Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-10

On next Monday evening est. Valentine)
 the American band will glve grand concert
 and ball at the Union Armory. The sale of tickets has been large and the indications are
 that it will be one of the best balls of the
 season.
 l NEEDLES AND PINS.
 | Augustin Daly's excellent comedy Needles 1 and Pins' will be presented at the New Ha- ven Opera House on next Monday evening, with original music, costumes, &c., as per formed by them over one hundred consecu- tive nights. Secure seats at Loomis'. MIME. RENrz's M1NsTRELs.
 On next Saturday evening the old and
 original Madame Rentz's minstrels will oc-
 House, when they will give some of their
 new novelties, among which will be the new
 burlesque entitled 'Penn's Aunts Among the Pirates" It will be fine entertainment
 and as there will be 8 crowded kouse seats
 should be secured at Loomis'
 TOM THUMB AND PARTY.
 | The little people will hold their first levee
 at Peck's Grand Opera House Monday after
 noon. Speaking of the party, the Albany l Post says:
 | The leading stars in the company are Gen. | eral Tom Thumb and his charming little | wife, Major Newell Signor Giovanni with ! his wonderful musical glasses and his aston
 ishing canary birds, the Circassian princess,
 the fat woman weighing 600 pounds, and the
 Nova Scotia midget who only weighs five
 pounds in his boots. The funny part of the ! exhibition is Major Newell as the ''Mischiev-
 ous Monkey" In this part he is far ahead | of all other performers.
 | SHEFFIELD SCHOOL. COURSE.
 l Prof. Brewer opens the Sheffield School
 course of lectures to mechanics this evening at North Sheffield Hall Prospect street. Sub
 ject, ''The Mississippi Jetties' The doors are open at 7:30, lecture commences at 8. This I is the fifteenth annual course to mechanics.
 Eleven other lectures follow. The cost is | only one dollar for the course. Tickets at
 Pease Sons and Judds. The lectures need
 no indorsement as interesting, instructive and valuable. The course last winter was at | tended by large audiences, and the sale of
 tickets indicates continued appreciation of
 this winter evening means of improvement. | KERRY Gow-sHAUN RHUE TONIGHT Densely packed was the New Haven Opera | House last evening to witness tho Kerry | Cow, the great Irish drama written by Fred
 Marsden, and the play was hugely enjoyed. | All the standing room in the house seemed
 to be taken, and the interest was unfagging
 from the beginning to the end. MT. Joseph
 Murphy was at his best in his unrivalled
 impersonation of the Kerry Cow" and the | talented Miss Genevieve Rogers and the SUD-
 port on whole was highly satisfactory To- | nio Mr. and ''Shaun Rhhe." another of Marsden's suc-
 cesses, and play by some thought superior ! to Kerry Cow. The story is simple and
 most touching one of Irish life The plot | abounds in strong dramatic situations, and is ! replete with sentiment of pure and elevat- ing order, relieved by an abundance of rol- l licking fun and humorous incidents Since | the last performance in this city, the play has
 been entirely rewritten and many new and effective features have been introduced, the
 most important of which is the graveyard
 scene, where MT. Murphy, in his character of Sam Donovan, sings "A Handful of Earth, J song which he has made famous. MT, A. Pitou, the manager of the company, is the
 gentleman who, with MT. Burroughs, brought the 'Danicheffs' to the New Haven Opera House few years ago.
 CHIMES OF NORMANDY
 Robert Planquette's light opera, the Bells of Bonneville, popularly known as Chimes of Normandy, was given last night by the Ideal troupe of Boston at Carll's Opera House The Ideals have been very successful in pre- senting the light operas Fatinitza, Pinafore and Chimes of Normandy, and everywhere have been welcomed with crowded houses to which that of last night proved no excep- tion, in many respects the audience being the largest and most brilliant of the season. The plot and ibretto of the Chimes of Normandy can lay claim to very little artistic excellence excepting as taken in combination with the musical setting There is but little scenic effect throughout the whole opera, the music, in fact, being the whole attraction The melodies are ephemeral and follow the usual rut but are pleasing and catch the popular ear, which, despite the self-confdent prophe- cies of the Wagner school, will ever yearn after melody pure, simple, but puerile. The opera contains nothing that will live; its har- monies are trite, and for that reason to the many agreeable, while it's instrumentality is carried through in musician-like manner, but 1t is devoid of any novel effects. In fact, Chimes of Normandy is exactly what it's com poser clearly intended it should be-a light. pleasing and wholly unpretentious work As rendered by the Ideals last night it was gen. erally a success in every sense except the dramatic But, inasmuch as the stars of Ital- ian and French opera are proverbially want ing in this respect, oftentimes marring their otherwise successful performance by ill., timed, meaningless or ridiculous gestures, it is not surprising that the Ideals should hardly be perfect as actors. A hum of expectancy went the rounds as the curtain rose, the au dience having fully determined to lend their heartiest support to this pet opera company of New England. Nor was the house disap- pointed in its expectations. Miss Marie Stone as Serpolette fell into instant favor with the audience. She has a delightful voice and bewitching manners, but commits very common fault in overacting-in some cases exceedingly so. She secured double encore. Miss Phillips sang of the key and Mir. Barnabee appeared to be afflicted with an annoying cold. Tom Karl as Henri was a. success save in the matter of acting. MT. Whitney was superb in every respect, and is certainly irst-class artist. He was called twice before the curtain after the second act. MT. Buckingham as Notary was very amusing to the audience. The choruses showed careful drilling, (barring an occa- sional tendency to overpower the singers. The orchestra was excellent. This tendency was especially noticeable in the quintette of the second act This, by the way, was, per- haps, the evenings gem, and secured hearty encore. It is to be hoped that we shall soon 1 again be favored with visit from this really 1 0.mA