Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-01

unhappy and unfruitful life, contain
ing many disappointments and much
toll" Actors often give such trite
counsel as this. Women find the
stage the best OF all vocations, ii they
are equipped with talent. Gifted
young girls should be helped not dis
couraged by actresses of position and
influence.
Carlton Opera Company.
Music and mirth will reign supreme
at the Grand Opera House during the
coming week, for the Carleton Opera
Company will arrive this evening via.
the overland and beginning tomorrow
and continuing throughout the week,
will present five of the prett'est and
amusing of all comic operas; Nanon,
at the New Years matinee, and
Wednesday evening. the ever-beauti-
full Nanoa, SO well known and much
liked already everywhere; Tuesday
evening, Erminie, with her lullaby
and comic rogues, a perfect fantasie
OF fun: Thursday evening, the latest
and greatest of all London comic OPP
era successes, Dorothy, which has
been running for nearly two years to
crowded houses at one London thea
t. r-another NdnOn in beauty. Mr..
Carleton plays; Friday night, Il fare
vel )" request" performance OF The
Mikodo, in the altogether superior man
ner of presentation which among other
things, made Mr.. Carleton famous.
Monday and Saturday evenings the
brilliant and romantic opera comique,
universally admitted to be the mas
terpiece of that consummate wizard
of the waltz, Johann Strauss, the
most popular of all comic operas In
Continental Europe, The Merry War.
Opera goers in the East are still ia
miliar with the wonderful popularity
Of The Merrg War when it was first
produced in English at the Star Thea
ter, New York, with Mr.. Ca, Teton and
several members of his present COM
pany in the original cast. Its success
was instantaneous, and the run which
followed was phenomenal and sur
passed in duration that of any opera
produced in New York up to that time
and has been exceeded since only by
the runs OF Nanon and Erminis at the
New York Casino. The Merry Var
is an opera which keeps an audience
constantly alternating between laugh
ter and applause, but it is of
that rich but delicate quality that
require for its development cast OF
artists throughout. Mr.. Carleton
claims that it can not be given an ad-
equate presentation by any other
company in the country, and the
critics generally sustain him in the
statement.
The story OF The Merry War is a
genuine comedy, framed in the rich,
voluptuous harmonies which the very
name OF Strauss suggests.
The title, The Merry War, is derived
from the hostilities which occur dur.
ing the action OF the opera between
two petty States, Genoa and Massa
Carrara, caused by the fact that a
favorite dancer has made simultane.
GUS engagements at each, the disputed
question being which OF the contracts
the dancer shall fulfill. The merry
war" is waged with great fury by the
two combatants as but one hand gren-
ade a day is exchanged, and the
contest develops into pretty
picture of still life, which is
interrupted eventually by the ap.
pt arance in the Genoese camp Of the
lovely Countess Violetta, who, dis
guised as common woman, attempts
to pass through the lines to Carrara
where she is to take command OF the
fortress. General Umberto Spinela is
at first deceived by her and grants
her permission to pass, hut as COON as
it is given learns her true character,
and having fallen in love with hel
determines to avenge himself by m
rying her. He learns that she is
about to marry by proxy the Duke oi
Limburg, and he impersonates the
proxy husband and has an obliging
priest to actually mary them without
letting her know the true condition OF
affairs. To do is he causes Groot, q
Dutchman, who has been captured by
his forces and held as a spy, to
impersonate the Duke of Lin.
burg. plications arise in the
awkward matrimonial ENHANCEMENT
because of the presence and jeal-
ously of Groot's wife, the antipathy
of Violetta to her supposed husband,
and her affection for General Spinola
all of which is Strengthened out by
subsequent explanations and treaty
of peace, when the dancer, the casus
belli, withdrew from both theatres.
The foregoing argument" shows the
foundation on which the great waltz
king built pretty opera. AS in his
Queen's Lace Handkerchief there are
many beautiful airs in the compost
tion, some as dreamy and intoxica-
ring as The waltzes of the master.
The strength of the Merry War, how
ever, does not rest on the music
alone. 1t is a glitteIing show piece
and a comedy as we'll IS an opera.
Incidental to the opera is a march Of
the fair warriors clad in gold and
silver armor, led by the stately
statuesque beauty, Miss Clara Wis
dom. 1t is a superb spectacle. Ap-
pended is the cast:
General Umberto Spinols W. T. Carlton
Marquis Filipo Sebastini Jay G. Taylor
Balthazar Grott II. Enrendt
hlc3ruO. ........-..- ..-.-...... y. N. NJ urray
COLONEL Van scnelen.. Robert Broderick
Spinzi ...................R Richard Guise
Franchettf. s...............-..W Vim. Dixon
Bifiii ...s..... .......s......-.........M M. Darker
Violet, Countess Lomelina., Miss Lily Post
Elsa, wife of Balthazar GroOt .......
.A......ss i. Miss Fanny Rice
Artemesia, Princess OF Malaspini .....
............ Mies Clara Wisdom
Theresa sa.............M Mis- Emily Sc, mour
Giui 50. ....... Miss Marguerite Baxter
First Dame .. Miss Estelle Batsford
Second Dame Miss Kate Griffith
Third Dame. .... Miss Maureena PalaciO
The opera for tomorrow afternoon,
the New Years matinee, will be
Nanon, with Mr.. Carleton in his
famous role Of the Marquis d. Au-
bigne;" Lily Post as "Ninon d.