The Washington times., 1902-01-26


~ proved a welcome successor to
Richard Carvel," the novelized
drama Mr.. Drew brought to the Capt.
tai City last season. and as a result
the audiences that gathered at the Ma
tional Theatre last week were about
the largest that have ever greeted Mr..
Drew during the ten years he has been
coming here as a star. The Columbia,
with Arizona" as the attraction, en-
joyed a good weeks business, although it
was the :hird visit of Augustus Thomas
Western drama to this city. The stock
company at the Lafayette Theatre sue
cessfully turned its attention to farce in
"All the Comforts of Home while
Chase's. with bill of vaudeville headed
by Adgie and her lions. was crowded to
the very doors almost every night. The
Academy of Music did well with "On the
Suwaree River" and the Bijou and Ker-
mans, both with good programmes, were
literally patronized by those who care
for vaudeville and bur,esque.
E. S. Willard will occupy the National
stage this week with a new play, The
Cardinal" a four-act drama of the six
teenth century, from the pen of Louis N.
Parker.
THE Cardinal" was presented for the
first time on any stage at Montreal. oc-
tober q. and met with considerable sue
cess. Mr. Parker has chosen as the scene
of his play Rome at the beginning of the
sixteenth century, when the Vatican ruled
the world. The central figure in the play
is Cardinal Giovanni de Medici. It is in
the Cardinals palace on the Capitoline
Hill that the principal incidents trans
pire. The curtain goes up on a scene in
the cloistered garden of the palace.
Grouped upon the stage are the ladies Of
the cardinals household, every figure re-
calling a beautiful Botticeln picture,
while through the arches of the cloister
wall sunlit panorama of the ruins of
ancient Rome fades away in distant haze.
Mr.. Willard will play David Garrick"
at the Wednesday matinee for the benefit
of the Garfield Hospital. and on Saturday
night the bill will be Tom Pinch
The Columbia announces for this week
King DodO," the newest work of Frank
PIxley and GUstave Luders, authors of
The Burgomaster." "Dodo" is pro-
nounced superior in construction and en-
tertaining in the musical department to
degree which should place 1t well up
among the most important products of the
American operatic stage.
Some idea of the entertaining qualities
of the new opera may be gained from the
announcement that II enjoyed a run Of
five straight months with uncommon sue
cess in Chicago. This is believed TO be
tho record for long engagements in the
Illinois metropolis, and should stamp
king Dodo" as a worthy rival of any
similar production made in the United
States In the history of recent theatricals.
The prestige Of the long stay in Chi
cago will undoubtedly arouse interest
above the ordinary among all classes OF
theatregoers, and the character of the
presentment to be made here should rem
der the engagement in this city one Of
the most conspicuous Of the year. The
complete production and the entire origi-
nal cast are promised for this city, and as
there are some eighty people employed in
the Interpretation it may be that mu-
steal treat is in store. The opera is given
in three acts. each OF which is said to
present masterpiece of the scene paint
er's art, and to exhibit costume display
Of the most engaging and lavish descrip-
tion.
Prominent members of the company are
Dly
Gertrude Quinlan, Miro DeIamotta, Greta
Risley, Elsa Ryan. Rhys Thomas, Arthur
Wooley, and James F. Macdonald