The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-29
Remarkable Run of the H. N. S.
Opera.
What Will We DO With All the Amateur
Artists Who Are Performing H.. In.
Guiding the Wheeling Troupe.


Chicago Tribune.
"Pinafore' has been performed in Chi
cagO eighty times, md yet our managers
have sufficient faith in its successtO placeit
in four different theaters during the next
two weeks, so that n fortnight from now it
will have been done over 100 times sinceit
first saw the light at lloOley's Theatre on
the 9th Of last january. In all the
musical experience of Chicago there has
been nothing like it. The operate records
in fact furnish no standards of comparison.
There are some operas which have been
performed here a great many times and
are favorites. For instance, "~llTrovatore"
has been given here IS times, but these
performances cover a range OF twenty
years. During the same period Martha"
has been given j. times. The bohemian
Girl has been given ~ times in twenty
one years; "Faust" Il times in fifteen
years; THE Grand Duchess" II times in
eleven wears; ia File de Nine. Angot,"
81 times i'll five years; and "tiirOile
%tiirOtla, 81 times in four years. The only
opera TINT can lay any claim to cOmpari-
son is 1.-The Chimes OF Normandy" which
was first performed here eighteen months
ago, and since that date has been perform.
ed y times; but even here the comparison
is..straincl since "rinaforc" has been gwen
just 50 times in just three months, and
two weeks from now will have run up its
score to Eel 100!
What is it that makes "~PinaforC" so
successful? 1t is the very sphinx Of opera.
No :MO like it Tor the same reason Us Il
rule, no two ran tell why they like it.
SOME 90 to hear it for the sake Of the
music; others for the sake Of the action.
Some enjoy its fun; others its satire. In
general, however, audiences laugh ut what
is the lcas, funny, and look sober in the
really circulating passages, just as they
will always laugh nj Mr.. Jetlcrson's pa
thOs and cry over his mirth. Some go be.
cause others go; and others 90 to lind out
what others like in it. With some, going
to "rinafOre' has become Il deCp.srated
habit, like drinking or smoking, and they
feel a depression, or, as Mrs. l.ivcrmOrG
would say, Il general letting down when
they can'tgO ;whilGOthers undoubtedly like
little boys, learning to smoke, keep going,
hoping the time will come when they will
like it. UnqucstiOnably there are many
who go to "rinatOrc" because they really
enjoy its healthy fun and clever, though
not great, music, and these become mis-.
sionariGs for it and spread the lidings Of
its success, so that many others are in.
duCcd to 90 who may not see anything in
il at first, but are determined to pcrscvcre
in going until they do, because it is get.
ting to be a rcproaCh for II not to nm.
dcrstand the phrases and jokes which
have become incorporated into cur.
rent talk and literature, Just as Il
short time agO it was considered u re.
pruaCh for II not to understand why
Emma was requested to whoa or why Il
very ]loQuaciOus person should hire Il hall
when he could d0 his talking outside.
Now aud then We come across n person
like the editor Of the st. Louis Gkpbr. Demo.
cni who cannot master "PinafOre," and
who cannot understand why it was to the
credit Of the idmird| that he was an I'm.
glishman, when he might have been u Rus.
sian or Il PrnsSian, since il was manifcStly
impossible for him IL have been anything
but An Englishman. Then again there ru
some others like II correspondent Of the
TrihWnr, who wrote complaining because
some Of the characters, like the ,lcprnvcl
seaman Dick DouhW, the bumbont woman
kiHhc B"irrcWD, Ralph, the snartrst IAd in
all the fleet, and capt. Corrorua, were in
consistent, liutthcsc prOpIcarc very few.
There are in reality hut two classes Of PEG
plc-th0sc who have seen "rInafOrr" and
like it, and those who have seen il aud ari
. bound either To like it or die in the nj
tempt. ThCS" two classes will nnhOubtcd
ly thrnng the theatres duringthr next TIVE
weeks, Son" the lrss "l'inni0rr" nmmin
n sphinx, Tor Uf all VIII" like 1t M one cnI
give II logical reason for his liking. The,
are in the same Tx IN LiHr Hincnp, vii,
was L'm Rnh"rcUp, though she r0ul,
never tell why. So they like "linafum,
though they ran never tell why; nor, IN
decd, IL ii necessary. The minority ,
things in this worldln be enjoyed mustl,
- taken ON faith,
still, there is M alarming danger lnth
y future, %"riuNt"rc," like all other goo
4 things, must come 10 M end snmr tim,
.. Their" aro o about one hundred "Iinl
fore tmuprA in the country, NvCragir
!" nbout twenty-five "mtists" $50 they III
" ..Ii..1 IA. IN, acknowledgements. .