The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-22
THE OPERA SEASON.
Armory Hall Transformed Into
a Splendid Tlleater.
HOW n HAS BEEN ARaANoED.
The BaiIalns 20 BE wen Heated sad
warnea-.raosa.- the Opening
Opera. Described

Persons passing the Armory yesterday
Invariably STOPPED 20 inquire what was the
raase OF 20 much noise ard confusion in
side Those aho were fortunate enough 10
BE- admitted were at once thunderstEuck
with the scene Of activity displayed on
ever hand. Carpenters. painters. deco
TatoTs and scenic artists by tie dozen. all
busy as bees. made & scene not soon 10 be
forgotten. AT once the question was asked,
What IS going on hereg Are these men
making arrangements for 3 caraiyal2'
They we're soon informed that the men
were simply getting the Armory building
IN shape for THE appearance of the famous
DUH comic opera company. which appears
here Thursday, Friday aud saturday night
and Saturday matinee. this week.
Manager Zegser. who Is personally direct
ing the arrangement Of the armory for the
appearances Of his company, has worked
day and night since Sunday. Ii was no
easy matter % change the large bare
armoFy bail into 4 theater. and thoss who
are at all familiar with work Of the kind,
can easily appreciate the great moa OF
work "a he done. In the first place a plat
forn about four and : bali feet high vas
built clear across the south end Of the hall.
At the front, and in the center. q pToscen-
iam arch sixty feet in width by twenty in
height II already erected, and the inter-
vening space from arch 60 walls, and to
the roof has been artisticaIiy filed out with
beautifully painted canvas. Wings are be-
Ing painted. and by tomorrow night the
entire stage viii be completed and ready
for the scenery that arrives with the COM
pany.
The auditorium is rapidly assuming
shape. The parqaes. on the floor level, Is
termed BY . row Of six boxes on each side,
raised from one 10 two feet. In the rear OF
the boxes, at the sides Of the parquet, the
dress circle Is arranged on elevated plat
forms. Although the work IS not near
completed. IL will be quite ready when the
curtain rolls up Thursday evening. Mr..
zsegier says that the ball. including the
gallery, will have q seating capacity Of
1000, which is much larger than any other
hall in Washington, but not near large
enough for the attendance already assured.
The AEmory viii be heated better than
ever before. so no one need fear catching
cold while listening 10 beautiful songs and
witnessing splendid drills and marches.
Heretofore only two stoves have been used.
Mr.. Zaegler has ordered two more put in
the auditorium. and the stage and dressing
rooms viii be heated with special heating
apparatus.
The opera Is the general topic of con-
versation on the street. in the shops, at
home. and even at church gatherings, and
a ~phenomenally successful season can be
safely predicted.
The Duff Opera Company win open the
season with 'tPaoia,n one Of the best of its
three operas. One who attended the opera
~ Tssoma last week describes Il as fol.
lows:
Toe plot Is 4 oHaded on the vendetta of corsiea
1.-The HUMOROUS side af Il, Of course. Sapoio
Baroni aud Llcien Carroll. the comedian and the
tencg. respectively. are the representatives OF
two families between whom q feud has existed
iog hundreds OF yeanx The Italians are great on
g~ruages. Sapolo and Jucien have been sent
abFoea 60 be educated. and whlie ahroad they
have yielded 70 benign influences and become
fast friends The opera opens where the two
friends, being Of age, return 20 Corsica. where
they arc told for the first time of their inherited
cath. sn0ald they object 70 carry on the ven
Delta their respective relations would have their
kiasd IN revenge. Therefore, for the time be-
ing they n&s. - simulate the most intense hat
red. and each carries tne traditional family
katie, seeking opportunities to plunge Il 10 the
hilt IN the others heart. A clause IN the ven
detta provides \ cessation OF the fcuG in the
event OF sn snter-marstagc. This. Of course. IL
taken advaulage OF 20 make a happy AnAie,
The story OF The vendetta, - described in
.Fsela, "a bright and humorous. Unlike the
arguments Of the majority % comic operas, the
audience can feilo~ Is and sec II work cut 10 an
tnteiligast Conclusion. The dialogue At times
IS witty and The situations good There is no
s~training after effect The music is Messing
throughout; there Is sitsle OF u. however. OF that
catchy order that enc carries away. A dnet In
the nFef act between La4cien aud Paola WAS very
pretty and bad TO Be repeated. A serena3e xas
finely rendered naAr the close Of she second act
TIE topical song IS Thia My Native LAad. was
appl2adcz1 10 the echo, strange &c say, though
there we're many verses not one was devoted 70
baseball.
The opera made q hit with the audience. Ii
was wrll setssl and suBg throughout aud the
chorus was admirable. People viii SPEAK OF The
work Is = wholer staer than Of particulss por.
tfaBs al IL