The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-11-29
HISTORICAL IABLERUX.

The tableaux vivants at the Music
Hall, Saturday evening, was wit
messed by large company of spec
tators. Admission was obtained by
cards of invitation. This method
was adopted in order to limit the
attendance to the sitting accommo-
dation. There were as many invi-
tations issued as there were seats in
the hall, and every seat was occu-
pied. The ushers were attentive to
their duty, and polite and pleasant
in its discharge. 'Fhe King and
other members of the Royal family
occupied seats in the hall, ii. II. II.
Princess Kaiulani and attendants
occupying tha royal box.
One electric burner, of three
thousand candle power, suspended
from the centre of the ceiling, fur
nished the entire light, and was
sufficient for that purpose. A
screen was placed near the source
of light, protecting the audience
from its glare and rejecting the full
blaze right on to the stage. The
street in front of the Music Hall
was also brilliantly Illuminated by
two electric lights-one at the
Palace gate and the other on the
premises of Mr.. Gibson.
The orchestral musical produc-
tions, instrumental and vocal, under
the supervision and direction of Mr..
II. Berger, constituted Il prominent
and pleasing feature of the evening.
National music preceded and sue
ceeded each scene in the tableaux.
The pure and sweet voice of the
native Hawaiian lady, Miss Wala-
nika, was particularly noticeable,
and the solos with chorus in which
she sang the solo part were much
appreciated.
The tableaux vivants comprised
four scenes, the first of which re-
presented group of fishermen en-
gagged in fishing with a net, and one
of the two men whose duty it was
TO drive the fish into the net being
intentionally drawn in along with
the fish and drowned. This is said
to illustrate an ancient method of
securing human victim for sacrl-
flee. This scene was well put on
the stage, and terminated effec-
lively.
The second represented Kameha-
meha ! consulting one of his wise
men as to whether it was proper for
the king to become afiianced to
young child or not. Two old men
one of them the man to be con-
sulted-were seated on the floor of
the stage, playing game resem-
bling checkers, when Kamehameha
marched in with his soldiers, and an
attendant bearing on his shoulders
the child concerning whom the in
quiry followed. The king being told
that he must win his wife by war,
and being counseled to attack the
chiefess of Maui, the war conch was
sounded as signal for the assem-
bling of the forces, and the curtain
fell. A native of splendid physique
represented Kamehameha, and the
entire scene was well mounted.
Here followed an exhibition of
automatons, who raised their heads
and arms above curtain drawn
across the stage, and cut all kinds
of antics, in time with the tapping
of calabash and the chanting of a
mele. This was probably the most
amusing part of the entire show.
Kamehameha seated on his
throne, and his soldiers performing
spear dance before him, were re-
presented in the third scene of the
living series. The figures did not
move so smoothly and harmoniously
in this as in the preceding numbers.
The last scene represented Ka-
mehameha after conquering the
high chiefess of Maui, with his
soldiers and company of female
dancers arrayed in modern costume
parading before him, and the con-
quered chiefess and her daughter
being brought as prisoners into his
presence, guarded by the two for
eigners, John Young and William
Adams, who with their fintlock
muskets aided Kamehameaha in
the great battle of lao Valley,
Maui. The two captivcs knelt
at his feet, and he ordered their re-
lease, taking the younger for his
wife. This was the climax, and
terminated the exhibition.
On the whole, the design in the
various scenes was well executed.
The manager, +. l.. Clarke, and
performers did their respective
parts creditably. ProliXity-too
often a prominent feature of similar
observation-disclosures notableby its
absence. Each number of the pro-
gramme-musical and exhibitory-
was short, SO that no part became
irksome from being long-drawn out,
and the whole terminated at an
early hour.