. Tactics" is improbable.
far-fetched, and often exhibits signs OF the
Diecing Of familiar material to which it
has been submitted but nevertheless it
is quite the cleverest little drama in vaude-
vile. It's consistency and coherency are
refreshing, while the story contains deal
of what managers call heart interest" and
absolutely none of what critics call horst
ness" Mr.. Frost has utilized the dish
diagram OF battle first seen in "Shenan-
doah," but SO effectively that the theft i'm
( presses as being pardonable. Tactics"
will be town-talk this week.
For the rest, thinner, ''the droll and
adept juggler," proves wonderfully adept
but makes small pretence Of drollness. He
introduces the conventional tricks to
Yankee Doodle" and Coming Through
the Rye" music, setting them Off with sew
eral that are newer and quite as difficult.
/ Trask and GLADDEN. dance excellently, but
continue for too long a period. Such labor
never is amusing after the laborer begins
suggesting dying asthma patient. Stuart
Darrow has had his hair cut since his
former visit and this is the solitary change
! noticeable in the Mr. and Mrs Stuart Dar-
row act, which, however, probably is the
best of its sort before the public. Those
old stand-bYs of Hyde's Comedians" Can
field and Carleton, have turn" that could
be protected only by patent-ceTtainly not
by copyright 1t is more than half me-
ohanical though the portion contributed by
the team is above the average. Farnum and
Seymour try hard to initiate their watchers
into the humor OF one mans being kick
ed by the other or of the other being
z n1 1Ovs1 byr no CDe a "
tributng some marvellous jumping. Imog-
enc Conner sings impossible ballads fairly
well, and the Biograph still throws moving
pictures on canvas.
The performance, summed up, balances
favorably enough to deserve all the COM
mandatory things said Of it in the first
paragraph.