The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-11

period promises to be wholly commensurate
with the worth of the combinations men
homeland that worth is considerable.
Only at the National Theatre it appears
that the size of the gatherings drawn by
Sporting Life" is decreasing rapidly.
Mondays assemblage at the Rapley house
was exceedingly large and there was every
outlook for a prosperous week. The Tues
day criticisms, however, were generally
lukewarm and even condemnatory. Evil
IDENTIFY, the performance had not given com
Dlete satisfaction. The clientele of the re-
sort did not take kindly to Drury Lane
melodrama Resultantly, business at the
National has been growing less and less TO
the casual observer, while persons con-
nected with the enterprise are authority
for the statement that receipts have fallen
with the number of seatholders who pass
the doors-something that does not always
follow. Briefly. Sporting Life, with lts
$3.50 people and ten horses. seems to have
met financial Waterloo here, and there is
scant probability that the engagement Will
be very profitable.
There is a strong likelihood that THE
Sign of the Cross which is announced for
the coming week at the Columbia, will
fill that theatre to the doors at every per-
formance The piece. religious and MS
torical drama, appeals to two distinctly
opposite cIasses-to regular playseers and
to folk who are drawn out only by such
production or by one Of the Shore Acres
order. The Sign Of the Cross has been
presented here on several occasions, and
never has failed to do exceedingly we'll
I'll b.I hat Pm d.
vertised will not prove an exception is
emphasized by the promised excellence OF
the interpreting cast. This cast includes
Charles Dalton. the eminent young heroic
actor. whose representation Of Marcus Su-
perbus. the Roman project, IL familiar
locally The remainder OF the organization,
many members of which have been so
employed for a number of years, Is COM
posed of W E. Bonney. Frank II. Wester-
ton, Henry y. Wenman Harry Child, Ger
trude Boswell, Agnes Scott, Winnie Cas-
sell. Florence Lelercq. and Ratta Walton.
Wilson Barrett. who understands as do
few others how to effectively stage an Of
fering. is said never TO have done better
work in this line than with The Sign of
the Cross" He has been most successful
in getting the difficulty attained atmos-
phere OF Rome at a period Just before its
downfall, when vice and prodigality ruled
the Emperor and his court and when a lit
tie band Of believers in the new faith was
hunted and put TO death like beasts. The
love OF Marcus Superbus. a noble patri-
clan, for a lowly Christian maiden is the
central idea OF the theme. The story tells
OF the manner in which the man grad
ually is won over to the faith of the wo-
man, whose beauty alone attracted him at
fire. hfrf Nukau tNse 4
tually lead him to a martyrs death in the
arena. Mr.. Barrett knowing the value of
vivid contrasts, has alternated between
scenes Of ribald pleasure and those OF sim
pie patience. thus making each doubly i'm
pressiye. The play, summed up is of es-
tablishsd merit. II will deserve the BUSH
ness IL Is sure to do in Washington.
An attractive season of grand and comic
opera is promised the patrons of the
Lafayette Square next week. when the
Strakosch Company. AL organization well
known in Baltimore and in other large
cities. will MI an engagement Of the usual
duration. The troupe includes many peo-
pie OF guaranteed worth. among them a
number who created excellent impressions
while here with the Aborn Company. a
few months back. 1t is said that these
folk have been added to a cast already
superfne. the result prophesied being OF
an order rarely noted outside OF such
houses as the Metropolitan. OF New York
4 strong chorus. deliberately and tastily
costumed. Is mentioned as being feature
Of the productions, which according TO the
press agent. are scenically perfect. This
statement. by the by. will be of especial
interest to those people who attend musical
TO-.
stead OF with merely one sense alert
The average operate presentation is
marked by a painful dearth OF adequate
settings and properties. Manager Stra-
kOsch AYERS that his offerings are treats
To both eye and ear. The announcement
carries with it double potency. inasmuch
as the works to be rendered are greatly
enhanced by proper background. These
works are all popular. "Cavalleria Rusti-
cana and II. VI. S Pinatore" will be
sung on Monday and Friday evenings.
"Nanon" on Tuesday night. and at the
Wednesday matinee. Carmen" on We'd
nesday evening. and at the Saturday after
noon performance. III TrOyatore' on
Thursday. and The Mikado" on Saturday
night Not only is this repertoire attract
i've but. II the interpretations are half as
creditable as it is claimed they will be.
the financial results of the booking should
be as great as the artistic ones
The attention given Ching Ling Foo. the
next headiiner at the Grand. by the news
papers OF the country. indicates bow
wholly he is worth the enormous salary
paid him. The magician has been seen
in America only over the Keith circuit,
other managers finding him too expensive
TO be considered. and the expressions OF
approval won from the critics Of the cities
visited has been remarkable The "Phila-
delphia Item, for example. recently COM
men'ed on his performance as follows:
Did Ching Ling Foo elect to devote the SER
vices OF himself and his troupe 20 providing an
entire eyenlng's entertainment Of magic and Jug
glcry krllar would be no more A popular idol
aud our memories OF Hermann the Great would
grow pale and c0ioTless. Truth to tell, this
yellow wOudcr-worker more nearly approaches a
realization u the mlgi Of the fs:ry-tales Of QUE
childhood than might be represented by the
allied talents Of every other cuniurer who has
appeared before the American public within
the memory Of the present generation. Twice,
yesterday afternoon, he rendered the audience
absolutely hrCathlc.s by his defines and iugr-
uuity; and. although it was evident that he
does not favor the idea Of encore the spec
tators Mere 20 iusl5tent that after he had bowed
his acknowledgements hIlta. dozen times. he was
compelled to give another display Of remarkable
facility in >lright-Of-hand. His tricks are not
big In the sense that those Of Hermann were
and thoss OF kclllr are big p, he makes
u'c ~ no elaborate pl,lpheIni'il. and there is
no aggressive preparing OF the stage a. pre-
limiuly TO each revelation. Yesterday after
noon, he made his appearance. bowed, and pro-
recdrd 20 do what he programmed with no
other help than that of a four. feet square cloth
Vi yclyct-a cloth that was shown to the audi
rnCc ia all its aspects, and that was. to all /
appearances, nj crly packctles-. The robes worn I
by the mage were loose and flowing to o certain .
extent. but they were not sufficiently voluminuus Z
TO warrant any cockaure hazard that they con I
rcted the half dozen dishes - fruit and contec- .
iiors or the huge bowl Of water that were made .
To appear from bcnr.ti the loosely manipulated I
square u velvet. Ills chief trick consisted In I
spreading The cloth fat upon the stage. tramp /