Evening star., 1901-03-26
AMUSEMENTS. A

NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-It is and
long has been customary to speak of Annie
Russell as a delicate, fragile blossom, a
spring violet for instance, who charmed by
her unobtrusive graces. Her personality is
shy and shrinking. She must be sought
out. Frequently her delicate yet potent
attractions have been obscured in masses
of dramatic debris. In "a Royal Family
which was played at the New National
Theater last night for the first time in
Washington, her fine and fragile person
aIity was surrounded, but not overwhelmed,
by a fine cast of characters with things to
do which were well worthy OF the superior
array of talents.
When the curtain rises on the second act
the auditor turns his mind back to all the
botanical lore he can command in order to
classify the tree which stands down toward
the footlights. 1t looks like hybrid, with
combined characteristics of an apple tree
and a sea fan. But it is not long before its
purpose becomes fully apparent. Its rela-
tion to the vegetable kingdom Is matter
of small consequence. 1t is there for the
sweet girl queen who doesn't wish to be
married for political purposes to climb
into. And there she is wooed and won by
the very man for whom the state had des-
tined her, but who feels. it necessary to
pursue his courtship incognto because of
her prejudice against all save romantic at
tachments. This incognito is a ruse of a
willy cardinal, whose knowledge of human
nature is so profound that he can even
sympathize with young hearts. The cardi-
nal is played by w. II. Thompson, who is
seen all too rarely in this city. He COM
bines personal magnetism with fine schol-
arly quality, and this role reveals him as
one of the most efficient delineators of
Serenely lOvable masculine characters since
the late w. ]. Florence. When a man can
re. ,ncile the dignities of a cardinal to the
work of passing cake with pink icing sur
reptitiously to girl up tree there can be
no question as to the exquisite character of
his art. Another good character was that of
the King of Arcacia, who, as played by Or
rim Johnson, would have the auditor believe
that kings are bored by conventionalitfes
and have family disputes and refractory
children, quite like ordinary persons. AS a
matter of course Mrs. G.. H. Gilbert was
welcomed with applause, and approval fol-
lowed her performance of punctilious, but
loyable duenna, equally as a matter of
course. 1t seems almost an affront to the
law of chances that any actress should
have lived as long and actively as Mrs.
Gilbert has and done so few things badly
The comedy is light, sunshny affair
which at times threatens to become satiri-
cal. But the expose of the emptiness of
court fiummery is made so od-humored-
ly, and the tragedy that threatens is SO
serious, that 1t cannot be dismissed as mere
cynicism. 1t Is a very proper study of man
kind by playwright who is intellectually
equipped for the task and who knows how
to impart his observations in language
which is. elegant without being labored
and amusing without being perfunctorily
comic. The play Is perhaps too light in
treatment to be called great" but it is
decidedly more than clever"
COLUMBIA THEATER-By borrowinp q
Washington Irving's RIP Van Winkle''
idea and securing the melodious assistance
been constructed by Frank PixIey that. to
say the least, is pleasingly successful in
every particular. THE Burgomaster" pre-
sented last evening at the Columbia The
ater before an audience that included Mrs
President Mckinley, scored a complete and
decided hit and accomplished that result
spontaneously and entirely without effort.
From the initial rise of the curtain to its
final descent it was Impossible to detect
anything In the way of dull bit of tia-
logue, music that was not tuneful or stage
picture that was lacking in animation
AT the conclusion of the performance the
entire audience those on the lower floor as
well as the occupants CT the gallery, left
the theater whistling THE Tale Of the
Kangaroo" perhaps the most infectious
and irresistible of Mr.. Luders' compost
tions. AS a contagious element it rivals, If
not surpasses, the Rogers Brothers Rel,-
ben song, of such tenacious hold on popu-
lar favor. A striking feature Of the pre-
sentation of 1.-The Burgomaster" and one
that is novelty, is that the chorus con-
sists of girls who ore genuinely pretty
| In fact. the most exacting demands of the
eye and of the ear are fully met The
company Is well supplied with comedians
who are funny and vocalists who can sing
The leading light Is Richard F. Carroll
| he who established a record for yersatil.
| ity by assuming Seabrookes role in ."The
| Rounders, and doing good work on a few
1 hours notice. during visit here last sea-
| son. Mr.. Carroll drifts from Irish to Dutch
| comedy characteriZations with no apparent
| effort. In THE Burgomaster'' he portrays
| Peter Stuyvesant, 1urgomaster of New
| Amsterdam In order to overcome tribe
| of Indians. Stuyvesant, in the year 1860
drugged barrel of whisky. He, with his
| secretary, partook generously Of the doc
tored concoction and fell asleep. Thus
| ended the prologue The scene of the first
! act is laid in City Hall Square, New York
| city, at the present time. A gang of work.
| men who are excayating unearth Stuy-
! vesant and his secretary, and in connection
| with their seeing the town the opportuni.
| ties for amusing situations are many Mr.
| Carroll has an able assistant in Knox vii.
| son. The latter, in addition to his duties
| liz the comedy line, has musical special.
| ty that would not be n failure in vaude-
| vile. Each of the many others in the cast
| does in manner entirely satisfactory al
| that falls to his or her lot Ruth White
| makes a very natty young man about
town and Ada Deaves, William RILEY
| Hatch and Thomas Ricketts, give a bur
| lesque of ''L'Aiglon,' entitled Leg Long
| in manner calculated to drive Bernhardt
| or Maude Adams to tears.
| 1t seems to be essential in the building
| up of musical comedy these days to in.
| clude a cakewalk. Mr.. PiXley has follow
| ed in the well-beaten path in this regard
/ but 1T should be said that the walk in 1.-THE
| Burgomaster'' has a number of redeemins
| features. The stage manager, Thoma: