The Portland daily press., 1883-10-30
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
LYCEUM THEATRE.

LfCEUM IhEAIBE.
The Lyceum Theatre was crowded to over
flowing last evening. There were several new
faces including Master George Marshall in
clogs and reels, John f. Fenton, the cham
pion dancer, Milo and Eagan, the acrobsts,
and Greeley and Creary in song aud dance and
their burlesque circus. Johnnie Mack still
remains IS an Eccentric Dude;n also Long
and sharpe In their original sketch entitled
cludes with the comedy, dodgers, Dodgers
and Inventors" Hereafter Friday night will
be amateur night at the Lyceum.
WILLY REILLY.
Dan Maguinnis, so long the popular come
dian of the Boston Theatre Company, who
elected to star this season instead of remaining
one Of the stock, will appear at Portland
Theatre Friday and Saturday evenings in his
play OF Willy Reilly an Irish play that the
late Barney Williams made popular Mr.
Magninnis is meeting with great success on
the Eastern circuit with his play, and gets
many kind words from the critics in cities
where he has appeared. He should have full
house.
NOTES.
"Saml OF Posen' Curtis is building an
elegant house in Detroit. Sam'l seems to run
to fine houses.
Joseph Proctor, the tragedian, will have
completed his fftieth anniversary upon the
stage, November 30th, and active efforts are
being made to give to him and the occasion a
fitting recognition of the event.
Speaking of Stagno, the new tenor, and
Trebelli, the great contralto, the Tribune saws:
The new tenor hassa high in his yoice-a
ringing, trumpet-toned C-and this note is
likely to be the beal and end-aIl of his work
as Manrico It makes all that precedss the
"Di quella pira" merely a prelude, and all
that follows only postlude.S When his dice
was first heard in the serenade of the second
scene, hundred shoulders were shrugged and
many music lovers felt a disappointment. The
voice that came from behind the scenes was
decidedly throaty. The tones seemed squeezed
out and there was such dissimiarity between
the high and low notes that the memory of
poor "Orator Puff with "tones in his voice.
was involuntarly revived. Throughout the
scene the tenor (who now discovered himself
as rather short, heavy-set, self-conscious
man of good stage features and bad stage ac-
tions) continued to squeeze out a trickle of a
voice, showing no animation until The notes
above the stah were reached, and always hus-
banding his strength in the concerted pieces,
where he was only one of several Those who
are easily moved by high notes, loudly sung
and well sustained, had, however, recognized
IN the voice the promise of the excitement
they love, and the new tenor's reception was
hearty one. The expectations thus aroused he
filled to Overlooking in his show-piece.
pet, and stirred up whirlwind of excitement
in the house. The people shouted their de-
light, and would not be quieted until a repeti-
tion showed that the high notes were plentiful
in his voice, and that the wear and tear of
Verdi's music even could not dim their lustre
We are unwilling to believe that Signor Stagno
cannot sing better than he did in the early
part of last nights opera. Naturally he was
anxious to make a hit, to create a sensation.
on his frst appearance, and hence he laid the
stress OF his work where it would tell unmis-
takably. His voice is robust and tuneful pene-
trating and powerful when he chooses that it
shall be SO. ana he ought to be able to give real
musical pleasure as well as Cause physical ex-
element Ii he does not we shall have to de-
pend, as We have so often done without dis
appointment, upon Signor Campanini's art for
the delight inspired by beautiful singing in
the tenor roles.
The genuine artistic triumph of the evening
was that won by Madame Trebeli. Hers was
the exposition of beautifnl singing. We can
imagine that the voice which for twenty years
was the admiration of London and the Com
tinent was once little fuller, fresher and
more sympathetic than now; but it can never
have been handled with more skill than last
night. 1t is yet true, even, powerful and clear
as bell throughout wide range, and in
every respect shows a degree OF cultivation
that is all too rare among the younger singers
Of to-day. Her execution is finished, and
repose, ease, gracefulneEs AM symmetry mark
every phrase she utters She commands an ex
traordinary range of dramatic expression and
fairly widened the horizon of the role which
she Interpreted. This, of course, was that of
the dream-haunted Gypsy She had not cor
rectly estimated at first the demands which
a large house makes upon the singers, and
some of the refnements of her warmly dra-
matte singing we're lost in the winds; but she
filled the air with her fervor later. 1t was a
triumph of high vocal art worthy of being
ranked with Madame Sembrich's brilliant per-
Torrance on Wednesday.