The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-04-19
COULISSE CHAT.

Gen. Banks made his first appearance on the stage
in 1899, at the old National Theatre, Boston, as
Claude Metnote to Mrs. Anderson's Pauline. His
career was inglorious. When a hoy he played in al
amateur company at Waltham, Mass.
Mr. George Lynch, the agent of "Joe" jefferson
left here yesterday morning to meet Mr.. Jefferson
al Lynchburg where they will play half the week
going thence TO Richmond for the latter part From
Richmond Mr.. Jefferson goes to Brooklyn thence 10
Boston, and back to Williamsburg, making four
weeks spring tour.
Miss Eleanor Calhoun. who appeared here as
novice some years ago and who was pronounced by
this journal the most promising debutante since
Mary Anderson. Is playing at the London Hay
market. She lately appeared there with Mr.. ant
Mrs Bancroft In their revival Of" Maskalnl Faces,
Ihe E,G says OF her: Miss Calhoun made an all
mirable Mabel pane. on her first appearance in tht
midst of the curious company invited to her hn :.
bands house this Mabel was the young, loving, ant
trusting wife to the life, and later, when she has
fully realized how matters stand, Miss Calhoun
played with an amount or natural feeling that wOr
all hearts, the appeal TO the picture, of the supposed
picture, of Peg W0ngon, in'7riplets garret being
replete with natural emotion, and eXacting grea
sympathy"
The play which has been chosen by Miss Glars
Morris for her return to the stage of New York /.
"Dcnise," the latest drama by Alexandra DuIna.
Hls. 1t will be remembered that the play was pro
duced In Paris few weeks ago AMI made a pro
found sensation. II Is still running there and vii
doubtless be continued for very long period. Mr.
Daly has personally made the adaptation In which
Miss Morris Ia TO appear, and he will go further thar
this and personally superntend the production, con
dncting the rehearsals selecting the company, and
providing the scenery and monntings. Mr. Day's
personal connection with this event is an important
feature OF the production. Miss Morris was very
anxious to secure his cooperation bo.h In writing
and In rehearsng the pece and she Is fortunate Id
having executed her design In this direction. Mr.
Daily has considerably altered the play IN the process
OF preparing II for his stage.
1t Is said that, though Miss Ober has given the
formal farewell performance of the Ideals some of
the principals, including Barnabee and Karl, will
carry on the company on the cooperation plan. II
was probably with view to preparing an enlarged
repertory for next season thar the trouble was taken
to produce In Boston Scribe and Adama's " Giralda" "
We can cordially indorse the comment made upon
this event by the Transcript: "Would that works
Ike 'Giralda were given Oftener. The opera is q
little gem, and there are plenty more like IT, Moth
Ing could be better nor more wholesome to-day than
for good company TO ransack the Oid repertOry OF
the Paris Theatre de lopera Comque, and give de-
cent English versions OF the successes In nat reper-
tory. Think OF the great names one would meet at
ep In slnG sasG Mon
men OF most exquisite genius, and not a
note OF whose music Is beyond the easy
comprehenson as OF the great mass Of opera.goers
today Their music Is ssimpe, melodious, dramatic,
well wrltten full of Infinite brightness. sparkle, and
fascination. And, In selecting from the successes
such risk as does his in the Held of
grand opera. For an opera to succeed at the Opera
COinquc III Parls, one thlng mas always been sine
qua non: II must have an excellent llbrettO; except
under this condition. the habitues OF this most char
acieTlsllcally Parisan house would accept nothing
II may safely be asserted that all the older operas
that have succeeded unqueslionably at the Opera
Comque have capital often exceptionally brilliant,
texts. Take Giralda;' the llbrettO Is master
piece In It's way. Scflbes high comedies may show
the wrinkles OF age his grand opera texts (es-
peclay those In writing which he had the iinpor-
tunne Mcyerbeer TO jOstle his elbow) may raise
smile as dramatic inOnsirositles; but his comic
opera llbreli are gems, and should be Immortal.
All his Wit, cleyerness, fertility of invention, and
surprising knowledge OF the stage arc brought
toa focus In these charming texts. Nothing by bur
nanl. Gilbert, Mellhac, or iaeyy ever threw Boston
audience into heartler commissions OF laughter than
even The bald English version OF Scribes 'Giralda
dd last evening. Such text bears translation far
better than The more modern opera. bOuiie texts do;
The gisi OF the fun does not lie much in lnnuendo,
local alluslOn and idionatc nesse, but mainly In the
plot, Incident, situat0n and the dialogue that natu-
rally grows therefrom. such a Translation of Nell
haG and lIaleyy text as was given of Glralda last
evening would be simply leihal; "a kill-joy of the
fellest lk. But the fun OF Scrlbe's original shone
through u almost unmpeded; all that was lost was
certain discriminating deiicacy Of touch. Adams
music Ia simply charming-and IL, upon the whole,
excellenty adapted TO the capacity OF the singers
who sang II. The audience liked 1t hugely, as was
manifest by the frequent and often genuine encores"