The times., 1899-12-24
GOTHAM GOES SHOPPING
Theatres Remain Empty ON the Ri
alto and Productions Are Few.
4 Number of Important Premieres
Are Promised for Christmas. But
Last Week broadway Was the
Dullest OF Streets - Grand Opera
season Opens at the Metropolitan.

NEW YORK Dec. 23.-Just row we in
the metropolis are starving in sight of
| plenty" On Monday night next critics
and theatre -goers viii have all they can 90
! in watching the various premieres to he
shown. this week the "Rialto" cannot boast
single new attraction OF prominence.
Down town the department stores are
througed. as they were when last l wrote
and the result is that the play-houses in
! operation are not doing the best Of bust
ness. Christmas shopping must be finished.
/ whether one sees the IaJesj farce or not
and am free to admit that. to me the
{ street spectacle presented in The buying dis
| trict beats any other exhibition in the city
Whatever may be the opinions OF otGers
on this subject managers suddenly have
stopped printing their box Office receipts
and Sen Hur is about the only drama
running that continues TO draw crowds.
tte stasUu ul gtaua opera began dsJ
/ Moncay and the metropolitan. as always
! before was the center of attention for
New Nork's 400" Carriages rolled up to-
the Broadway doors ard blocked the pave
ment, well-dressed men and women occu-
pied stalls. friends Uhatted merrily on
general subjeCts-aud "ROmeo and juliet
was sung. After all this last fact did not
seem % be Of great interest TO anyone
unless the singers be excepted. In ivance
a deal was said regarding the merits ana
/, dement's Of VI. Alvarez a tenor who has
] supplanted Jean de ReZske. But when the
evening arrived, the fashiOHables ignored
NJ. Alvarez, as tney had Ignored others and
sustained their own entertainment Inc
morning and evening newspapers. TOO. gaze
more space to the list of those in the thea
ire than to the cast. Which ridiculous
state of affairs calls to mind the caustic
speech of the cynic, who declared that the
only dHerence between TINS tnsng and tEe
dog show. is in --e intellects OF the anil
mails on view"
Steam pipes and all minor objects per-
hitting Richard Mansfield is finishing his
repertoire of early successes just now with
view TO reviving The First Violin on
Christmas night. Last Monday he ap-
peared as Dick Dudgeon in the The Devils
Disciple and was enthusiastically ap-
plauded by a goodly gathering. Yester-
evening he was seen as the Baron in "A
Partisan Romance and this afternoon he
is enacting Prince Karl Tonight DIR.
Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde will be the bill. Mr.
Mansfield completes his local engagement
within a trile over a months time and
then viii start mis- annual tour of the pro
vinces,' featuring "Cyrano de BeTgerac"
rendered in very few places
The American Theatre has been closed
for six days. pending the presentation of
The Beggar Student" on Monday. a
spectacular scenic revival of the work is
promised. The principals of the Castle
Square Opera Company also are Tehears-
ing a new offering, " Bassa Porto" or
AT the Lower Harbor," which they are to
sing first in St Louis, and later here The
piece is said TO have won great praise
abroad, but it has never been produced in
New York.
The Christmas changes of which I spoke
will be many. John Drew takes The Tyr
amy of Tears from the Empire and makes
room for the stock company of that house
Charles FrOhman announces that the organ
izations most recent comedy has beer
dubbed My Ladys Lord" At the Fifth
Avenue, Mrs. Fiske is 70 terminate her ex-
tended triumphaI run with Becky Sharp
and the stage at Manager Knowles resort
viii be given up TO Three Little Lambs.
The Kendals bequeath the KnickerbockeT
to Nat c. Goodwin who comes in with
the much -mooted The Cowboy and the
Lady. Clyde Fitch's play has been widely
discussed throughout the country. the news
paper critics being almost unanimously
against il. In London. I am told the effort
nearly caused a hostile demonstration
The Dairy Farm surreuders the Four
teenIh Street Theatre TO The Village Post
master" Shortly, too Julia Marlowe Wiz
remove Barbara Frietche' from the Cri-
terion which viii be occupied by Maude
Adams and The Little Minister" while
Frank Daniels and The Ameer' viii be
followed at Wallack's By Olga Nathersoie
in "SapphO." NANCY SYKES.