Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-27

as Mephistophees. were deficient either IN
dramatic or vocal ability. Payne Clark sang
Faust for two scenes and was then com
PEELED by a cold to relinquish the
role to Grafton G. Baker who, in spite
OF sight unfamiiarity with the action.
was much of an Improvement Miss Clara
Lane was unable to appear Marguerite,
being confined to her home on account of
a severe cold, and will not sing the re
mainder of the week. Her place was taken
by Miss Fatimah Diard, who sang the role
faithfully enough, but acted 1t in suited
fashion. George Chapman's Wagner was
weak. and Irene Null did her best as
Martha The chorus is a strong one. and.
although some fault may be found with
the grouping of the parts, is one of the
saving points of the production. Mr.. Muir
ray and Miss Fields received generous APP
plause for their efforts and We're forced to
respond to encores at each appearance on
the stage. the former receiving 4 floral
tribute for his opening solo. Mr.. Dempsey
gave an intelligent Interpretation of the
part of Mephistopheles and sang in good
voice, but he was handicapped by the de-
f1ciencies of the cast around him. The opera
was fairly staged, although the efforts to
attain the customary spectacular eHectS In
the last act were trifle ludicrous. Nine.
Avery Strakosch will alternate In the role
of Marguerite with Miss Diard the remain
der of the week. and Mr.. Baker and Mr.
Clark will divide the remaining perform
ances as Faust The opera underlined Cor
next week is "Amorita''
ACADEMY OF MUSIC.-Elaborate adj
vertising methods by the manager of The
Queen of Chinatown served to crowd the
Academy of Music last night with an ex-
pectant audience The promises given were
carried out and the hopes of the spectators
realized. The Queen of Chinatown is
typical melodrama, and teaches the usual
moral lesson in the punishment of the
wicked and the reward of the good. What
little story there is to the play deals with
the disastrous results Of young girls ''slum-
ming in New Works. wrefcha6 nllartPrS
ard ndulging in opium smoking Two girls
are abducted by the Chinese 'highbinders,'
and their rescues by friends furnish the
thrilling moments of the play. During the
action of the piece specialties intro
duced in the way of songs and dances,
which were received with pleasurable ac-
claim. The company is headed by Will S.
Harkins. Logan Paul, Louis M. Granat,
Laura Biggar, Anna Wilkes and Sadie Con-
molly. and is ample in every respect for the
portrayal of the different characters and
emphasizing the strong points Of the play.
The different scenes were well and almost
accurately set, and contributed immensely
toward a successful presentation. Patrons
of the Academy who admire melodrama
will be pleased with THE Queen of China
town
THE NEW GRAND-Of course, there
must be limit to all things, even to the
excellence of a vaudeville bill at the New
Grand, despite the number Of greatest
bills yet" that have been astutely an
nounced during the season. This week it
would seem that the ideal in the line of
polite vaudeville had been attained The
is the Behman show. Beginning
with remarkably clever comedy acrobatic
sketch and concluding with a dainty mirror
dance by Diana, the bill is varied and in
teresting. The Behman show is an excel |
lent one collectively and individually; the
bill gfngery, snappy one. Honors last
evening were about evenly divided between
the Rossow Midgets, remarkably funny |
bits of humanftv anDreciatinP their
minuteness and making the best of it in a |
clever way, and the Four Cohans, who are |
perhaps the best known of any people on |
the vaudeville circuit today. The Cohans |
playlet. written by George NJ. Of the quar-
tet, is one of the brightest, most laughable |
sketches on the boards. 1t is entitled |
Running for Office" The Cohans have |
been in the business long enough to know |
what they want and they seem to have |
got it. Their act went enthusiastically |
with last nights big audience, ending with |
4 series of curtain calls. All of the -Four |
INLAND do exceptionally good work The |
Midgets, Frank and Charlie Rossow, make |
their entrance standing in the palms of |
their assistants hands. They are but |
twenty-four and twenty-eight inches high. |
They do a comical burlesque on the regu- |
ation acrobatic act, interspersing their |
comedy with some really clever feats. |
These two star teams are by no means |
the whole show" RAMA and Arno have |
an eccentric slap-stick. acrobatic act that |
is out of the ordinary, and is, contrary to |
the usual run. very funny. Fred Niblo has |
some good parodies and stories which he |
works in a monologue turn that was en- |
joyable. Miss Ethel Levey sang senti- |
mental Irish, and coon songs equally well |
and did some dance steps that were new
and interesting. She has excellent mimicry
talent. The Three Merkel Sisters, billed as
'Europe's Foremost Acrobats," must GER
tainly be the same. for their work is far |
above that of any female performers in |
that line usually seen in vaudeville. For
have 10 far, L.. IN t,,rv tl,ntI
Is worth seeing. |
BIJOU TIIEATER.-The Bijou this week |
Is given up to regular combination, styled |
on the bills "Fads and Follies." Generally |
speaking, yesterdays performances offered |
good. clean. variety entertainment. A very
fair olio opens the bill. The La Reane Trio |
with dear little tot of baby girl pre-
scented an excellent sketch. Then came |
Darmody, with a juggling speciality; |
Whallen and Du Pre-. who danced them |
selves into favor, and Harris and Walters, |
In character sketch Mike Whallen gave |
a number of humorous songs. The bur- |
esque was above the average.
KERNAN's LYCEUM THEATER-The
Burlesque Company is the |
pioneer of its class. and for dozen years |
II has enjoyed reputation second to none |
in the burlesque world This year very
ances at Kernan's yesterday large au-
diences were on hand. THE Sporty |
Duchess opened the program and was |
more or less enjoyable. The satire on |
"Sapho" is still a new and undeveloped |
feature. In the olio Fialkowski gave some |
excellent representations and mimicked ami |
mails in satisfactory manner. Tie Du- |
mont sisters found many admirers of their |
songs and Sheehan and Kennedy had little
trouble in provoking merriment with their
funny sketch, True to Nature" Frank |
Houghton performed many new and diff
cult tricks on the bicycle Bryant and Sa- |
vile. who have been a musical team for |
years. have a sketch which proved a win |
ner Ford and Dot West, as the waiter |
and the maid were fair and new bur |
lesque entitled "A Hot Time With Shakes |
peare,' closed the BILL |
WIZARDS HALL.-A large audience
the interchangeable views of the
Passion Play, given under the direction of
Messrs. Cotton and Glover last night at
Wizards Hail. There were twenty-five
principal and dramatic scenes of the play,
each accompanied by a brief but Interesting
lecture delivered by Rev. William J. Thomp-
son. Preceding the exhibition, music was
rendered by large choir of boys assisted
by Misses Eva Whitford as soloist and
Mary Radcliffe as organist. The pictures