Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-29
Los Angeles a Good Town
For Good Shows.
The Abbott and Juch Engage
mentS Profitable to All.
Points on Plays and Players From
Many Lands and Times.
Abbott's New Opera, Barrett's New Play
and the Story of L'Africaine-What
Makes Great Actor.


houses to see two opera troupes. Emma
Abbott had guarantee of $4,000 for four
nights and two matinees. She got her
money, and the owners and manage
ment of the Los Angeles theatre both
came out with handsome profits out of
the season. The Juch opera company
has packed the Grand since the open
ing. On Saturday the house was worth
nearly $4,000. This week will be as good
during the three nights and Wednesday
matinee of this superb company. The
repertory is The Flying Dutchman,
William Tell, L'Africaine, and II Trova-
tore for the matinee.
The plot OF L'Africaine is not so we'll
known as that of most operas. Here is
what is said of it: ot
L'Africaine is an interesting story.
Selika, queen OF Madagascar, is bought
as slave by Vasco di Cana, the Portu-
guese navigator, in an African mart and
taken to Europe. The opening scene
represents CANA before the royal coun-
ell of Portugal soliciting pecuniary aid
in prosecuting his proposed further eX-
plorations of the African coast. In sup
port OF his argument that unknown
lands are there, he presents to the court
his slave queen and her attendant, Ne
lusko, whose strange features and bar
barrie garb proclaim them members OF
race unknown to Europeans. But the
ignorant and superstitious council OPP
pose the plan of their adventurous COM
patriot, and arbitrarily procure his i'm
prisonment and sentence him to death.
His faithful slaves go with him and wait
upon him, and endeavor to relieve the
rigors of his confinement. Selika, es-
pecially, is untiring in her devotion,
being in love with her master, while she
in turn is the object OF Nelusko's attach
ment. Vasco is soon released from cap
tivity, owing to the intervention OF lnez,
the wife of Don Pedro. An attachment
has for some time existed between them,
and the marriage has taken place only to
enable the lady to secure the OBJ
ject of her affection through her hus-
bands influence. The latter, however,
has possessed himself of the explorers
papers, and after securing suitable
ship and the two slaves of Fasco, he, ac-
companied by Inez, sets out on voyage,
hoping to secure the result of the form
er's labor. When the ship approaches
the cape of Storms, another craft, bear
ing the same colors, and commanded by
Vasco, appears on the scene. The kind
hearted Vasco leaves his ships in charge
OF his men and goes on board his rival s
craft, to warn him of the dangers attend
ing navigation in that part OF the world.
A quarrel, however, results, and Nelus-
ko, who handles the helm, runs the ship
near the coast, where it is boarded by
Indians who capture the entire crew and
the officers, and carry them off to a
strange land in the tropics, of which
Selika happens to be the queen, she hav-
ing been captured by African pirates
while her ship has been driven by a
tempest far from her native shores.
Don Pedro and his companions, in ac-
cordance with the laws of the country
are Immediately put to death, while
Vasco's life is saved by Selika, who in
forms her people that marriage be-
tween her and the former had been con-
tracted while in Europe. Vasco is about
to link his fate to that OF his rescuer,
when the voice of Inez is heard, as she is
being led away for execution, ,and her song
revivesin him all his affection for the hap
less woman. Selika, finding that her ef
forts to win the object of her love are in
existence by inhaling the perfumes ot
the mancanilla tree, the exhalations o
whose foliage, according to tradition
lull her into deep sleep, from which
she is awakened by the firing of the sig
nal gun announcing the sailing OF Vascc
and Inez for their native land, the two
l. hui ha doc !,
of Don Pedro. Selika, overcome by the
poisonous exhalations, falls back into
the arms of her faithful Nelusko and
dies.
One who saw Miss Adelaide Moore
recently, says: "She has developed into
a tall, handsome woman OF pronounced
blonde type, graceful and self-possessed
She has a pair of wonderfully expressive
eyes, and especially in love scenes has 8
peculiarly sweet and well-modulated
voice" Miss Moore appears at the Los
Angeles theater on Monday and Tues
day evenings next in Romeo and Juliet
on Wednesday and Thursday in A Fatal
Marriage, and at the only matinee.
on New Years day, The Lady of Lyons
will be presented.
Something has been said in the HER
AID aDOuO MISS ADDOUI HeW opera.
Here are more particulars:
M. Henri Haynie, Paris correspondent
of the American Musician, New York
says that during a conversation he had
with the composer of those successful
operas. Olivette and The Mascotte, M.
Audran, the latter informed him that he
had received an order for new three
act opera from America, for which he is
to be paid $4,000 francs ($16,000), hall
OF which had already been paid in ad-
vance, and that the notability who or
dered it is no less person than Miss
Emma Abbott, who has just completed
a very satisfactory fortnight's engage
ment at the Baldwin. The reason, as M.
Haynie tells it, why Audran consented
to write the opera is interesting: "She
sang the whole of her repertory to me-"
said the composer, 'and at last | con-
sented." But the Frenchman was wary
and witty. After getting $4,000 in hand,
he tied string to the opera by making
a proviso that she should only have the
use of it for three years, after which it
will be his again to dispose
of or publish. Miss Abbott will,
therefore, only have the exclusive right
to the opera for three years at $53333 per
annum. While Haynie chides Miss Alb
bott for not spending her money with an
American composer, he, at the same
time, admits that she deserves credit
for giving commission to composer
at all. since it is so rare that executives