The Portland daily press., 1881-10-01
MUSIC AND TEH DRAMA.
onR nuNnkrp YEARS Aae.

Mr.. David. the author OF "A Hundred Years
Ago." is, we understand, Montreal lawyer,
and, If, after writing the play, he had burned
the manuscript he would have done very sem
sible thing.
Five acts of historical drama. that possess
es but little of what is intended for comedy
element, and that little forced in its humor-
abounding in stilted expressions, and in uum-
Der of patriotic sentiments, not so bad IN them-
selves, but too lengthy, and dragged IN
manner, evidently intended to catch applause,
would be rather too much of good thing un-
der the best of circumstances. When to these
faults arc added faults OF construction, and
some descents from the sublime to the ridicu-
lous in the dialogue, it will be seen little is
left to praise. The play, as produced by the
company last night was either not well COM
mitted, or else the occasional bursts of merri-
ment from the small audience, disconcerted
the actors, and caused them to speak their
lines; except in few instances, as If they had
an unpleasant duty to perform.
The plot of the drama is simple, depending
upon the well known story of Andres visit to
West Point to complete the bargain that made
Arnold traitor. He and Capt. Madison OF
the Continental army have met in New York
"o q iOJdliob . HOust, Wu0To tuoy Al iOFo
with the two daughters Then Andre goes to
West Point, lis captured and executed, while
Madison of course marries the girl OF his
heart. But to do so he has to show another
loyalist, named Chambers, is scoundel, who,
loving Nellie and hating Madison tries to ruin
the father and murder his own rival. The
piece was we'll costumed 1t would have been
well if a few more soldiers from the army
could have been spared for lieutenant's guard
in several scenes.
The music was excellent, and the orchestra
rendered the following delightful selections:
Overture, Triompha Observation-Disclosures. e.. Herman
Waltzes, Spring flowers, Bonsquet
Selection Bilee TAYLOR ........s........ Solomon
Polka, Silver Stream, Cornet Solo, .... Robinson
Medly, Kaleidoscope, (by RequesD..... Grimmer
The play will be repeated tonight.
THE MAscoTrB.
One of the great musical ievents of the sea-
son will be the production of "The Mascotte''
by the Ideal Company at City Hall next Mos-
day. Marie Stone, Geraldine Ulmer, Tom
Karl, w. III Fessenden and others will appear
ira. The box sheet a. Stockbridges diiplays
well pegged surface, but there is still a chance
for good seat II applied for in time.
BAIRD's MMsTRELs.
Last season this troupe gave one of the best
minstrel performances we have ever listened
to in Portland This season they announce a
performance to be given at Portland Theatre
n ext Wednesday evening. Thep will offer the
New York Church Choir boys the Zouave Ca
dets, the great pedestral clog dancers, the Lon
the novel Hottentot dancers, and variety of
other attractions
WIDOW BEDoTT.
r,ara xu;11 Ia O oroo ru oh Of pnrtIoud Theatre
to see Neil Burgess in "Widow Bedott" next
Thursday. A Boston exchange says: From the
rising of the curtain at the Gaiety last ever ing
until its final fall, one continued burst OF up
roarious laughter greeted the performance.
The Widow Bedott, as personifed in Neil Bur-
CESS, is as exact conception OF the character
as it must have existed in the mind of the ORR
ginal writer of the "Bedott Papers as can be
imagined, although the actors presentation of
this eccentric individual is much more full and
complete than the original--a rounding out
and filling up, in fact, of what the original
only gives hint. In every detail and partic-
ular, Mr.. Burgess is faithful to the ideal he
has formed, and the thousands who laughed
until the tears flowed, over the "Bedott Pap
ers'' when they first appeared. would find their
mirthfulness thousand times increased by
the stage representation, besides accepting the
clear definition of what the principal charac-
ter ought to be.
Aldrich and Parsloe will produce "My Part
ner,'' at Portland Theatre, October 4th
Mahn's Opera company October 18th, 18th
and 10Th.
Among the great attractions Of Coles great
circus which viii appear in Portland, Oct Sth,
will be aerial bicycle riding, bare-backed,
skilled riders, wonderful trick stations, fam
lily of giant balloons, all lighted by the electric
lights.
"Raven's Daughter Fred Williams adap-
tion for Dalys Theatre, New York, did not
prove great success
; Nine. Gerstinger, made hit at the Thalia
Theatre New York, Wednesday night, in
Donna Juanita, by her fine singing and lovely
acting.
Miss Genevieve Ward has new play called
"The Spider-wed,' which she desires to pro-
duce shortly either in New York or in Boston.
1t was written by Hon. Lewis Wing6eld, who
is now in this country.
The two hundredth performanceof "The
World" was commemorated at Niblo's Gar
den New York Wednesday, by the distribu-
tion of engraved programmes and boquetts.
The 'Mascotte," at the Bijou Opera-house
New York has already been played 167 times
at this theatre. and bids fair to continue to
meet popular favor 1t will be succeeded by
Audran's "Snake Charmer."