Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-09

VI ILLS 10 MS cry llakU
deseTviags. The only drawback to The
operstic performances wss the language
IN which 1t was deliVeted; otherwise II
was most scee ptable. The 1hofuses we're
| delivered with spirit and intelligence,
and the sClos-few and far apart-weIe
given with an ease and grace, and aF7
companied hy a GtAmstic ae-
| ton that argued for Mr.. Refs
and Mr., Martin especially q
very high degree Of stsge accomplish
ment as well as vocal culture. Mr..
| Rsis, particularly, deserves a conspicu-
! Gus place In this column. AS will be
seen from the argument OF the piece,
! whihh We stibloin, Upon him fell the
| burden of the play. He was the central
figure in every phase OF development,
| the pivotal character around
whom the othtfJ revolved, and
upon whose action the story Is Gers
tered: A buffo part, the "Burgomas-
ter In tie hands Of many recog.
nized artist of that grade could
not be better performed. Mr.: Rels
merged himself ia the nhsraeter COM
pletsly, and subOrdinated the quiet de-
corum that usually characteristics his life
| to the broad Interpretation of 8 farcical
old public functionary. There was no
| faint OF amsteurism-nc eWkwaTdness,
no stumbling, about Reis's "Burgomss-
| ter, "and, while it was not perfect, it YVES
so neSTly SC IS to challenge general sdmi-
alton. Mr.. Martin, to whom Memphis
| owes much for many occasions OF real
enjoyment in a musical way, waP; IS
the sentimental Carpenter, most ac-
ceptabls foil to Refs His voice, un-
equslled by any tenor We have in Mem
phis for range and culture or for sympa'
| thetic qualities, has seldom been heard
to better advantage. And these high
qualities as vocalist were. admir-
ably supplemented by bis dramatic
fervor, which Yves bfst manifested
In tbs solo which fell to him, in what
might have been made the second acene.
Ellinger and Legler both deserve a very
high NEED of praise. The latter, to fine
voice, unites good stage presence, and
though not quite as easy as Martin or
Refs, is worthy OF being associated with
very superior, and the orchestration
was acceptable. Mr.. SchulZe car
reasonably pride himself on this
success. To him, as conductor. has
fallen the labor Of drilling and the anx-
iety for perfect production. II he has
not reached this he can rest easy in the
feeling that he came as near to it as is
ever possible with amateurs, be they
ever 80 superior. The costuming was
quite in keeping with the general vocal
excellence, and the etsge setting
the best the house could afford.
The audience was smsll, but very
select and apprecistive, and If
the orphans DO net reap 8
handsome profit from the performance,
it must be get down not TO the perform
ers, hut to want of appreciation of
their merits, AMI the appealing merits
OF the occasion by the amusement-seek-
ing people OF Memphis. AS we prom
ICED above, we appeDd the argument Of
the first comic opera ever performed in
pubic by amateurs in Memphis: "The
bursomssteT of a email town received
information that the reigDing prince of
the country would pass through the
town incognit0, he calls the city council
together and recon- mends q reception
worthy of the occasion. AS the citizens
turn out at the town hail, the burgO-
master shows the constable what he be-
lieves to be miniature OF the prince,
(buts what afIerward proved to be the
picture of his own daughters lover, in
strUCtIng him to signal as soon as be
would see q person resembling raid
miniature. In the meantime the prince
and his followers arrived on foot,
their csrTisgs having been broken
down il the neighborhood and pass
Themselves off for tourists, DESTROYS o.
seeing some objects OF interest in the
town. Before they leave, the person
supposed to be the prinoe-a Journey
man carpenter arrives, sDd is resolved
with shouts and WHATS; the real prince
relishes the joke behind a screen, and
remains O silent observer. The new
stranger denies to be the prince, and is
surprised TO see bis picture in the hands
OF the burgomaster, who tells him that
his own daughter brought 1t from the
city, saying it was the miniature OF the
reiSning prince. He states that he is
but j0urneyman carpenter, and that
he has come TO the city TO ask Of the
bargomaster the hand OF his daughter
Maria, whose. acquaintance ne had
formed in ths city. The burgomsstsr
consents, still in the belief that he is
giving his daughter to the prince. At
last the carpenter ig saluted as prince on
all sides, is half Convinced himself, and
is prevailed upon to retire for rest and
AAS AIS 1C4tON-
ers now represent themselves ss belong
ing to the suite of the prince, and assist
the bUggomaster in making up the bill
Of fare for g banquet to be given to the
latter. The carpenter resppeaTs in
the prince's dress. While the citizens
prepare to conduct him from the town.
hall to the banquet ct the burgomaster's
the courier of the prince arrives with
the message thasthe carriage ia repaired,
clears up the mistake and brings on the
denoumert. The burgomaster, now I'M
deceived, refuses the hand of his daugh-
ter to the carpenter, but is prevailed |
upon to consent by the gifE OF civic |
order from the prince"
Miss Putnam as 'sJane Eyre"
Appreciatiye audiences were in ct |
tendance at the matinee and evening |
performances at the theater yesterday, |
Ia the first OF which Miss Putnam ap- |
pesred for the second time in Function; |
and at the latter performance she gave q |
very clever rendition of "Jsne Eyre" in |
Jane Eyre, the Orphan of Lo1U00d, an !
excellent dramatization from the true |
story Of the early life of the authoress,
Miss Charlotte Bronte, which has found |
q place in nearly every household. The |
lite-story OF the "Orphan Niece" is full |
of vicissitudes, in the portrayal OF which |
Miss Putnam rose above the sensational |
style of stage productions with which
her name is linked. In the
role of "Jane Eyre" Miss Put
nam has undertaken to eliminate most
difficult character, and how well she
succeeded was clearly demonstrated last
night by the marked manner in which |
she enlisted the sympathies Of her audi
ence. Her airport was excellent, Mr.
Sullivan as "Lord Rochester" Miss Ada
Jones as "Mrs. Reed" and Miss Maggie
Knapp as "Lady GeorgiaDa," giving
very clever interpretations Of their re-
spective characters The casting and |
dressing Of the piece and the stage set.
tings were all very creditsble to the
Tonight The Old Curl
)Sity Shop will be repealed.
ANU DEE-nEUfSI