Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-09
LEAGUING FOR LAUGHTER.

Robin Hood, Delightful Comic Opera,
Played Splendidly by the Bostonians.
Lotta Still Charmer CIevelands
Minstrels and Other Mirthmakers.
Robin Hood" comic opera composed and
written by Reginald de Koven and Harry B.
Smith, was given for the first time in Pittsburg
by the Bostonians at the Duquesne
Theater last night. 1t was success
Oh the most notable sort in every
way, artstically most of all. The audience, a
fairly large one, was outspoken in its approval
and about two-thirds of the musical numbers
were repeated in response to spontaneous and
hearty applause. Indeed, robin Hood is by
1ar the most important novelty produced in
Pittsburg this season, and. considered as a
comic opera, it is unmjstakably the best yet
written by Americans, without any as
sistance from abroad, in plot, libretto
or score. 1t Is not too much to say that
Messrs. De Koven and Smith have done in
robin Hood'' work of which the giants of
comic opera, Gilbert and Sullivan would have
no reason to be ashamed of having DONE With
youth on their side, and such a brilliant ex-
hlbit OF their several talents as they have al
ready given to the public. these collaborators.
who hail, we believe from the modest village
OF Chicago, bid fair to win fame and fortune in
a very worthy field of the musical drama.
Robin Hood" is built upon the legendary
story of the bold and benevolent bandit who
relgned in Sherwood Forest four five CEN
turleS ago, and therefore long before the
county of Nottingham became famous for its
brew of strong ale which all the world knows as
Bass. The plot is intelligible, and romantic and
oramatlc as well, unusual qualities for
comic opera plot The familiar characters OF
Robtn Hood Maid Marion, Frtdr Tuck, Will
Scarlet, Dame burden and so on, who figure in
the romance of the green woods, are all in the
opera. and they are not mere caricatures of
these mythical personages. as is generally the
case. but delightfully."- quaint reproductions.
three aets s1Ret 1R ana ou Ds
of Nottingham and among the oaks
and beeches of Sherwood Forest. and
not for moment does the action lag, or the
continuity of the narrative lapse The Iibretto
is wonderfully good There is no little wit,
and not solitary scrap of Stiffness in the lines;
the verse OF the songsis musical, even genuinely
poetlcal at times. and the aptness and ingenuity
OF the rhyming reminds one of Gilbert or
Eugene Field. Not stupid pun. not gag"
absolutely no illusions to baseball, politics or
local affairs, not even the eternal topical song,
mar the opera. Better still, the atmosphere of
the whole piece is as clean and sweet as it
would be if the glades of old Sherwood had
actually been the locale.
In the first act the trio in which Mr.. Barna-
bee, as the Sheriff, essayed to teach Mr.. Peter
Lang. as Sir Guy. the English aristocratic
method of wooing Miss Marie Stone, as Mud
Marion, was most original in Its humor and
melodious in its music. Miss Stones song
about love, the quartet, "All Is Fair in Love
and War;" and Mr.. Barnabee's song describing
were all remarkable for bright and catchy
music nicely welded to either pretty or witty
words The final chorus OF the first act
was essentially dramatic. In the second act the
chorus of thinkers had a merry swing to it
that drifted easily into a dance measure for its
close. Mr.. w. II McDonald's song, 1T Takes
Nine Tallors, etc., with a chorus for male
voices, showed striking originality, and the
sextett with these words:
Z. see the lambkins play,
The birdlings pipe on every tree;
And bleaI the lambs
Beside their DAMS
They SO full of glee,
Yes, they full
They are so full
They are SO full of glee.
While it suggested Gilbert & Sullivan in
words music and the arrangement of voices. it
was delIciously ridiculous. A serenade and an
aria for Marie Stone in this act were also COM
positions of genuine merit. In the third act
the song, TIE Armorer" capitally sung by
Mr.. Cowles, again revealed melody worth
carrying away. But the real gem of the even
ing was the song and chorus about st.
Swithin's Chimes" which Miss Jessie Bartlett
Davis sang with exquisite feeling. 1t was en-
cored thrice-and deservedly The words of
this number are worth reproducing, and here
they are:
In olden times
st. Swithln'S chimes
Tolled blithely ev'ry hour
From out the old gray tower.
Meath Swithin's shade
lovely maid
Lived in a cottage bower,
AS fair any flower.
She heard the chimes through all the day;
She heard them call the folk to pray;
She learned to love their roundelay
From old st. Swithin' tower.
Ding, dong bell,
Your message to each hearer tell,
Ye chimes,
Ding, dong. dongl
Ofjoy or grief may be your song.
II mlrth or pain
Still ring, ye BELLS and sing.
Ding. dong, belize.
The concerted members did not show as
great originality as the solos. but where they
were most suggestive of other works they
| were still full of melody, and in orchestration
| often improvements upon the borrowed strain.
! The whole score, of course, had the advantage
| of the very able treatment accorded it by both
chorus and principals. The chorus con-
| tains some very good voices and pretty
| women, better than grand opera usually
pals really nothing but praise can be
| spoken. Tom Kari makes picturesque Robin
| Hood, and his vocal strength is undminished.
| In the role of Sheriff Mr.. Barnabee has broad
| and wel-lit field for the display of his quiet
| and refined humor. The fun he makes with
| the help of Messrs. Lang and rockingham,
the latter jolly Ffiar Tuck, is rich
in the best sense. Marie Stone sang ad-
testified-and looked most piquantly pretty as
Maid Ma, ion. Miss Davis beautiful contralto
VOICE ctule ouL SIdHuly III Oh oWlLnluS
| Chimes and elsewhere-and to her singing of
| the Chimes song by the way. Miss Grace
| Reals added not little charm by her expressive
| acting. Mr.. Macdonald. as Little John, and
| Eugene Cowles, as Will ScdtLet, sang and acted
| with great spirit and success. If anyone
| else in the cast has not been men,
| toned the omission must be interpreted as
| praise. The costumes and the scenery for the
| second and third acts are decidedly hand
| some. and the opera as q whole could hardly be
| better played. Mr.. Studley, and the orchestra
inta tad -,
| great precision and harmony for first night.
| As we have already said. the audience de-
manded most of the numbers a second time,
| and even in some cases a fourth time.
"Robn Hood" will be repeated this evening
| with the following strong cast: Robin Hood,
| Edwin w. Hotf; High Sheriff Of Nottingham,
H. C. Barnabee; Little John. W. II. Macdonald;
Will ScatLet Eugene Cowles; f. idr Tuck,
George b. Frothingham; Sir Guy Osborne,
Peter Lang; AlLana-DaIe Flora FInlayson:
Dame Burden, Josephine Bartlett; AnnabeL
Grand Opera House.
Last nights entertainment at the Grand
Opera House was triumph of minstrelsy. W.
S. Cleveland's Consolidated Minstrels proved
even better than was expected. Almost every
seat in the house was occupied. Each act was
we'll received and encores were as numerous as
the numbers on the programme.
A series of exclamatioIs of surprise and ad-
miration were given at the first glimpse of the
tapestrIed palace of Mephistos. The curtain
was of heavy Powered silk and rich plush.
while the delicately tinted DRAWINGS of the in