The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-10-27

Qua AMATEURS IN PINAFo.E THIS WEEK.
During the week Just passed Richmond has
mad new experience In the extraordinary
opera OF Pinafore. We had heard this mu.
sical treat well sung by troupe Of children,
and thoroughly murdered by troupe of
grown people; we had also seen 1t. most
beautifully put upon the stage aud had
beard it exquisitely sung By Ford's COM
| pany. Indeed, so often has it been heard
in Richmond that frequenters OF the opera
almost knew it by heart. Young ladies en-
tertained their admirers by practicipg it
until people who live in piano .neighbor-
hoods and have no music in their souls
wished, with DR.. johnson, that il had not
only been difficult, but impossible . The
ehaste character Of the plot and dialogue
rendered it possible for the strictest church
members to listen without being shocked;
while no one could fail to be amused atlthe
ridiculous situations and pleased with the
amateurs in the face that they were to be
criticised by bypercritical audiences.
Their own friends were unfortunately
admitted to the rehearsals, and they
were not even. saved from them.
The conflicting advice of the g".dear
Eve; hundred" puzzled many o good
embryo actor. and one of the unIortu.
mates, after having been adyised,to put his
hands, be hind his back, to fold bis arms, to
saw the, air with them, and so or, applied
to the writer OF this article for advice, and
was told that we did not know what he
ought to do, but would take great pleasure
| in showing him up il he did anything
| wrougl Who would not rather face a can
non than so well.posted an audience ?,4 Yet,
! buoyed up by the courage and undoubted
ability Of Mr.. Siegel, who had successfully
brought out operas of much greater diff
Guilty, they ventured. But Cinderella, Frie-
schultz, and Stradella were works known
intimately only by those who had been
initiated into the mysteries OF music, while
the very children in the street sang Pima
fore from one end to the other. Notwith-
standing all these difficulties, our amateurs
made grand success Of their perlous un-
dertaking, and We bad the satisfaction OF
seeing an opera which ministers OF the gos-
pei could attend without giving scandal to
their congregations. a troupe OF Indies
and gentlemen who can sing well and
act well, and whose language and man.
ners are those OF we'll. bred people,
is pleasant sight to behold. AS all
have been noticed so frequently, it is
only necessary to add that each one OF the
| principal characters is remarkable for some
special trait. Josephine (Miss Swain) is a
magnificent singer; Little Bnttercup (biiss
Beale) is an exquisite actress; Hebe (Mrs.
Gillis) looks pretty; the ancient aunt (Miss
Pelouze) is quaint and amusing; Ralph
RackS:raw (SIr. Cunningham sings beau
tifully, and is very graceful; Captain
Corcoran (Mr. PizzinI. sings and acts
well; Mr.. Starke as the Admiral has
a fire conception Of the chagacter; Dick
Deadeye (Mr. Perrot) does everything
remarkably well; the Boatswain (Mr. P lea
sants) has grand voice, and the Marine
(Mr. WaggoneT is exceedingly comic. The
chorus is the very best which Richmond
has ever beard in Pinafore. Those who
have never seen this opera (and the city
will be crowded with such this week. can
count upon great treat in attending our
amateur performance, as no travelling com.
pany can compete with the resources which
they have at hand in the matter OF chorus
and orchestra. ......... .~--r
Tonight, Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday nights. Pinafore will be on the
boards at Mozart Hall again.