The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-09-28

Those who are fond of extremely light opera
as well rs those who like opera of a more dra-
matte order can find something of both in Rich
ard Stahl's "Sea King,n which held the boards
at Albaugh's Grand Opera House last week.
AS in other things many prefer their opera
straight, and therefore criticize Mr.. Stahl's
mixture as the work of a novice. 1.-THE Sea
King is preponderance of frivolity cut in
half horizontally by decided vein of heavy
romantic music and dialogue which of course
runs through to the end. Whatever may be
said against the combination which the COM
poser has wrought in his latest effort there is no
question about the beauty of his music. AL
though at two or three points in the opera 1t is
most suggestively reminiscent, 1T is neverthe-
less charming throughout The role of Dolores
comprises much music of an order rather high
for comic opera, and consequently requires for
its successful personation the efforts OF no mean
artistic Miss Ada Glasca, who sings the part,
meets its arduous requirements most satisfac-
torily. Her voice is one of unusual sweetness
and power, and she sings apparently with but
little effort. Her acting was graceful and easy,
and altogether she scored q success Mr.. Mark
Smith, who did the title role, seemed well
adapted to the part and made the most OF the
several good opportunities he had to show of
his vocal excellence. Mr.. r. E. Graham had
the most expansive part of the opera in the role
of Don Bamboud and was very funny, al
though the fun was more in his originality than
undertakes that will admit of wholesale bur
lesque. With the exception of the tenor, who
did Don PedruIO, the other members of the cast
were passably good. The chorus was very large
and the costuming extremely attractive
X X X
The National Theatre was we'll filled through
the past week to enjoy the fine entertainment
given by Marks "New European Information
alsn This company is probably the strongest
organization of the kind that has ever visited
this city, and comprises many of the leading art
lists in their respective lines in the world. The
programme, which comprises eleven numbers,
starts off with some very clever juggling by
Mons Leonce, who is followed by the popular
little dancing comedienne, Miss Minnie Gun
ningham, in a charming recitative song entitled
''The Lovers Quarrel" Then the Borani broth
.ers perform some marvellous feats of contortion
and finally disappear into nowhere much to the
astonishment of the audience. Mr.. John w.
Ransome appears Immediately after and displays
his enlvening comic powers in number of eX-
,ceent dialect limitations, and is succeeded on
the stage by brace of boys, the Avalos, whose
wonderful exhibition of triple-bar gymnastics
constitutes probably the most notable feature of
the programme Part two brings out Cazman
a necromancer and shadowgraphst: Lieut.
Travis in a most remarkable exhibit of ventrilo-
,uuism: the Natuskies, the Russian xylophonists,
the most skiltul ever heard here; Jaco and Coco,
in their realistic imitation of monkeys and
Mons. Aldow, who exposes many mysterious
tricks of necromancy and does some clever pas
tel drawing in sight of the audience. The pro-
gramme ends with what is called ''comic skit,'
entitled sImprisoned," >" in which Mr.. w. T. Bry-
ant assisted by Miss Lizzie Raymond, gives a
show bordering rather too much on the bolster
Gus to be in keeping with the general tone of the
entertainment.