The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-26
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
THE GREAT METROPOLIS.


"The Great Metropolis Company" have
been actively engaged in getting the ex-
| pensive and elaborate scenery, necessary
| for proper production of the drama. fitted
| to Portland theatre stage In most of the
| scenes the labor was well rewarded but at
the matinee yesterday the stage proved
rather i'll adapted to one or two, although
fortunately the great shipwreck scene was
| not one of them.
| The play is an intense melo-drama.
which means that as far as dialogue is con-
cerned sits the same thing over again."
that we have heard in melo-dramas for the
past quarter of century. Not exactly in
the same words but with the same ideas
expressed in the idioms of the year 1891.
The plot tells of the numerous adventures
OF the hero Jack Holt. and how Mowbry,
Webster and Dick try to Undo him. The
| Flying Fish, the vessel that is bringing
back dock" and the missing witness is
| wrecked on the Jersey coast, but the boy
and his companion are rescued by Jack
and the life savers.
A scene which arouses the audience to
the highest point of excitement. is In the
fourth act, where brother and sister
meet for the first time since childhood. He
is the captain of the life-saving crew. and,
through errors of judgment, has gotten in
| to serious trouble, in which he Is befriend-
ed by the villain. who exacts as payment
| of his favors, the commission of certain
criminal acts. He knows this man Now
bray, and in bis interview with the sister,
he discovers that she is living with the
man under the name of Savernak. The
sister tells the old, old story of broken
vows and promises of marriage unfulflled,
and her brother determines that the
scoundrel shall do right by her. When
the two men meet, the brother springs up
on the other and forces him, upon his
| knees, to take an oath to marry the girl he
has wronged.
The matinee yesterday did not draw a
very large audience as Christmas always
keeps so many at home. but in the evening
the theatre was packed and every inch of
space utilized. The scenery elected special
attention. The lounging room in Mr..
Hollis house painted by Holman, the in
terror Of the Sandy Hook Station and the
open ocean with the wreck of the Flying
Fish and the rescue, ELECTED the most spon-
taneous and hearty applause. ALI the
parts were well taken. Remember the
matinee and evening performances today.
PORTLAND THEATRE.
The long list of attractions offered by
Manager George e. Lothrop, at the Port
land Theatre the coming week should
prove sufficientlyvaried to suit the tastes of
all classes of theatre goers in this vicinity.
1t Is the intention Of the management to
make this the banner week of the season
and nothing which will add to the merit OF
the performances will be left undone and
finished and consistent productions will be
the result of the careful training which the
members Of the company have received.
The engagement will open Monday evening
when the western ideal comedy drama,
"Lone Pine" which has just received
most favorable verdict from the press and
public Of both Boston and Providence, will
be given, cast to the full strength of Lo-
thrOp's stock company; Tuesday evening,
"Our Angel" made famous throughout
the country by the pleasing actress, Miss
Lizzie Evans, will be presented with Miss
Katherine Rober as Blossom; Wednesday
evening, that very interesting comedy en-
titled Dads Girl'' will furnish the bill.
This comedy was played with signal sue
cess for four years by Portland's favorite
soubrette, Lizzie May Ulmer, the title role
on this occasion being assumed by Miss
Rober. On Thursday evening, the attrac-
ton is to be "Fanchon, Maggie Mitchell's
great play. For thirty years this play
stood the head of the list In Miss Mitchell's
repertoire, and although she has spent
nearly 100000 for other plays, none of
them have met with the success which has
been accorded "Fanchon," and from which
she has realized nearly half million dol
lars. Friday evening, 'Silver Age" re-
alistic drama of intense interest, will be
presented, and on Saturday afternoon and
evening the greatest of all melo-dramas,
"The Two Orphans" will be produced
with special new scenery, beautiful cos
tunes, superb appointments and great
cast, selected from the ranks of Lothrop's
ctoCh OVmpnAys 1uioo AdbDcLlDO
will have the role Of Louise, the blind girl,
and Miss frankie Bell that of Henrietta,
the sister. Miss Hattie Morris will be the
Mother Frochard; Miss Julia Porter. the
Countess; Miss Evelyn Knapp will imper-
senate Marianne, the outcast; Max Free
man will have the character role of Pierre
Frochard. the cripple; James K. Keene
will be the Chevalier Maurice de Vaudrey
William Cattell will impersonate Jacques
Frochard; Charles Wyngate, Count de
Liniviers; Richard Lyle will have the COM
edy role of Pichard, which is one of his
best and brightest performances. and the
other important roles will be in the hands
of Messrs. Hall, Phillips, Melville, Cas-
well, Marshall. Williams and others. All
of the plays will be produced under the
personal direction of Mr.. II. Percy Mel
don.
NOTES.
Children and pupils of all schools can
get Du Chailler tickets for % aud So cents.
Westbrook.
The Rantist church will hold tic ucual