Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-19
BijOu Theatre.

The composer of "Falka, "FrancoisC Chassaigne,
did not improve upon that merry and musical
not to say model light opera when he wrote
"Nadjy." 1t is very lucky that "Nadjy" does
not have to stand upon its musical merits
what comic opera has to? and as far as the
audiences at the Biiou Theatre are concerned,
it Is even more lucky that such people as
Francis Wilson, Charles Plunkett, Marie Jansen,
Pauline Hall and Jennie Weathersby are
in the cast. Leave out all the music and you
still have the body of the piece in Francis
Wilson. The way to describe "Nadiy's' ap-
peal to the public for hearing would be to
say that Francis Wilson sings one or two funny
songs of the regulation comic opera pattern.
says score of very droll things and initiates a
drunken man to perfection; that Marie Jansen
is charming in black and abbreviated
lerina, and exhibits her peculiar kind of
pert cuteness with success; that Pauline
Hall looks amazingly pretty in succession of
very tasteful dresses, and sings such songs as
the opera affords her with the sweet voice ma
ture has given her; that Charles Plunkett has a
heavy part that doesn't suit him half as well as
that of the refined thief in "Erminie," and
that Jennie Weathersby and several clever
actors besides have not a ghost of chance in
"Nadjy" to show their abilities.
More than this, we do not know how many
girls waste their shapeliness, their good looks
and their voices, in concert with chorus of
men, upon the tame and antique music and the
hackneyed ensembles and conventional group
ings. 1t is pitiful to see so much first-class
material bestowed upon work that is not to
be mentioned in the same breath with any of
the previous CASINO successes.
There is one air only which has enough in it
to live IN the hearers memory for an hour. We
mean the song what Is Lover" sung by
Marie Jansen in the first act. This song, if we
are not terribly mistaken,i is clean theft as far
as the melody is concerned. The finale of
the second act, a vigorous Hungarian dance
and chorus, is bright and somewhat original.
No other material number in the whole opera
seems worthy Of comment. The composer has
apparently tried to evade criticism by the very
modesty of his undertakings, and the author of
the hbretto has, with curious confidence in the
perceptive powers of the public left the plot
practically hidden in the programme, where
probably he intended it to be printed.
Francis Wilson and Marie Jansen we're fore
most last evening in the company's combined
efforts to instill life into '.Nadjy" and they de-
serve high praise. They appear to recognize
the poverty of the score and in the third act
chanted most agreeably the familiar drge
about "a little apple in an orchard grew, ETC."
they made it peach. The audience liked
the flavor of this and the quaint dance ac-
companying 1t and encOred it again and again.
They accorded the same honor to Francis
Wilson's extremely funny rehearsal of the
feminine quality of Cor In fact the large
and extremely fashionable gathering was
generous in its applause.
The scenery was very fair, but the costumes
are marvelously handsome. Indeed, so good is
the cast and so unusually adequate are all tie
accessories, that "Nadjy" overlaid with some
music of recent date and real merit, and pro-
vided with plot and say half a dozen acting
parts. would be a very delightful comic opera.
We are requested to state that the opera will
begin at o'clock sharp all this week, as the
opera is a long one. and was not over last night