The Portland daily press., 1883-02-03
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
HuMprY puMpTY.

Tony Denier's "Humpty Dumpty" company
drew good audience to Portland Theatre last
evening, and will repeat the entertainment at
the matinee and evening performance today.
Ali theatre-goers are familiar with Humpty
Dumpty and his mirth- provoking actions, but
Tony Deniers presentation of the pantomime
contains many new features of interest. TIL
second act is devoted exclusively to variety
business of an excellent order of merit. From
the moment Humpty Dumpty made his ap
pearance ON the stage behind donkey until
he finally departed from it, he kept the audi
ence III the best of good humor. His agility
was only equaled by his cunning and NEEDLE
someness. AS clown in the last act Alfred
the Great Miaco, was equally happy as in
Humpty Dumpty. His personation of Lalla
Rookh, with the pet elephant Juliet was
laughabie in the extreme. The Great Miaco,
in his performance of Hnmpty Dumpty, has
the appreciable advantage of an excellent sup
port. George Steele as Pantaloon; George
Topack as Harlequin; Mile. Laura Mi4eo as
Columbine, and Miss Victoria North as Fairy
Queen, competed for public favor with the
clown. The Great Miaco surprised the assem-
blage by appearing on stills ten feet high which
he used with extraordinary freedom.
LA BELLE Russo.
Miss Jeffreys-Lewis will be at Portland
theatre next Monday and Tuesday evenings in
"La Belle Russo. This play affords ample
opportunity for fine emotional acting, and Miss
Jeffreys-Lewis is said to be aided by pleasing
stage presence and charmingly vivacous
manner Miss Lewis it is claimed wins the
sympathy of her audience at the start and re-
tains it to the close. She faithfully portrays
ho IF = no world ri0h nd mil Of
life, to all outward appearance, yet inwardly
racked with mistrust aud fear that her decep-
ton will be discovered. The play is strong.
the action being rapid, the situations powerful
and the interest sustained throughout.
JOHN MCCULLOUGH.
That hero of old Rome. Virginius has been
the centre of tragedies interpreted in every
tongue Of Europe, and his character has been
set forth with power in English from the days
of McCready to those of Mccullough. Yet
the play-goers of our day are not apt to ask
more vivid dramatic setting than that which
Sheridan Knowles has given it or more fer.
vid histrioDism than such as this tragedian in
fuses. The Boston Journal says: John Nc
Cullough opened last evening as in former sea-
SONS with his powerful impersonation of vir-
ginius aud stirred still larger audience to en-
thusasm. The impression of his quality as
define ator of classic roles was renewed, as he
seemed to make the fiery hero live again in
com mandipg tone and gesture as well as in
fervor of passion. At the terrible climax of the
NTH act, when Virginius thrusts the dagger
into his daughter az his last desperate act in
defence of her honor, the spectators we're
aroused to the heartiest plaudits, and he WIS
called several times before the curtain. 1t was
good evidence of the actors powers that af-
ter the overpowering scene and the disappear
ance of the interesting figure of Virginia, he
was able to save the play from anti-climax by
the sustained force of his conception. The
cast was of fair merit particularly in the APP
Plus Clandins of Edmund Collier, the Iclius OF
Mr.. Joseph Haworth, and the Virginia of Miss
Kate Forsyth. In the last. the race and pa
thos of the haplesssmaiden were very tastefully
EN- bodied.
MIR. Newell received telegram last that Mr.
Mccullough would be unable to appear at
matinee next Saturday, and therefore only two
performances will be given Virginius and
Spartacus.
The last opportunities will be afforded today
to see Nile. Mills "Red Stocking Minstrel-,''
the great Magatherium. and Harvey Collins in
The Tramp"
The Longiellow evening in the Stockbridge
Course, next Wednesday, will draw large
audience.
AID. Cary, assisted by Grmmer's orchestra,
will dedicate thd new hall, in Pennington,
f. bruary 22d.
The Hanlons will produce 'Le Voyage en-
Suisse" at Portland Theatre February 10Th,
10Th and 18th.
Observation-Disclosures Misunderstanding lost
eighty thousand dollars, will sell at auction this
month all her Jewels and pay her creditors with
the proceeds.
Buffalo Bill is sick with pneumonia.
Miss Helene Bijou Heron, daughter of the
late Matilda Heron, and an actress whose
name has been frequently and pleasantly be-
fore the public, was married in New York
Thursday to Mr.. Henry John Miller. Both
are members of one of the "Hazel Kirke"
companies.
Mrs. d. p, Bowers, the we'll known actress,
was married in New York on Monday to Mr..
James G. McCullom, who has been number
of years leading in the companies sup
porting Mrs. Bowers in her professional tours
Some Austin amateurs recently got up the
atrica performance, called the Captive Cru
ssder." Gus De Smith and Kusciusko Murphy
took leading parts. Between the acts behind
the scenes, Murphy, who was the Captive Cru
sader, begged Gus to lend him a quarter"
"Cah't think of il. You know well enorgh
that in the next act have to raise ransom of
100000 piasters to pay the Sultan, before will
be allowed to return to Jerusalem" THAT
settles it,, responded Murphy goomily.-[ Tex
as Slftings.