The Washington times., 1903-01-18
Spectacle in America.
Brief History of This Particular Thea
tTicaI Product.

With the production OF the Sleeping
Beauty and the Beast" the imported
Drury Lane spectacle which KIaw & En-
LANCER viii unfold to Washington thea
tergoers at the National Theater tomor-
row night, the scheduled presentation in
New York city at the Knickerbocker
Theater OF Mr.. BIuebeard" on January
70, and a promise of Mother Goose,
the reigning spectacle now at NruTy
Lane Theater, theatrical London will be
shortly transferred TO this country
A short review of this style of enter
tainment, which has nevar been extern
siveIy reproduced in this country, may
not be am!ss.
SpectaeIes wherein the ballet was
the dominant feature began their career
in this country in the early part Of the
SOS at Niblo's Garden. New York.
where Jarret & Palmer brought out
piece called The Black Crook This
ballet-spectaeIe created a sensation and
made for it's producers over a million
dollars. In fact, up TO a year or two
ago, it was still popular. In the pro-
duction OF The Black Crook the Kiral-
~ troupe Of Hungarian dancers came to
this country, and the many intricate and
pleasing dances which they arranged
and presented Immediately helped it to
success. At the termination of their
contract they brAnched out for them
selves, and although it is now fourteen
years since they made a production,
there are very few theatergoers in this
country who are not familiar with their
work
In their time the KiraIfys turned out
such notable successes as around the
World in Eighty Days" ''Mazulm, -
''Lagedere," The Black Venus a
Trip to the Moon" Michael Strogoff, -
Excelsior" The Rat Catcher of Ham
elm Dolores" Matthias sandorf,"
The Water Queen" and "Antiope."
This Iast-named spectacle was their
hnaI effort in the producing line. In It
they introduced Carme2cits The span-ii
ISL dancer. who failed TO ~ -eife sue 4
cess anticipated, and at tie end of her
contract she was engagegby Roster &
Bal and mads the feature of their
music hall on Twenty-thrd Street, west
OF Sixth Avenue, New York city, BOW
passed out of existe2c4 Mr.. Dana of
The New York SUI" had Carmeneita
give a private dane at his home one
night, and Immediately thereafter she
became a sociey fad. and made for
Koster & Bal not less than a quarter
OF million dqlars.
All the Rralfy productions were
framed from dramatic standpoint and
lacked comdy and music When they
stopped Producing. David Henderson,
manager Of the Chicago Opera House,
branch out and with an excellent or
ganizsS On composed of AIIene Crater.
Ann Boyd, Ida Mule. May Yohe. Ar
thr,. k)unn, William BToderick, Harry
K f.. Eddie Foy and others, produced
kdereIla: or, the Crystal Slipper
Ruebeard Junior" "Aliadin or the
W'nderfuI Lamp" and -Sinbad." While
/ al these productions, which were really
brtlt on the English principle, that is,
combining in addition to the ballet
music, plenty of comedy
and numerous speciaIties, made sub
stantiaI successes in Chicago and the
Western cities, they failed to make a
hit on Broadway and in the East. Mr..
would not accept defeat and
kept producing and invading the East
and New York city until he finally be-
came bankrupt.
The Sleeping Beauty and the Beast"
foretells a further development Of spec
tacular entertainment. According to
William Archer. it is a true art form
Fa nd rr-H ]
ing to the press agent it is even more
spectacular than its predecessors. But,
as George H. Wilson says. SO senten-
tiousIy in IF I Were King We shall
see. We shall see."