The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-05-30
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
COMPLIMENTARY CONCERT

COMPLIMENTARY CONCERT.
The concert, complimentary to Mrs. Merrill,
rendered by members of the Rossini Club was
given at Rossini Hall last evening before
large and critical audience. The programme,
as published in the PRESS, was presented with
the omission of Mrs. Farley's solo, the beauti-
full Scotch ballad can she shall walk in silk
attire" The beneficiary was warmly greeted
and after her rendering of Faure's "Sdncta
Maria" was recalled and sang with much ex-
preston the charming ballad fThe Spinning
Wheel Miss Bryant gave Gordigianis
''1'ho 1focdto" so well that she was heartily
e esae and responded with a delightful song
My love has gone sailing" Miss Bartlett
sang Abt's 'Homeward' admirably, but de-
clined an encore. Misses Bartlett BRYANT and
Dodwell We're compelled to repeat Campanas
beautiful trio "Voga, yoga."
The instrumental features of the evening
were a waltz of Raff's played by Misses Blan-
chard and O'Brion, a "Gondoliero' of LISTS,
by Miss Sparrow that possessed all the delight
full dreamy characteristics of Venetian water
life, and LISTS RhdpS0die HongroiSe No. 10
by Miss Sparrow and Mrs. Dennison. Miss
O'Brion accompanied the vocalists most ac-
ceptably.
We have always argued against long runs of
plays at theatres on the ground that actors be-
come careless, and if removed from theatre
"ASAS AOAA0 Apiio eehO pioObiSdulO W dIlOGller
where the bill must be constantly changed the
excellent actor of the long run play degener-
ates into very ordinary performer julius
Sturgis in the June International Review saws:
On natures delicately organized, the brutal
lzing system OF long runs" has the worst pos
monotonous task. One night she is in the
mood and is perfect; on the next, she is out of
sorts and gets through it somehow The sys-
tenn may be good for the pocket; it is certainly
bad for the art. 1t may well be doubted wheth-
er acting will ever take its proper place in
England, will ever be worthily ranked with
the fine arts, until this custom be banished
from the best theatres. 1t benumbs the ar
lists intelligence, and makes coarse the deli
cacy OF his acting; it intensifes mannerisms
Terry as "Ophelia' twice. On both occasions
she was equally good. 1 have tried to imagine
better "Ophelia," and have failed. To play
"Ophelia" is an easy matter in comparison with
the difficulty Of playing Hamlet; yet to play
triumph. But who dare hope that the lady, if
she be doomed to appear as "Ophelia" for two
hundred nights, will for two hundred nights be
perfect? One cannot thus play tricks with
perfection. No woman that ever played can
be living poem for two hundred nights in
succession; the poetry evaporates. If you put
a thoroughbred horse in a mill, you only spoil
the animal. Picking oakum is not favorable
to the artistic temperament. On the one hun
dred and ninty-ninth night "Ophelia'' will
laugh at her own madness If we are to have
a fit home for the poetic drama, this monstrous
system must be changed. Before "Ophelia"
has degenerated, let us see Juliet
wEATHERsBY-GooDwIN.
1t seems unnecessary to call attention to the
fact the Weathersby-Goodwin troup will re-
appear at Portland Theatre tomorrow after
noon at 2.30 o'clock in Hobbies and in the
new play OF "The Ramblers'' in the evening.
after their immense success of Tuesday night.
A company that can announce standing room
only" before the play begins, is too well estab-
lished favorite to require much notice before
hand The troupe will disband for the season
after Saturdays nights performance. There
was large sale OF seats Yesterday.
The following are the characters in the
comedy of the "Rambers''
Stella Brown ...................E Eliza Weathersby
Mr Peter MagnSs Weathersby
George Washington Bloggs :. .........T II. Burn
Madam Degrasse, the Cockney Widow Of French
Dentat1s Vespasan Dobbs "a talanted Trapegian
and Theatrical Spectator IN. c. Goodwin, Jr
Members of the Rambling Amateur Club.
In the Tracesty of Barrett as Richelieu.
Armand Lawrence Barrett Richelieu
;;.....:........... ....Dentatus " Hobbs
Louis XIII, King of France. Harriet Smithers
Adrian de Mauprat ......... Madame Degrasse
Baradas George washington M Bfo@rs
LoRLE.
This morning the box office at Portland
Theatre will open for the sale of the Maggie
Mitchell tickets. Mr.. Frank Curtis's brother
is the low comedian of this company. An
exchange says: At the Standard Theatre last
evening numerous audience followed the
vicissitudes of "Fanchon" part which Mag
gle Mitchell has made thoroughly familiar all
over the country, and especially to all old New
Workers. The Little Cricket is as sprightly
and as vlyacious as ever, and Miss Mitchell has
gagement would not be considered satisfactory
without return to "Fanchon." She infuses
INTO the character all those womanly little
traits that never fail to carry the sympathies of
a an audience and that Fanchon has plenty of
i:a was attested by, the appreciation ex-
hibited by the auditors last night. The play
| long waits.
The following will be the cast
Thr1a