The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-12-25
The opesr;a-ntgnon.

mantle opera Of - Mignon" by; the Crane
Kellogg Combination at the Theatre last
night was the signal event in the history o.
operate engagements in Richmond since ths
war. While Richmond has had the reputa
ton of being the: burfal-place of the hopes
OF many an aspirant to musical hon0rs, il
can never be said that Richmond audience
has ever failed to appreciate and bestow their
highest praises upon the brilliant lights ol
the stage. sSa
I, This fact was fully testified by the audience
which assembled at the Theatre last night.
1t was equal to the capacity Of the building.
Every seat In the dress-circie, orchestra, and
parquet, were occupied by ladies and their
escorts, and many Of our best citizens were
forced to seek seats in the second tier. In
deed, there were many persons who, not
being able to even get seats In the galleries,
stood up during the entire performance.
The wealth, the beauty, and the fashion of
our city were gathered together, and pre-
sented a grand galaxy of handsome women
and noble men.
| Mignon, the daughter Of noble parents, has,
| when child, been stolen from her ancestral
home by the gypsies. Her mother shortly
after this bereavement dies of grief, while
Lotario, the br0ken-hearted father, almost
deprived Of reason by the loss of his daugh-
ter, forsakes his home and roams as min:
| streffrom place to place in search Of his ,dar.
ling child. For years Mignon, utterly un.
conscious of her birth and origin, leads q
| wandering life with the gypsy tribe, Of which
her beauty renders her the most prominent
ornament. The chief, Giarno, who combines
the avocation of mountebank with that of
gypsy, compels the hapless girl to dance
and 60 through various other performances
in order to obtain money from the in
habitants of the town through which
| they pass, and harshly threatens her with bis
| stick whenever, from fatigue, she refuses to
do his bidding. Wilhelm, young student
on bis travels, happens on one Of these occa-
sions to be spectator of Giarno's ferocity,
and in order to prevent the recurrence Of
such ill-trcatnent hepurchases Mignon from
her cruel master. The friendless Mignon,
deeply touched by Wilhem's Kindness, gra-
| duaily conceiYes for him an ardent and ire
pressible attachment. Wilhelm, however,
totally unconscious of the affection which his
| young protege has conceived for him, falls q
prey to the destinations OF Filipa, young
actress belonging to troupe of Thespians,
on their way to perform at neighboring
castle, where grand fcte is about to take
place in honor of the arrival of some Illus
| trious prince.
Foremost among the guests invited to as
sist at the festivities is Wilhelm. Fiina, the
| beautiful but coquettish object of his admi-
ration, is the idol of the hour. and her sue
cess In the " private theatricals" at the castle
serves but to increase Wilhelm's fondness for
the fascinating comedienne. Mignon, who
has accompanied her new master to the cas-
tie, watches with silent grief the progress Of
Wilhelm's love for her rival. At length,
despondent and unhappy, and unable longer
to endure the maddening jealousy which
gnaws her hearts core, Mgnon is about to
throw herself into lakeadjoining the castle,
when, of sudden, harp, played by an un-
seen hand, is heard, and in another moment
Lotario appears, and, abandoning her impi-
Gus resolve, MignoD, little dreaming that it
is her father who stands before her, flies
to the aged minstrel and implores bis coun-
sci and protection. Carried away by the.
Yehemence of her emotion, she prays that
vengeance may overtake the abode in which
her hated rival is at this very moment in all
the glory of her triumph. The performance
inside the castle now terminates. F'llina ap-
pears sourrounded by tumultous crowd OF
observers, all loud in their praises OF the ae-
tress's beauty and talents. Mirth and plea
sure reign supreme, when of sudden a
lurid glare ilumines the scene-the castle
is in flames! The aged Lotario, whom the
voice of nature has unconsciously interested
in Mignon's behalf, hasshalf crazed as he is
with grief and trouble, lent al sear to
Mignon's rash impreeation and set fire to the
castle. A scene of terrible confusion ensues.
Mignon is nowhere to be found. Wilhelm,
4. l,,fx for hnr
rushes wildly amid the burning rafters, and
in few minutes reappears, bearing the hap
less girl fainting in bis arms.
We next see Mignon lying dangerously i'll
in Lotario's residence on the banks OF an
Italian lake, resulting from the fearful peril
she has so lately and so narrowly escaped,
as well as from the continued struggle TO
conceal the affection so long pent up in her
breast. Wilhelm, who has mean while as
sisted Lotario in transporting Mignon to
the home from which the unhappy parent
had so long been absent, has discovered
Grom the broken sentences which have es.
caped Mignon during the crisis of her illness)
the secret of her affection for him. Through
the medium of O long-coDcealed casket,
containing girdle worn by Mignon when
little child, as well as by her heartfnl utter
ance of the words of O prayer which her pa
rents had taught her in her infancy, the en-
tranced Lotario discovers beyond the posi-
bility OF q doubt that Mignon Is his long
lost child. r
Blessed by the recovery of her sole sur
viYing parent, and enraptured Dy Wilneims
fervent though long-delayed avoWal OF bis
love for her, Mignon, famed by the restora-
tive breezes Of her native hills, banishes for
ever from her memory the recollections OF
the troubled past, and conhdIngly LOOKS lor'
ward to the bright and happy future
Miss Kellogg appeared as Mignon. Der
personation of the character was the emooui'
ment of poetry and dramatic intensity. Mig
non is Miss KelIogg's fayorite opera. she
has said that it is her delight; and VINO could
not see from last nights entertainment tnat
she was in earnest when she made tnat as
sertion. The opera was entirely new 10
Richmond audience, and was received WIN
delight. 1t abounds in rich choruses, sweet
solos and duets, and, being so fresh, " at
once became the most enjoyable feature OF
the week. re..,
Miss kellogg siugs with feryor and pa
tbos which has never been eXcelled oy any
opera songstress who has visited thls Guy.
| At 90 late an hour it would be Impossible 10
euumerate the beauties of the characterza-
ton or her charming yocallzation, puI we
cannot refrain from mentioning her eA-
quisite song in the first ACT
aKnowest thou that dear land
Where the orapge-trees grow!"
and her duet with Mr. Castle, in the same
act. The audience sat entranced, and at the
conclusion of her song moment elapsed,
and then there was burst of applause
which fairly shook the building Miss hel'
logg responded very gracefully to the en-