The Washington times., 1903-01-20
The Sleeping Beauty and
the Beast" a Stage Fairy
Tale for All Ages and All
Tastes.

''The Sleeping Beauty and the Beast, ~
a London Christmas pantomime import
ed to America in all its native spIendor
and magnifcence. was disclosed at the
New NatiuaI Theater last night. II
proved TO be q symphony of music, col
or and motion a succession of brilliant
scenes enliveued by graceful dances and
fairy discourses. all dependent upon tw3
fairy stories ingeniously interviewer By
its showing the children Of London are
decidedly to be envied this feature Of
their winter merry making, for IN Wash
ington not children only. but mature and
practical adults. long ago brought TO re
allie the inutiliJy and disappointment of
looking glass dreams, sat last night en-
tranced and bewiIdeTed, When The
Sleeping Beauty and the Beast shall
have ended its current engagement of two
weeks Washington eyes will turn ex-
pectantIy TO the next fairy gift from the
Drury Lane Theater. and await its COM
ing with all the impatieuce. OF childhood
An extended review OF the pantomime
from its earliest known form as 4
Greek satire TO this present entertain
mime-has already appeared IN The
Times It was then pointed out that the
character OF this institution had changed
nttIe By little with each new century IN
til it became successfully satire. com
edy. masUue. ballet. opera and is now q
union OF every form OF modern stage pre-
sentiment In its latest form, It was
then pointed ont. the pantomime eX-
bausts the resources OF costUmeT. scene
painter. electrician. dancer, vocalist,
comedian. composer. and librettist. When
It is said that all this is justified in THE
Sleeping Beauty and the Beast" the de-
scription is perhaps as near reality as
could be expected.
A fairy parliament, wherein nymphs
pixies. gnomes and sPrites move with
musical cadence among clouds and bios
SONS. is the introduction TO the story
Here the Princess Beauty is born, is
showeTed with fairy gifts, and is given
the pOTJentous maledicJiOn OF MaleyO-
1ontia. the witch-eveTy child IN Wash
ington knows the story, and has viewed
this same scene in fancy thousand
times. A scene on earth follows,
mud-baUhs and mineraI-water cures.
Beauty has now grown to be sixteen
While the eye still squnts with laugh
ter. the Hydro at "Aix-and-P Pains
fades into the haunted vaults OF the cas-
tie and reveals the old witch with broom
and gown. her cats appearing and reap
peariQg everywhere with eyes glowing
and faces grinning sinisterIy- Beauty
celebrates her birthday IN the next scene,
3 bower in the royal gardens. is thought
fully advised by her old nurse. becomes
bewiIdered by the beautiful song Of the
witch and her msideus- tries the fatal
spinning wheel. and -'drowsiIy, dream
lily" as the song goes, the whole castle
full fails into a sleep Of a century. This
much Is included in Act /
Prince Charming and his hunting suite
rowing through an inextricably tangled
forest appear when act TWO begins.
They meet the fairy queen. and learn
from her Of the sleeping beauty. Then
on and on the prince fights his way
through junzIes. over gates and walls
past The midnight spirits summoned by
the witch. 10 the gates Of the castle. The
close Of the century awakens the king
and queen; the fairies fiji Beauty's mind
with pleasant dreams; and the prince
brushing aside myriads Of cobwebs
finds the princess at last The dreams
inspired in Beauty's mind are presented
by the ballet, and constitute the richest,
most highly coLored, and most charming
spectacle OF this nature which has ever
been shown here. It's motif is the course
OF the seasons II brings to the stage
scores and scores OF maidens dressed as
flowers. grain, bushes and shrubs. St. Val
eutine's Guards, shamTocks, nest bear