The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-04
LET SLEEPING
BEAUTY SLEEP
The Awakening at the Academy
Last Night Was Gloomy
and Funeral.
FUN FLAT; ACTRESSES FAT


Sleeping Beauty and The Beast" IS
presented az tho Academy of Music last
night should have been ailowea 20 sleep
uHdisturbed, for the awakening was
something 80 unpleasant that those who
were unfortunato enough 10 be present
at the obsequies observed al the out
ward and visible signs OF mourning
without "a saving feature without
competent actor. without tuncful voice.
without fun OF Wit and without melody.
u reminded one o. the last stage ia the
Seven Ages % Afan-
sans teeth. sans eyes, cans taste.
sans every thing
Tho scenery even bore tho unheaio.l
sctrs OF rough house days. and the
costumes worn by the mature ana gem
crously proportioued ladies % the chorus
seemed as AGED ass their wcarers. auI
as u used as they ty thc hard hand
% time
The "spcctacllar productiouT was iu-
decd a spectacle" but tie shades %
Drury Lane must have sAlver.d and
shook as they witnessed the downfall 90
tho once great London attraction.
Princess Beauty Was enacted by Miss
I Belle Williams. stalwart lady. WHO
bowed Wltl az p.lGlut discomfort. and
whose movements were about as light
and airy as load OF bricks AS King
BarIOut exprcsse1 90. che "lookrd ike
- pillow tied with string in tha ulddie
rhis was tie best tAIus evolved ly
Bi fIelusss.
Miss Isaheuo Miller as Prince Charming.
was equally hopeless. Thought some t.w
pounds lighter. for nor even the originality
OF coon SONG iu thc enchanted palace
could thaw tic lceness of her reccpton-
To DE frank. sae dld nor seem 20 eXpe.
much. sho was evidently prepared Tor
the worst and she got it
Miss Edith Arnold. ass the witch. WAS
tie best Of very poor lot but sn-
spoiled her little "turu ly singing
song about "rle Clock 0n the Nantel
strikes one in tho midst ~ her
mysterious business" ln glostiy cavern
decorated with skulls and reptiles. The
song one of tho fearful kind, inserted
e. XII thine" evidently weighed heavily
on her conscience, and she felt Obliged ID
set rid Of it.
Au the others were simply beyond the
pale. cracking commonplace jokes in
commonplace way. and INDUCING in
comedy 80 melancholy that IL made A
f-neral seem Ike "a song and dance turn
Tho jokes were even Older tnan the cos
fumes and t.e lAorus-.'-euce these
tears
'N ould sou say IL was a success
asked teh colonel. aUakenlue him from
refreshing nap during funny Cd sone.
Certainly. Bee yawned "It has sue
into buying tickets"
There has seldom been seen in Hich-
moud. even I'D the popular price houses.
production So boring and unuttractive
as Sleeping Beauty and the Beast IT
some kind witch would only send u
eternally 20 sleep she would deserve the
undyng regard Of the thcatre-goins pub
lic A. p.
Local society. If IT, follows i'm the wake
of society elsewhere, viii be- out in fuI
force Tomorrow matinee and night az
tie Academy when Crestou Clarke VIII
present the mod ru emotional drama.
''The Ragged Messenger" Society.
which must always have something new
10 interest and amuse II. is just now de-
vouring with avidlty all the information
81 can obtain rcgardlng settlement work..
and the atmosphere OF this new play ia
said 20 be pregnant with tho lights and
shadows of life in the suus OF New
York. where the principal character
John Morton the clergyman, is known
as THE Ragged Messenger.
Chaunccy OIcott has written ana COM
posed four new songs for his new pro-
ducriOn. eileen ASHORE iEllen. My
TREASURE. which it is said are equal, II
they do not surpass. his best previous
efforts.
Bostccks Wild Animal Arena at Idle
wood offers Mile Marcella and a mixed
group OF lions. hyenas and Great Danes;
Mile. Jeanette and Caesar, the high
school camel; Mile. Diavalo and her
jagsars. Jeouescu and her polar bears:
ia Belle Aurora. m her lion dance, and
Signor RinaldO and his group of lions.
fryE.