Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-18
LAUGHTER AND TEARS.
DeWof Hopper's Castles in the Air-warde
and Bowers in Henry vIII.-The Blue
and the Gray-Giants, Pigmies and

DeWof Hopper's Castles in the Air-warde
and Bowers in Henry vIII.-The Blue
and the Gray-Giants, Pigmies and
Bears.
The authors of Castles in the Air" which
was played at the Bijou Theater last night by
the DeWolf Hopper Company, call it an opera
Doune, and they might print the bouffe IN capi-
tals and the opera in very small type TO
describe it more accurately. The fun is writ
large and the music Is not "in it" as the
slang phrase goes. But the popular taste in
comic opera has had the effect of making this
comedy great deal more important than any
thing else, and the comic operas which have
mad the greatest popularity in late years
nave been carried by the CON-
edians almost entirely The most
successful comic opera of the last five years has
been "Erminie." and of Gilbert a SulIiyan's
works "Ihe Mikado" has had the longest pop-
uhlariayLln tha n. ooth cases the preponderance of
IN sSostIes element M was the avaing virtue. SO
er or snarp' picturesque and pantomimic but the
9fence 5 fn ths sne ,,mOIh., favor of the au
conditions the only DeWolf Homer cannot
but shine. He is an eccentric Comedian who
faio1 has EDe S good luck to flock by himself and to
with HopPersm-nobody else has anything
Ike M the looks tones, motions and repose Of
topper; hn In Castles in the Air
toward eaSoSSpotns aaSSSs with called isRd Sla
eonars and the character reminds you
a good deal of the serving man PLAYED by
Hoppe topper In Clover but it has plenty of new
color and points. Hopper's immense size and
his agility are as cleverly contraste(i in this
part as usual, and for further contrast he is
continually associated with Repettto, his clerk,
peiafyd eifyed ~ nne small but deciously ridiculous
AlIred Klein, and with that charming little
woman, Miss Della Fox, as Blanche. In fact,
tnese three are the soul of the piece
M ne R, p,os Is very properly thing with which
snort OF Dr, Koch could discover more than a
trace OF narrative bacillus. Again this is of
no consequences because the episodes are all
nafnya,Iv nafny, ana ,, the people tumble very
another, The first act is reaIiy
little weak because of the lack OF incident
ahq tne absence of Hopper in the first half of
II out the second act is full of good things and
tne tnlrd act is stronger than third acts usually
are; In the second act DeWolf Hopper and
Oeiia FOX give set of sketches from life that
Iney play game of billiards. scene
from opera, scene from blood and thun-
yer meiodrama, and bit of baseball.
II either of our terrific baseball clubs had had
pItcner with the science and terrifying ges-
lure lure OIL Della Fox they would have had more
pennants than penace to console them now
Inc hypnotizing Of Anoelique by Hopper
was anoGher verv laughable bit of buresque,
ana Thomas L. Seabrooke as Cdbotdstro, had
large share in it. as indeed he had in many
oener scenes that tickled the audience
amazingly. But the best thing in Castles in
tne Air" is DeWolf Hopper's one sober and
palmetto effort. the singing of song about
:. Inc Little Pigs" He sings it to Della Fox as
II she were baby girl. and the old familiar
nursery legend of the This little pig went to
market" and SO on, brings up a host of sweet
little memories. and lots of eyes were full ere
tne song was done. Della Fox's admirable
cn1ldishness gave rare finish to the first piece
OF pathos we have ever seen in comic opera.
Miss Anna O'Keefe plays the hero BuLlBun
with plenty of dash and grace, and makes
wonderfully pretty picture at all times. Her
serenade in the second act is one of the best
numbers nun In the opera. and she. sings it
with much tenderness. The makeup of
Edmund Stanley, the chief of police, is wonder
1ully comic, and the chorus is strong in shapely
women with good looks. The concerted sing
ing was fairly good generally. aud the finale of
the second act in which the air of the refrain is
Mnlstled by the whole company was unique.
Inc scenery is extremely bright and tasteful,
as are the costumes. Everything in the per-
Iormance shows good management and
lavish expenditure of money.
Inc attendance was very large and enthusi-
astic. Every song was encored. and Della Fox
ana Anna Okeefe were overwhelmed with
flowers at the close of the opera.