The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-14
OVERTURES.
The operate Entertainment
This Evening.
Gossip and Other Items of
General Interest.
THE OPERA.

ms evening the bright ana sparkling
opera of ''Fatinitza' will be rendered by
the Boston Ideal troupe of which Miss
Marie Stone, Adelaide Phillips. Tom Karl,
FL. C. Barnabee and Myron w. Whitney
are the bright particular members. The
argument of the opera is appended:
A handsome and very youthful heuten-
ant of Circassian regiment in the Russian
army, named Vladimir Samoiloff, while
masquerading in girls dress under the
name of Fatinitza. is met by rough old
general, Count Timofey Kantchukoff, who
falls violently in love with him. Vladimir
extricates himself from this dilemma, and
afterwards, in Odessa, meets the generals
neice, the Princess Lydia Imanovna, whom
he knows only as Lydia; and the two form
a romantic attachment. Hearing of this,
the old general has the young officer trans
ferred to the outposts of.the Russian army
on the Danube.
The piece opens with scene in camp
istic military scenes, during which Vladi-
mir tells the story of his love for Lydia, all
American newspaper special correspondent
Julian Hards, the good genius of about
everybody in the piece. is brought on by
the Cossacks as spy, but is recognized
by Vladimir as an old friend. To relieve
the ennu6 of camp life, he proposes that
they have some private theatricals,-a sug-
gestion which is hailed with delight. Via
dimir agrees to play the leading lady"
and, while all the company has retired to
dress for the rehearsal, Gen. Kantchnkoff
arrives Unexpectedly. He pounces upon
Julian, who escapes by showing his pass
ports. and quite gets the better of the old
general by his professional impudence.
Vladimir then comes On in peasant girls
attire, and is recognized by the general as
his first and only love, FatinitZa. Then
come the cadets, soldiers and officers, dis
guised in all sorts of absurd costumes, to
the great astonishment and intense rage of
the general, who is, however, concihated
by the pretended Fatinitza, who coaxes
him to let the offenders go. Glad to be
left alone with his love, the general orders
them off to drill; but his love-making is
interrupted by the announcement of the
arrival of his niece, the Princess Lydia,
whose noble rank is thus first revealed to
Vladimir, who fears recognition in his dis
guise. Complications are again smoothed
over by the correspondent, who explains
the resemblance by telling the princess
that FatinitZa is her lover Vladimir's sis
ter. The general commends Fatinitza to
the princess, and goes off to inspect the
troops. A band of Bashi-BaZouks then
steal upon the scene, surprise the Russian
works, and capture the princess. Vladimir,
and Julian leaving the latter behind, how
ever, to arrange for ransom for their cap
tives. inst as they are going the Russian
troopes return, but are prevented from
firing upon the retreating Turks by the
general, for fear that they might hit
Fatinitzap
The second act shows the harem of the
reform Turk, IZzet Pasha, the governor of
the Turkish fortress: and there are some
comical scenes with his family of four wives.
Vladimir, still in woman's guise, and Lydia
are brought in as captives; and the Pasha
announces to his four ''better-halves" that
he is about to add Lydia to their number.
much to their vexation. Then comes
Julian, with the Russian Sergeant Stei-
pam, to arrange for the release of the
captives. The Pasha is willing to give up
Fatinitza, but refuses to part with Lydia
Steipann is despatched to carry the Pasha' S
terms to the general, with secret message
from Julian telling how he can surprise the
Turks with his army; Julian having obtain
ed the knowledge from Vladimir, who, in
previous scene, has declared his identity
to Lydia, and also to the four wives, whom
lac persuades to abet their escape. Julian
is left as the guest of the Pasha, and the
two have very jolly time together. A
''Karagois, or Turkish shadow pantomime,
is gotten up for the entertainment of the
strangers; but it is given an unlocked for
conclusion by the arrival of the Russians,
who come to rescue their friends.
The third act takes place in the generals
summer palace near Odessa. The princess
has been promised by the general to a
MANNED and crippled old friend of his; but
Julian arrives with Vladimir, and, through
the ingenuity of the former, matters are
smoothod over, and the general, who finds
in the Fatinitza whose coming he has been
expecting, nothing but g yelled
negress bearing that name, is made to be-
lieve that the real FatinitZa has died of
grief at her separation from him, and so he
to the union of her brother Via
dimir, whom she commits to his care in a
parting letter, with his niece.