Evening star., 1902-01-25

of colonial times, set in a musical frame,
which achieved fame last season for Messrs.
Pixley and Luders, the talented young Chi
cago builders of comic opera. 1t is said to
be a far more pretentious production, and
is given under the skillful auspices of the
Castle Square Opera Company. This organ
ization has for the past half dozen years
been noted for the elaborate character of
its operate offerings in New York, Phiia-
delphia, Boston, st. Louis and Chicago, and
in King Dodo'' there is said to be much
evidence of a very liberal expenditure of
money and a master hand at the art of
placing operatic goods before the public In
the most attractive form. The company IS
an unusually large one, carries speciai
orchestra of twenty soloists, and travels in
its own special train, halting only at the
larger cities. From Washington, King
Dodo' stedmS away to Boston for a pro-
tracted stay. Some Of the chief players TO
be seen here are Raymond Hitchcock, a
most excellent comedian, whose work has
made familiar to the Washington theater-
goers couple of seasons ago, IN The
Three Little Lambs Cheridah Simpson,
for some years identified with high-class
musical comedy productions; Miro Delamot-
ia. Gertrude Quinlan, Greta Risley, Elsa
Jones, Arthur Wooley, W. J. Wilson. Lily
Seiger, Tillie Seiger and Albert Juhre.
New National Thenter.
The eminent English actor E. s. Willard.
will present at the New National Theater
next week Louis n. Parkers play, The
CARDINAL which has for its central figure
Giovanni de Medici. With all his love of
fun the subject of this play was of re-
fined nature The learned DR.. Erasmus
found him an ecclesiastical sovereign, after
his own heart. In the correspondence that
passed between them he exalts the pontiff
for three benefits bestowed upon mankind
the restoration of Christian piety, the re-
viyal of letters and the establishment Of
peace throughout Christendom. Alas, peace
did not last, even during the popes brief
reign Of less than nine years, and when
poison had ended his career the fanatics
whom he had held in check within the
church were let loose. many powerful
teachers and men Of action who, it is be-
lieyed, he could by the charm of his per-
sonality have held in allegiance to himself
took the reformation side, and Europe was
devastated with fire and sword. Luther re-
with having alluded to the sacred story Of
the four gospels as fabulous. He is said
also to have treated all religious questions
as matters of speculation, but these tales
come of a time when veracity no more
the ruling virtue than it Is today. But at
best he was an easy-going man. devoted to
music, to poetry and to the arts. to whom
the serious intensity of Luther must have
appeared as in some sense ridiculous. Nor
was Luther, who called men vipers for diff
fering with him on questions of mere spec
ulation, likely to understand a man who
had been raised to the highest pinacle of
earthly greatness, and who yet found it so
difficult to take matters seriously. The
judgment Of Schlegel on the pontiff is per-
haps justified The name of the Medicean
Pope Leo x, is one celebrated in the his
tory OF art and science, and serves to de-
note its most brilliant era; he possessed all
the qualities most calculated to shed luster
round the throne of a secular monarch,
but he was not the pontiff to discern the
fearful dangers and urgent necessities Of
the church in that age, to avert those dan
by conciliation.''
''The Cardinal" will be the program for
every evening but Saturday. On Saturday
night a request performance Of Charles
Dickens Tom Pinch will be given For
the Saturday matinee "The Cardinal" will
1ll, tod