Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-05-19
OUR LETTER FROM BOSTON
4 NEV SET OF ACTORS IN Comic
OPERA.
smoke at The Mnseum-DOings at
various Theatres-A Phenomenal
Church.

Church.
Special Correspondence Every Evening.
BosroN, May Ill went to the Museum
last Saturday afternoon to see the new comic
opera, "The Mascot" as given by the Gray
son-Norcross Company. It is bright, gay
little thing full of good hits and pleasing
melodies, and, as is always the case at the
Museum. was splendidly set. Mrs. Helen E.
III. Carter, the prima donna of the company,
IL one of the best little actresses and singers
that have taken the boards in light opera for
a long while past She is Boston lady who
has been well known in musical circles and AZ
concert singer for several years past, but
she seems to have found her particular voca-
ton in the line of business which she has
recently taken mp. With a strong, fine, clear
voice. petite figure, dashing manners and
pretty face, she is bound to succeed.
1t is amusing, by-the-way, when one goes to
one of these modern musical plays nowadays,
to pick out the members of the company
whom one has previously known in other
walks of life. In this Mascot company 1
recognized two old acqnaintances. One young
lady, whose real name appeared on the pro-
gramme as one of the half dozen pages to the
king, | used to meet in dancing and musical
society, and remember her as characterized
especially by the care she took of her curls
and the slimness and length of her waist.
But really, to have imagined that / would
ever see her on the stage dressed as a natty
page in crimson tights and blonde wig and:dis-
porting herself in various hght-hearted antics
would have been impossible in those days.
The other whom recognized was one of the
gayest, iolliest, best natured young fellows
that it was ever my good luck to know and
if ever one was In his element and having
good time, it was this little joker in the
Mascot chorus.
think the "Pinafore" ageis responsible for
rnmar{pha n rtlna ttra-
proachably respectable young musical people
of the present day to the light opera ranks.
1t was altogether ''the thing" to sing in Pima
fore, and nobody thought of hesitating an
instant if the opportunity opened, dozens of
companies being made up of young people
who had never dreamed of such thing as
''going on the stage" and who gave perfor-
mances at home first, and then resolved on
travelling small circuit. When 'Pinafore'
went out, and other operas came in, these
young people, having had taste of the
excitements of the life, and finding it not 30
dreadfully awful, after all, took up the new
pieces, or Joined large companies, and 80 it is
that, at the present day, we have vastly
different class of companies on the road than
We're those Of three or four years ago.
During the performance last Saturday
afternoon there was something of a panic.
Some slight burning of paper or wood or
something out Of order about the furnace
caused a slight odor of smoke to come up
through the ventilator on that side of the
theatre furthest removed from the entrances,
which, by the way, are now very numerous
and broad and entirely easy of access at the
Museum, so that no real danger could pos
sibly occur. But some people do love to be
half frightened to death at nothing and 30,
as a few noses shifted the first suspicion OF
smoke that side of the house rose in body,
with such remarkable alacrity as to be quite
startling. Mrs. Carter and Mr.. Crane were,
In,
dialogue, but the sudden excitement in the
audience overpowered their voices, and they
ceased to speak. For about a moment, there
was danger OF panic; a great number of
people rushed out and nearly the whole house
rose, but a few leyel-headed people shouted
'.sit down !" ''for shame y and "keep cool /"
the orchestra struck up and Mrs. Carter and
MIR. Crane broke into one of their gayest,
jolliest songs and went skipping about the
stage.
But though partially quieted that audience
was the most uneasy set of people ever saw;
the stage manager came out on the stage, and
the treasurer came into the rear of the audi
torium, and they took turns in explaining to
the ladies that nothing was the matter at ALL
For about 10 minutes there was a regular
buzz and hum of voices, everybody talking at
once and many going out, and for the next
quarter of an hour ladies' went out who had
sensibly waited till the excitement was over,
but who still didn't feel good and thought il
advisable to go shopping. But altogether the
matter passed off quietly enough, whereas,
with different audience and in different
theatre, there might have been dangerous
panic
This week "Edgewood Folks" is the attrac-
ton at the Museum, with Sol Smith Russell
for the main attraction, and the play is so
popular that it is to be continued through
next week as well.
The Union Square Company are playing
The Danichefrs' at the Park this week, and
''Bllee Taylor" is,.amusing at the Gaiety At
the Boston Theatre, Suppe's 'Boccacio' is
being sung by II. b. Mains comic opera COM
pany, with Suppes Donna Juanita'' to come
on the boards tomorrow night.
The other theatres are all giving good bills
and doing good business, and there is the
usual number of concerts, and other musical
entertainments are going on all the time.
One of the prettiest concerts of the past few
days was that given at the Meionaon by the
famous pianist, Mr.. ]. @. d. Parker, assisted
by Mrs. f. Humphrey Allen, vocalist Mr..
q. U. Allen, violinist, and Mr.. Walt Fries,
violoncellist. Mr.. Parker is one of the
teachers at the N. L. Conservatory, under
whose auspices the concert was given.
went to an evening service last Sunday, at
church which seems to me rather remark
able place and society in many respects. IL
is no novelty to see churches with very fine,
talented pastors and every added attraction,
which are more or less empty at every service
Neither is it novelty to see thronging audi
encos at churches where the pastors are
famons for one reason or another, and when
they draw by sheer force of their remarkable
powers of oratory or argument. But to find
a church which is located in an unattractiye
part of the city, just about half way between
anywhere, as the Rnggles Street Baptist
Church is ia church which is most unpleasant
in exterior appearance, although prettily ar
ranged inside; a church whose pastor Rev.
MIR. Seymour, is remarkable only for his
earnestness and sincerity, but who treats his
subjects Ill the most commonplace fashion,
artlculates through his nose and slips in his
grammar: church whose only visible
besides an exceedingly good male quartet.
large male chorus and first class organ and
organlst there Ii congregational singing of q
type which far surpasses anything of the
kind that | ever heard anywhere; when a
church like this IL found to be crowded full
at every service, and standing room occupied
even at the prayer meetings like that on
Sunday night, when the Only music was con-
gregational singing, one is bound to admit
that there must be something that draws
people to this church other than appears on
the surface. They are n somewhat common
fair to middling' class ofpeople who attend.
though there are some rich members, be-
lleve But the mass of the congregation are
the young people of the neighbor-
hood, for whom reading room is kept open
day ani.evening, entertainments and sociables
are given, and many attractions provided
which certainly draw this class, who are
influenced thereby, greatly to their
moral advantage, whether they are gathered
into the church itself or not. There must be
a great work for good done at this place,
though the manner Of its doing and its sue
cess must strike a locker on az somewhat
phenomenal. 1t is. doubtless the life, the
''go' of the religion of this pastor and
society that does the business. There is
nothing dead about it. ROBIN.