Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-26
ADJUSTMENTS.

ALBAUGH's OPERA House." The Yeomen of
the Guard, or the Merryman and his Maid,'
Gilbert and Sullivans new opera, was sung for
the first time in this city at AIbaugh's Monday
night, and was repeated Mt the matinee yester-
day and last night before large audiences. who
applaudedthe leading numbers OF tine score gen.
erously, and in other ways showed their pleas
ure with the work and those engaged in It's in
terpretatlon As already commonly under
stood, 1.-The Yeomen" is constructed on lines
quite distinct from those adhered to with such
marked success in the previous operas of the
same authors. Its fun suggests the laugh of a
boy whose voice is changing. Now you are
pleasantly startled by the full, strong but
strange tones OF the approaching man; then
again recur the shriller, lighter but agreeably
familiar notes of the vanishing boy. The fun
of ''PinafOre." The Pirates" Patience" and
the rest had in ii much of the odd. fantastic.
6tzd'Te quality of precocious childish pranks.
The leomen' reveals in its conception and
treatment an effort to develop the deeper. fuller
fun OF maturity the true comedy that is deep
rooted in human nature. Naturally this tram
sltlon was not to be accomplished without the
striking of false notes and some loss OF the
grace and viyacity of movement which dis
tlngulshed most of the previous works
of the noted collaborators. But 'The
Yeomen' is by no means without decided
merit IN book and score. Both show the care
and finish that Gilbert and Sullivan never fail
to give their work. The orchestration is full
of charming passages. there are a number of
very catching airs and the first act ends with
the usual striking chorus. Mr.. Aronson's COM
pany Is well drilled but not quite as strong as
he has been accustomed TO give us. Miss Rice
as Phoebe is exceedingly pretty and fetching"
Miss Reeds Elsie is done with care and earnest
ness but is somewhat cold. Mr.. Charles s.
Campbell as COlOHe! FidiJGr shows decided inn
provement both in singing and acting since he
was last seen here. As Jack Point Mr.. James
t. Powers does the most artistic work of his
career, and if he makes the part only moder-
ately laughable the fault rests with the author.
Mark Smiths StrgedId and Mr.. Cummings Va
fred are good representations. Altogether the
performance is really enjoyable and one which
no reasonable person will not feel repaid for
devoting an evening to.
NATIONAL THgATER.-''The Wife" tells an
American story in a manner distinctly
French that even IN its most moving scenes
one has unsettling subconsciOusness of
something radically incongruous. The locale
and the incidents are supposed to he Ameri-
can, but the characters move in foreign
fashion from impulses that are certainly not
common TO us. and in an atmosphere to which
our lungs are strangers. And this French
treatment is not only on the surface but in the
sinews of the play WELL The story is told
with much deftness and force, though there is
q great deal of unnecessary matter in the first
and second acts. and the agony is piled on too
literally in the third. In few words, the story
is of an ideal and rather sentimental United
States Senator. who asks a young girl to marry
him Just after she had broken with her lover
on learning of the latters supposed desertion
of another woman. The girl consents but her
old love still holds her heart. He meets her
after the marriage with the Senator. they are
left alone, she faints in his arms. his discarded
tGncee sees them. spreads the news. and the
usual trouble follows. MIR. Nelson Wheatcroft
makes the ideal Senator Rutherford strong and
dignified. The role of the journalist
sentially French conception developed with
LODI rio nf col
a certain rough. cynical force by Mr.. Henry
Herman. Frank Carlyle as the lover was
little stacy i'll the lighter passages, but showed
good emotional power i'll the scene with
Rutherford i'll the third act. Mr.. Dickens
played with exaggerated impudence the over
drawn role of the college boy. Mrs. Gibbs
was effective in the emotional scenes as Helen.
and Miss Schell was very pretty and captivat-
ing Kitty. Mr.. Barrows made the part of
the Major fairly laughable. There is plenty of
fun in the piece, and the audience was gener-
Gus with its laughter and applause.
HARRIS BIJoU THEATER.-The rough but
harmless fun of I'VE, Us & Co." keeps the
audiences at Harris in almost continuous roars
of laughter this week. Mr. Hawkins. as the Dr.
Meliiclis. and c. jay Williams as Willie made
most of the fun. Miss Hamilton and Miss
Quigly do good work. Many new songs and
dances are introduced.
KERNAN's THEATsR.-Mr. Frank l. Frayne, in
his exciting dramas, is drawing large houses to
Kernan's this week. The acting dogs and the
other trained animals are effectively worked
into the plays, and the audiences are kept
steadily on the qui Uire by the stirring incidents
that are crowded into the scenes
GLOBE THEATER.-There is big business at
this house this week and the entertainment
offered is meritorious one Ed Leopold
Matthews and Harris. and Miss Lucille Grieves
are worthy of special mention.
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH continues on ex-
hibition at the Panoma building. and no one
who has not seen it should fail to do so.
''ER9nNIE' CoMING AGAIN.-The New York
Casino '.Erminie" company. with Francis Will
son. Pauline Hall. Marie Jansen. Harry Mac
Donough. Max Freeman, and Jennie Weathers-
by in it. will come to Albaugh's next week. pre-
senting the favorite comic opera as only they
can present it. The sale of seats for the en-
gagement will begin at Albaughs box Office to-
morrow.