St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-23
SAINT PAUL.
AMUSEMENT NOTES.

AM " MI Gos
"PearI of Pekia' Pieases Large
audience at the Grand-An In
PERTAINING Production of IN ar
bic Heart" at the Peoples.
When Gen. Harrison voted against the
Chinese exclusion bill it must have been
after he had seen production of Rice
d Dixey's Pearl of Pekin" and
had been charmed with the
barbaric grandeur of Chinese
lie as il is depicted in this pleasing
opera. For certain it is that in all the
operate productions with Chinese and
Japanese themes, which have hereto
fore been produced by English and
American companies, none haze adj
hered so closely TO the MOngO-
Ian ideas or portrayed so cor
Teetly MUngolian costumes as are pre-
sented by the Rice IL DiXey company
in the Pearl of Pekin." The plot of
the opera has been previously given in
these columns, and in general deScrlp-
ton the performance would be deSlg-
mated a musical absuTdity. Yet, as a
@ musical composition. it possesses a de-
gree of merit that one is apt to overlook
in the flood of humOr and gOrgeOusneSs
OF costuming, which chiefly character
iZe the performance. The or
chestrauon is particularly fine.
and there is strain of
soft melody running all through the
opera which falls most gratefully upon
the ear. The ariaS are all the composition
OF MIR. kerker, and the one sung by Miss
Th0rne in the second act, Il Love My
Old Love Still" is a gem. Modern
Chinese customs and styles of dress are
introduced in the performance. The mar
rage scene in the second act is an exact
portrayal of the manner in which the
marriage rite is now performed in China.
1t is the eXtravagantly rich cOStuming of
the piece, however, which charms the
eye, The garments are made of the
finest texture, and the costly embrOideT-
ing, all done by hand. is a marvel.
The beauty and unique blending
signs surpasseS everything in the
displayed on st. Paul stage. The
piece itself was delightfully."- piquant
and amusing. Louis HaniSon'S gro
tesque humor is the soul of the play.
As Ty-fOo. the mandarin, he is ire
SlStibly funny. His butfo0nery is all the
more pleasant because it is clean COM
edy. and free from all faint of vulgarity.
His song "Bing-Binger, the Baritone
Singer" was the hit of the evening.
Mr.. HerbeTt'S imperSOnatiOn of the Jap
anese general is an amusing piece of
work, while Mr.. Leach's Chinese imita-
lions are as unique as they are enter
tanning. Miss Bell Thorne, in the title
role, is gracefully pleasing. and is the
pOssesSOr of a very sweet voice. Miss
Verona makes as brilliant a success of
Finette in this piece as she formerly
did of Gabrielle in ''Evangeline. She
is as pretty, sparkling and vivaciOus as
ever. and has grown 10 be plump as a
partridge. The entire cast is good, and.
taken altogether, The Pearl of Pekin"
is one of the best plays that Mr..
Rice has yet put on the stage. The
house was we'll filled, and the audience
gave every manifestion of delight. The
same bill the remainder of the week.
AT THE PEOPLES.
The production at the Peoples last
evening was one in which the intrinsic
worth of the company had full play.
The drama, THE Marble Heart" or the
''Sculpt0r'S Dream" a romance of real
life in four acts, was rendered to a large
and appreciative audience, and bids
fair to make as much of hit as Rose
dale" which held the boards the past
Two Weeks. MI. IlpHldn, as hdpndel
Duehatlet, sculptor, carries the heavi-
est part, and the position affords him
full scope for his talent; while Harold
Russell is just where he can give vent
to his natural prOclivities, as Ferdinand
VOlOge, All editor, who forever quotes
satire upon the ''undisturbed"
sphere of modern society and
poverty; while Miss Young, as
Marco, the Marble Heart, appears at
her best. Mr.. Huebner, as a rich
Partisan, eXcites sympathy for such a
character were he III our midst, and
Miss Lanphear's first appearance was
hailed with delight. The support
throughout was good and the plot ap-
pealing to the pathetic, with enough of
the humorous to poise it to universal
interest. The musical programme be-
tween acts adds an attractive feature.
COURT CULLINGS