The Irish standard., 1888-05-05

| AAA|NAS LII <AAI'I q 'StsAeA.So W. o>AS ~
attic stage at Marseilles in 1916, as Elvira
in s:I' Puritani." She scored an extra
ordinary success though she was then
but in her seventeenth year. The en-
thusiasn she aroused in the audience
appears to have been boundiess, and the
scene which followed is certainly re-
markable in the history Of the stage. It
is described as follows by chronicler Of
the time:-
s:Ihe curtain fell amid the most en-
thusiastic pla77dits, renewed again and
again, till the agitatea but delighted girl
reappeared, when the members of the
enraptured music-loving audience rushed
eli. masse from the theatre and returned
loaded with flowers and literally filed
the stage with their offerings. making q
perfect garden round the embarrassed
debutante"
For couple Of years afterwards Miss
Hayes was prima donna OF the great
theatre Of La Scala, at Milan, and every
effort was made to induce her to remain,
when, in 1S49 CATER visits to Vienna and
Ven1ce), she decided to 80 to London.
She appeared in s'Linda di Chamouni"
at the Royal Italian Opera, london, and
was received with just as much un-
measured enthusiasm by the phlcglnatic
English as by the volatile French. ''As
tie play proceeded writes Miss E.
| Owens BIackbrrne in her "Illustr1ous
Irishwornen," S'she never sang or acted
SO we'll in her life, aud her audience
were not slow to perceive shat she Was
overcome by some powerful! emotion.
When the curtain fell her fellow singers
spou OWNED the cause, for the brilliant
young :,rlma donna was found in q
private box sobbing forth tears Of graf
itude at The feet Of her first and eorly
friend, the Bishop Of limerick"
! Her first appearance i'll Dublin, which
took place in 1847, in the old Theatre
Royal, was marked by some interesting
incidents. The following description of
the scene appeared in the Dublin Uni
vers7ty Magazine:-
;'.rhe opera WAS Lucia di Hammer
moor, the Eagardo OF the evening being
Signor Pag}ieri. an unknown performer,
His luizcrous inefic;eDcy elected shouts
Of laughter with yariety Of ingenious
| ininaicries from tue wags among the
audience, the manifestations Of disappEo-
baton for him being blended with loud
applause for the frightened debutaute.
In the midst of this uproar and noise
moro glaring breakdown than before on
Edgar1o's part was followed by g hurri
canoe OF cat~caIls.' Miss Hayes, with
wonderful selfposess1on, curtsied to The
unfortunate gentleman and left the
stage.
'rrhe curtain was then rung down, and
an indescribabIe scene of tumultuous
excitement followed, cheers, groans,
laughter, misses forming very Babel CT
discord. MIR. Sims Reeves, who, with
Mr.. Whitworth. Miss Lucomha, and an
English opera company, had terminated
an engagement The day Of Miss Hayes
coming, occupied a private box, and sat
during all this turmoil full in view Of the
audience. He was quickly recognised,
and shouts Of Reeves! Reeves' rose
from nearly every part OF the house.
The lessee, Mr.. Calcraft, ON hearing this
came forward, and intimated that he had
then no control over Mr.. Reeves, whose
engagement had terminated, and who,
ON being asked to sing on this emergency
had positively declined. Mr.. Reeves
instantly sprang to his feet, leaned out
OF the box, and, On obtaining partial
silence, said i'll no very temperate tones
ladies and gentlemen, I will sing to
oblige you, but not to oblige Mr.. Cal
craft. On which the lessee in the
hianilest tones concluded The first act of |
unpleasantness in these words--I am
not angly, [ assure you, that Mr.. Reeves
las declined to sing to oblige ME; but I
AIN grat1ied to find that he has consented |
to do so to please the audience; and
doubly gratifel, because, under the
untowara circumstances, he will support
your gifted aud distinguished young
countrywoman. After the necessary
delay OF dressing, the curtain again rose
and the opera proceeded. Mr.. Reeves
performing Edgardo better than on any
former occasion in this city. and Miss
Hayes nerving herself so fully for her
task that NO trace Of tremulousness, no
shadow Of the agitating scene through
which she passed, marred the beauty Of
her singing and acting. Attic termina-
tion of each act they were both called be-
fore the curtain, and when the opera
concluded their presence was again and
again demanded, amid the most furious
L L.. H. 1