The Hawaiian gazette., 1882-02-22

Theatre Royal China Town.
CBy a Special Reporter. }

Honolulu, as is often remarked, is progressing.
A Palace, new stores, fine bank, handsome man
sions, lots Of carriages, the telephone, &c. All
this has been largely for the benefit OF native
white; but a paternal government ever mindful
of the good of all its children, has also looked
with favorng eye upon its Celestial foster infants
ana has gwen them (tor an excellent remit the
use of piece Of land, for the purpose of erecting
theatre. John has gone 10 work and erected a
magnificent building for the abode of the Celestial
Tkespis, very fairy palace ito the Celestial eye).
Following the rules of aesthetic taste he has left
the plain red wood in its native beauty, no touch
of paint the severe simplicity of the decora-
tons. The balmy breezes of the Pacific have free
access to the interior, the windows air openings
being guiltless of glass. The lighting of the
building Is on gorgeous scale. None of your
dangerous and explosive gasses, none of your
kerosene lamps, but an elegant affair made out
of the expensive metal tin with three spouts from
each of which projects an inch so of lamp wick
fed with the delicate and sweet scented peanut oil,
three OF these, suspended by cord from the cell
ing, diffused soft light over the whole building
and produced startling stage effects.
The opening night WAS anxiously looked for.
Reserved seats were at premium and boxes sold
for fabulous prices. II was whispered around
that the famed tragedlans Long Tawk and All
Howl would appear, supported by the talented
artists Messrs. Squee kee, so good in female
delineations), Sing Sharp, famed for his comic
songs and side splitting gag, and the dashing
Rap-Skal. Yong, Ito play the role of the young
bucksl. The latter Is widely known as having
won the hearts of hundreds of Celestial maidens
his table Is always covered with sweet scented
billet dOuI; be is at once the handsomest and the
vlckedest performer on the Celestial stage. No
love episode but has had its tale, in fact he
a man of many tails. besides his own; does the
reader take the queueI
An attentive and highly aristocratic audience
assembled therefore, last Friday evening. Not
only was all the rank and fashion of China town
present but in the fullness OF his heart John al
lowed the outer barbarians to squeeze in; the
treat
strength, the law attended, and the mercantile
interests we're not uurepresented while even the
fair there to shudder the sOnorous periods
OF All howl or weep over the sorrows OF Squee kee
The piece chosen for the opening was the cee-
brated tragedy, descriptive of Chinese domestic
life, entitled Jee-Lus-Ee :! Or how to manage
a household.
The play is full of romantic incident, startling
situations and highly sensational episodes 1t
will be impossible at present to give our readers
full account Of the plot, 1t was not fully de-
veloped on Friday evening" IN fact our reporter
saw only the opening part of the Prologue the
main INTEREST," of the play will come on about the
middle of March, by which time, 1t is 10 be hoped
that the above named fedgling will have recovered
his hearing; he Is at present stone deaf from the
eHects of the half dozen gungs.
Following the rules of early dramatic art, the
audience are required to draw on their imagina-
ton, or on Bishop Co., If they prefer for their
scenery A couple of chairs and table are all
that are needed.
The scene opened therefore with Chinese in
affairs had apparently gone wrong, and he incul-
Gated one lesson in the management of a house
hold, by thrashing his two wives.
Scene 2.-Squee kee wife No. /, who in black,
had apparently applied to her family, and Long
Tawh, IN the character Of the brother appeared to
demonstrate. All Howl after standing about
three-quarters of hours talk from the pair
procured knife, and a terrific combat ensued,
twice was All Howl pierced through and through,
and ce did he rise to the situation, amid thur
derH applause and a crash of gongs that would
have vlked the dead, he finally drove the pair of
tho stage. He then laid low, and in
scene 8, while Long Tawk taking
a stroll over the bridge which crossed
the stream between the two mansions, graphical
ly repTas ented by two chairs, two tables and
board All Howl incOntiuently pitched Long
IaWk INTO the water and never stopped to help
him 90 the bank thrill of horror ran through
the house at this murderous deed. But All Howl's
troubles we're not at an end. Returning home he
found klghtee. wife No. >, had been entertaining
q friend 1t dinner; he stealthily approached and
overhearllg some remarks not very compliment
iarv 90 himself, he kicked out the guest and then
proceeded to discipline his family by cutting its
throat " She dead" explained the interpreter
Oh yes, l see,m but in moment after the dead
lady arose and scuttled Off On enquiry, the inter
prefer added, " she dead, no more good. what for
She stay 20 An unanswerable argument Truly
To Celestial stage is ahead of ours The he I.
scene introduced lF'ightee's brother, Rap Skal
Yong, who thirsted for ba lud and Flightee's
father, who understood these little matters having
been through the mill, he tried in vain to
pour oil IN the troubled waters. Rap-skal-
yong would have none of it he must have
gore and wounds and -eath The Chinese
ladies in tho private boxes were in perfect hutter
OF excitement. The father interposed song a
moving ballad, which drew tears to the eyes of
the audience. 1t was written in metre invented
hy ;Le great poet Hal Ting and set TO the music of
the creat composer All Sqnal the prolonged wall
at he end uf each Of the thousand lines was most
touching aud ought to have melted heart of
stone; the performance of the renowned Tom
Kat SO well known 10 the Honolulu public, was as
nothing to L But Rap-skal-yong was not TO be
t'uched and 1t line $40 he cut the song and the old
uendomrl sa Ort by a blow of his good sword He
then madr ilr All Howl, and once more there was
q thrilling nbat, many wounds were given and
received but All Howl was again triumphant and
stretched ms foe upon the earth: when according
70 the rules % the Celestial drama, the dead and
the living ked comfortably off the stage to-
gather ann-iu arm. Then the audience were watt
cd 10 heaven and as the deity proceeded to bring
70 life all tha slain and To start them back to
earth again l1 begin the play de moro, reporter
rushed OF as the father was coming to life
and taking All Squalls music at the lOO0th line
with those seet strains ringing in his ears he
INIT for town. There has been considerable diff.
t-ulty IN leit very definite account out of him,
ihe has nupeart somewhat dazed ever since but by
incaus OF a microphone and speaking trumpet
khs above has been extracted.