Show dreams Dr eanis after the unusual rush of treat theatre irl goers to the performance of the mastodon minstrels on wednesday ay ehg night lit it was not to be elpe expected acted t that hat the e union opera a house would woula be as well I attended itten led last night as it wag was still the entertainment certainly tahil would have deserved cro crowded benches benc acs ics dreams is indeed a t quaint lit and rind queer veer musical conceit sentimentality and burlesque tender homo ionic and rollicking reckless fun alternate in amusing and pleasing changes the plot or rafhel the basic idea of the piece is very simple it ia is the merry christmas E eve ve of a it worthy humorous whimsical old couple made lively by the visit of their children tend and grandchildren on which occasion sion supper is is served grandpa makes a speech and gets excited singing and dancing is indulged in all in a natural winning wicking way transferring tho the spectator in in ima imagination bation to real scenes of old at last fast the visitors leave and amid anilda a beautiful christmas carol from the outside the old man john antonio binks falls asleep in his armchair now begins be the fun in a photograph p ga gallery the aged ed gentleman passing into a fitful fanciful reverie which is enacted as reality on the stage grandfather as 24 years ol old spark comes to Pic kleback tho the poverty stricken photographer accompanied by the sweet nineteen ruby A number of other odd characters are introduced into the gallery love making jealousy ous y picture taking music dancing and all all sorts of nonsense and jollity j ollit y pass in in rapid succession like the sass cating combinations of a kaleidoscope until jealous binks kills the photographer and general confusion drives the dreamy images to a climax from which wo we arc are suddenly dropped down to the quite fireside fire side of the flie old farmer w who ho struggles awaking with tho the awful nightmare or a whole cavalry of 11 emd cm after all it was but a dream and old and young folks congratulate each other on the festival occasion and on the adv ent of a couple of great grandchildren this about ia is the slender thread on which are strung u up pearls of fun and mirth jewe jewels of song ong and music beads of acrobatic and ancy fantastic toe ex exploits boits the cake belongs to willie bedouin who be it as old garrulous and uxorious grandfather vand father or as simple country beau or in in any of his assumed parts displays an overwhelming wh elming vivacity and pleasing naturalness alice atherton now grandmother ru kuby I and then ruby chillington Chilling tou wins her way easily into the hearts odthe of the audience by her fine acting and agreeable appearance the greatest irresistible mirth provoker in the play is is jas T powers whose antics and pranks aaers capers and somersaults songs and dances as tha old mans office boy bob Bibb ity or as the photographers chip Che checkey Cheek ekey cy keep the audience andic nce in an undying strain of hilarity A splendid part splendidly acted was jacques acques kru km gers photographer in whom rascality iti lit and pathos vainglorious vain glorious humbug and gnawing misery form a sort of tragicomic comic compound the leading leadin roles are supported by an 01 ensemble le of artists who in correct conception and faithful execution of their parts add materially to the success m of oi the whole performance which now speaks with touching ioui estic accents to the heart and again convulses the diaphragm by y its resistless fun and frolic |