The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-10-05

ers had sunk big pot of money in the produc-
tfon and they were determined to force a sue
cess. Hopper is one of the most energetic men
alive no amount of work scares or tires him,
and he set about evolving gags and all sorts of
aughter-provoking business out of his big
brain to supply the lack of sense and fun in the
nbretto. The members of his company were
with him heart and soul, and in the course of
few days they had "Castles in the Air' stuffed
with the Kaleidoscope tumble of nonsense
which convulsed the big audiences at the Ma
tonal Theatre last week. The success OF the
piece has been forced by the hard work. inge-
nuity, and natural comedy powers of the com
pany. 1t was big strain on the MEMBERS but
they feel repaid for their efforts. They are not,
however, anxious to force another such success.
Professor Sousa gave delightful concert to
the members of the "Castles in the Air'' Com
pany at the Marine Barracks on Thursday morn
ing. De Wolf Hopper, Miss Anna O'Keefe,
Harry Crpps, Charles Stanley, Thomas @. Sea-
brooke, Mrs. Seabrooke, and a number of other
members of the troupe were present, as well as
a few other ladies ard gentlemen. The music
OF the band never sounded BETTER and the au-
dience was enthusiastically apprecative, as
audiences of professional people always are.
The magnificent overture to civilian Tell'
was rendered with really splendid effectiveness.
Professor Sousa included in the programme a
clever arrangement of well-known airs, which
he called "The Stag Party" The idea was to
mark the increasing joyousness of the revelers,
with occasional lapses into the sentimental, by
appropriate airs in suggestive tempo. This idea
was capitally developed to an altogethery fndle,
which brought down the house. Professor
Sousa was warmly thanked by his guests for
the delightful mornings entertainment
Still another new comic opera will be intro
duced to Washington next week. 1t is Carl
Mill0cker's "Seven Suabians," and il will be
sung by the McCaull Opera Company at AL
baughs. The production will be specially
notable because of the fact that the opera con-
tains nine male comedy parts, which ought to
make it about as funny as anything yet seen.
Millocker's music is said to be unusually melo-
dious and graceful, and the opera was warmly
praised as whole when produced in New York
not long ago. The leading members of the Nc
Caull Company this year are Lily Post, Annie
Meyers, Josephine Knapp, Cora Henderson,
Mathilde Cottrelly, Chauncey Olcott, Robert
Dunbar, X. F. Cotton, William Blaisdel, John
Murphy, Charles Turner, Harry Rattenbery, W.
f. Rochester, G. III. Jones, and others. The
opera contains topical song which has caught
on wonderfully and was printed in the New
York Herald few SUNDAYS ago. 1t is called
"Wait Little While" The opera has been
put on the stage in magnificent style.
X r X
The greatest comic opera success since SER
mimic" is what every one in the profession and
out call Francis Wilson'S production of ':The
Merry Monarch" which will be seen at the
National Theatre in this city the week of Oc-
tober 13. During the seven weeks run of the
piece at the Broadway Theatre, New York, it is
said that every seat in the house was sold at
every performance AS an entertainment ''1he
Merry Monarch has certainly few rivals on the
stage to-day. 1t gives Francis Wilson the most
abundant opportunity to exercise his inimitabe
comedy powers, and the laughter is almost con-
tinuous from the rise to the final fall of the cur
tain. Mr. Wilson's company contains such
clever artists as Marie Jansen, Laura Moore,
Nettie Lyford, and Charles Plunkett, besides a
large chorus new element of interest is
likely to be added to the production when it
comes to Washington by the appearance in a
leading role of Mr.. Hubbard T.. Smith, OF this
city, who signed with Mr. Wilson few days
ago.