The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-18

year In completed som ire Isaster will befal
her. "Dipgdong" sets his wits TO work, and alIei
oy fairy hands tower from which the sunshine
'sexcluded rises, as II by magic and In this the
princess is mmured. Divers little sprltes aud
gnomes, with diminutive hods and picks and
saws assist in It's construction, the stage effect
oelng very pleaslDg-in short, one OF the most
attractive that we have ever seen in this
country AS the gorgeous handlwork OF the
tairies In revealed by the diss)ving Of the mtsts
The curtain falls and thu prologue ends.
The st cond act is of saffron hue. The yellow
Kingdom, to which It introduces us. is prcsidel
over by Queen SsffronIlla," a crotohety old
lady, whose son and heir the prince Leander,'
is as slight and as sentimental as need be-
Prince Leander" has lCng been of q melan choy
turn OF mind, from gazing on the portrait of the
"Prlncessi Graceful" old "Din sdongs" hopeful
heiress, who is still immured in the dark
tower. Her saffron majesty gives her consent
TO his woolng, which necessitates rupture with
the princess Aka" Queen of the Ebony Island,
10 whom he has been afiianced in early
youth. Thereupon Lord Twaddledum," a
model diplomat OF the saffron order, is de-
pu'ed as envoy to old "DIngdong's" Court
Thither he repairs, gains the consent of the
tlnkllng King, and starts for the Saffron realm
with the Princess Graceful" closely immurel
in darkened palanquin. The princess AKA
has sworn revenge, and f,o VS. up the escort
the palanquin is brok ell open by 'Abdalla," hyr
copper. colored enchanier; and, to prince
Leander's" great grief. his afIiauced bride IS
transformed into o White FAwn by the drst ray
of sunshine which has smitten her delicate
form. This melancholy affrir happens just as
the Prince, impatient to meet and greet hi,
bride, encounters ber escort: but before he can
lose much flesh in vain regrets, the fairy
"Ruby" comes gal0ntly to his rescue, ant b:
slows upon him taliSmauic ring, by which he
is enabled to recall the fawn TO her human for IN
during the watches of the night.
fawn by day and a lapguishiug damsel by
night-not an inexhaustible fountain OF joy,
certainly, but quito enough to keep a senU.
mental prince from utter despair. The sill
unappeased fairy of the lake, however is not
thus 10 be balked in her purpose. Disguised as
q prince of some sort, though evidently no.
affiliated with the saffron dynasty, for she ap
pears in brown leggings and blue tunic, while
all the fashions OF the realm tend to yello she
turns up in the ffron Kingdom and there en-
tices "Finetta," waiting woman to the "Prluces,
Graceful" 10 do deed which none but a love-
sick waiting woman would be guilty Of "Lord
Twaddledum" has been made custodian of the
| telismanic ring Towards him "Finetta" has a
yearniDg, and the willy "AQualina" promises
hersuccess In her woOing If she will but whee1le
him out OF the ring. Finetta," like her bet
! tiers, is in bad wsy, and enters into the plot
! By sundry smirks and much csjolery, she gets
! chance at "Twaddledum's' little fat hand,
| withdraws the ling, and in a sudden ft, after
! giving her lover a Gucking in an impromptu
| bath tub, casts the talisman into the lake.
The second act presents, in the graphic words
| OF "Lold Twa6dltdum," "pretty kettle of
fish," The "Prince Lsand' ~ and his not over
t1usty esquire have plunged bodily into the
| lake in search Of the talisman. and when they
gain the bottom they find themselves in the
midst OF dolphins, crabs, and Holsters, and
divers other monsters of a "scaly" cast of
countenance. They create good IMPRESSION
on these tishy creatures, and succeed In regain
! Ing their sought treasure.
The third act represents the kingdom OF
| "Aika,' the ebony queen. and innumerable
| tribu'atioL s which need not be particularized
| are undergone therein by ''Prince Leander'
and his companion. Armed with the fairy
| talisman, all obstacles are eventually overcome
| "Aqualina" and Aka" are outwitted, little by
little; the two fairies are brought to an under
standing and co operate with each other, when 1t
| Is found by "Aqualina" that her protege "Aika"
| is OF bloodthirsty and murderous turn of
| mind; finally the spell which dooms the
| princess Graceful" to the guise of q fawn by
| day is broken; and all goes merry as a
| marriage-bell in the realms of old "Dlngdong'
| and "Saffronilla"
Fairy justice having been thus tempered with
| fairy mercy, and human hearts made glad
! thereby, the closing scene Is revealed in the
| fourth act-a scene of dazzling gorgeousness,
| styled the "Realms of the Dragon. Fly" This
| scene is the grand elimination of the specta-
| cular art, and certainly surpasses anything
| heretofore witnessed on the American stage
| description is impossble-to be appreciated
1t must be seen.
Interspersed throughout the different acts is
the ballet, under the leadership of Bonfanti,
Sohlke and La Petite schlager. the two first
! named being strangers to the Philadelphia
! public. 1t is unnecessary to particularlze the
| schools Of art to which they severaly belong
| Whatever Of poetry there is In motion has been
| carefully studied and Is faithfully depicted by
| them, and to those who admire the muscularity
| of art they can not but prove an irresistible
| attraction.
TO the ballet.there could be, of course, but few
| impedments on a first night. But the spectacular
| the clock marked five minutes past IL when the
| curtain fell on the realms of the Dragon Fly.
| When we remember that the first representa-
| tion of the piece at Niblo's Garden, New York,
| occupied the greater portion OF the night, the
| facility and rapidity with which the machinery
was manipulated last evening lie deserving OF
commentator. In two or three evenings at
| the most, all hindrances will doubtless be over
come, and the performance be closed at a sea.
sonable and reasonable hour.
The dramatic cast, which alone remains to be
noticed. was unusually good. Miss Fannie
| stockton, who has enjoyed an excellent repu-
| 1I.A "A aAS..,. .ll.