St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-25

'Halloa, old Sportr' exclaimed man about
town to the head of family, who, in the
early hours of the morning, was treading I'M
certainly toward his home. .'Are you going
home?"
"Yesh," replied the family man, as he
steadied himself by means of a lamp-post.
its time tuth go home"
Yes continued the man about town,
chats the way with you family men. You
have to gohome no matter whether the night
is young or not. You don't dare stay out the
way you used to do before you got married,
do your
"Yesh I do" responded the homeward-
bound individual, Il ishn't afraid Of
nothing"
"Well, then, what starts you home now?''
''Caush," said the man, hanging to the
lamp-post, "shaloons are closed up. No
other plashe to co.
80
Evangeline, as revived and now playing at
the Grand opera house, has great many at
tractive features about it-a great improve
ment so far as novelties and spectacular
effects are concerned over its original pro-
duction several years ago The individuals
sustaining the different characters are not up
to the standard set long years sgo when
public.
AT that time the cast included such we'll
known names as Nat Goodwin, Eliza Wealth
ersby, Laura Joyce, George Mcknight and
Henry DiXey. 1t also composed the names
of Harry Hunter and venie Clancy, names
that now mark the tombstones. Then Nat
Goodwin, the well-known comedian, took the
part of the Notary, while his wife, Eliza
Weathersby-a shapely reiet of the Lydia
Thompson British blondes-played the part
of Gabrielle. Evangelipe was successfully
played by Laara Joyce, the present wife of
Digby Bell, singer of acknowledged ability,
and by the pretty Venie Clancy. Knight
took the part of the Scotch captain, his
makeup being in imitation of Gen. Ben
Butler, style followed by the present actor
in the role. Harry Hunter was the Lone
Fisherman. He created the part and danced
and fished himself into popular favor
*x*
Henry DiXeY, who is now delighting the
Londoners with his clever limitations in I'VE
nus" wxs then the hind legs of the heifer.
He and his partner in the song-aud-dance
business-for he was no more than an ordi-
nary song-and dance artist-danced the heifer
dance, their heads and bodies being con-
cealed by the body of the stage heifer, while
their legs were made to play the head and
forelegs of the hefer. He spoke not line
and simply danced.
He danced himself into popularity, and for
two or three years has been increasing his
popularity by playing the same character in
Venus before large and enthusiastic audi
ences in New York, Chicago and Londou. He
is eonsidered the finest character actor in the
United States, and commands the most
money for his Individual services.
Another member of the old troupe who has
gone into business on his own account is
knight. He married Sophie Worrell of the
Worrell Sisters Burlesque company, and be-
gan to star in lover the Garden Wall"
~
The players sustaining the different char
aeters are not the only ores who have
changed in the years intervening between the
original production and the revival of the
piece. The play goers have changed and the
tastes of these same frequenters of the
amusement halls have undergone most de-
cfded change.
When ''Eyangeline'' first appeared there was
no such thing as light opera. Gilbert and
Sullivan had not presented any of their
joint productions. They had not taught the
English-speaking world that the English IAN
for expressing bright and sensible ideas as
set to attractive music. English opera, as
played in the United States, was some OF the
Italian or German operas changed into Eng
ish. The light French opera was just coming
iEte popularity.
Everything was burlesQue, and every bur-
lesque, copied after JOIN Broughams Poca-
hoEtas, was Feplete with the latest and silli-
est puns. Nobody thought Of the puns then.
for it was considered q. matter of course.
"Evange!ine" was written with the puns,
after the style of that day. and on its revival
the lines reman as originally written, puns
and all. No one Will deny that the score of
"Evangelne'' has good many really beauti-
full musical numbers. No honest auditor
will deny that the lines-a succession of
forced puns-are silly in the extreme.
"Evangeline'' cannot be classed as an Ameri-
can light opera, although it certainly is one Of
the most musical Of American burlesques.
THE ONLooKER.