The morning call., 1890-12-02
THE THEATERS.
Augustin Daly's Pique" Draws
Well at the Alcazar.
Opening of the Third Week Of Opefa-"Th
Grsnadier" at the Tivoi-Business at
the Other Houses.

The production Of Augustin Days
"Pique" at the Alcazar last evening was
the signal for the largest attendance of the
season. Taken as n whole the melodrama
was well play ed-a little hurried, perhaps,
and in parts unfinished, due TO first per-
Torrance. An evening or two will improve
this and then we may look for a close,
concise and complete performance.
The best efforts last evening were those of
Captain Arthur Stardish (Mr. William
Beach, and old Mathew Standish, his father
(Mr. James E. Wilson, in the male line of
representation. There was, individually, a
certain finish in these personations-sep
rating them from the mass Of the cast-tbat
showed study and appreciation of the work
in hand. In the female portion of the dis
tribution Miss Ethel Brandon was effective
as Mabel Renfrew who married Arthur
StanGish out Of iQue with her real sweet
heart, Raymond Leasing (Mr. Leo Cooper.
The lesson taught in her case is
a noxious one; but as it belongs to the busi-
ness OF the drama. must be accepted for
what it is worth in Its construction. 1t is
the old story of a woman marrying one man
and loving another, and of the unloved one
finding it out when too late, as it was in
this case, when Mabel refused to crafty
her lew husband and his primitive FASH
Toned father by attending evening family
worship at the old homestead. Miss Idalene
Cotton was also happy in her part Of Mary
Standish, sister of Arthur. The part of
Raitch, Hhich is looked to as a supply
of the broad lights of low comedy
in the run of the piece, was
confded to Miss Fanny Bowman, who
played it with reckless freedom that served
the nurnnSa nf q Yviu0 ha har aboJ
OF the business. In this way her eccen-
tricltles helped the audience to needed
laugh occasionally, when the sober aspects
OF affairs became too intense in the dramatic
lie OF the principals. 1t was not thought
MISS Bowman had so much Of tile Wis COM
lea ID her composition, but in The Case of
this young woman new opportunities de-
Veloptl surprises as to her dramatic abil-
lty. The stock system of the Alcazar is
proving good school for beginners and
aiding the growth of nascent talent.
The Third Week.
The opening of the third week of the C.
d. Hess Grand Opera Company, at the
Orpheum. showed a slight Monday drop"
This may be attributed to carrying "Rigo-
letto," the opera of the last seven nights,
further forward, hen the public look ed for
new work from the repertory of the man
agement The large number present had
reason 10 congratulate themselves, however,
on the excellence OF the performance The
principals were never in setter voice. nor
was the applause heretofore so ELUSIVE or
SO genuinely deserved. Perhaps il was on
the Handel principle The master when
told that his auditorium was not so full as
usual said to his informant, with pleas, d
smile: 80! Why, then, the music will
sound much better" remark that
pleased the artists much better than it
did the manager. The distribution last
evening embraced all the stars. We have
never yet heard the prima donna,
MISS francesca Guthrie, TO so much
advantage rs Gilda. She sang the
music OF the role with q strength, courage
purity and sweetness of information that
eXcelled all her previous efforts. As if in
spired by her example the terror, Mr.. Alfred
Guile, took higher plane Of excellence as
the Duke OF Mantua, and was more pro-
digal than ever of the treasures of sound
hidden in his marvellous organ. So, too.
with MI William Mertens, the brave young
barytone, III the title role. Diff
cult as it is, he made light of all
the eXacting passages. both dramatic and
lyric, and gave a rendering that will stand
comparison with the best recorded masters
OF the operate stage. The minor characters
were all in more perfect foIm than before,
and tile orchestra aided in making the per-
torrance of this work the most complete we
have had this season, "Rigoletto" will be
repeated this evening. When Martha" is
produced on Thursday evening, it is ex-
peeted that Mr.. Alfred Wilkie will sing the
part OF Lionel