Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-30

The famous Bostonians will commence
a season Of opera, lasting for a week al
the new Los Angeles, ON next Monday
evening, April 9th. They will sing foul
or five operas, opening with Smith and
De Koven's new opera, Robin Hood
This is the opera that made such sue
cess in London under the title of Maid
Marion. and all the New York man.
ayers are very desirous of getting it, but
can not produce it, as the Bostonians have
the American right. The music abounds
in tuneful airs, and is full of freshness
and freedom. The story is good and
we'll put together. The solos are beau
tiful, while the choruses are round, full
and melodious. The box Office will
open for the advance sale at 10 O'Clock
Thursday morning, and those desiring
good seats should call early and secure
first choice. The following is the cast
for Robin Hood:
High High sheriff nHia of Nottingham H G. Barnabse
VIII Scarlet .........;,;;..- eugene Cowies
Fri Friar Tuck q Geo. B. Fr1tsingham patnn IN
Ailan.a- Dale Jessie Bartlett Davis
Dame burden. en...........,.... Josephine Bartlett
Anhape aid e,;o, Har;e stnns
The San Francisco Alta says of the
Bostonians and Robin Hood: The COM
ing of the Bostonians is always hailed
with expressions of genuine pleasure by
the lovers OF light opera, and the recep-
tion given to this admirable organiza-
tion at the Baldwin theater last evening
was such as any company might feel
proud OF. So much has been said of the
new opera, Robin Hood, which was COM
posed and written for this company by
Reginald DeKoven and Harry e. Smith,
the collaborators of Don QuixOte and
The Begun, that the audience expected
to be pleased with the new work. To
say that it was pleased would be putting
it mildly. 1t was delighted with it, and
the action OF the piece was interrupted
again and again by the enthusiastic ap-
plause, so that many of the most pleas
ing numbers in the opera were repeated,
the singers yielding gracefully to the
almost extravagant demands of the i'm
mense audience.
The plot follows closely the dear old
story OF Robin Hood and his merry men,
and the ibretto is bright and full of
witty lines. The opera fairly bubbles
over with merriment, and the music,
while not strikingly original, is appro-
pirate to the various scenes and situa-
tions, and is delightfully."- melodious and
never commonplace. While it is at
times reminiscent, one is at loss just
where to place it. Much of it is written
in the old English style, a comic round
in the second act being particularly
clever burlesque on that form OF music,
and with words that give it very COM
ical effect. The plot turns on the efforts
of Robin Hood CTom Karl) to claim the
title and estates of the earldom of Hunt
ington, a claim to which tradition tells
us he had no small pretensions. The
sheriff of Nottingham (Mr. Barnabee),
who is custodian of the estates, endeav-
ors to substitute as the earl young
country lout named Guy of Gisbourne
(Mr. Lang. The love-making between
Robin Hood and Maid Marion marie
Stone) and Allan-a-Dale (Jessie Bartlett
Davis) and Annabel (Grace Reals) runs
prettily through the opera, and affords
many opportunities for charming solos,
duets and quartets. Little John is well
personated by Mr.. Macdonald. Eugene
Cowles, as Will Scarlet, has splendid
song at the opening of the second act,
and later an amorous song, with an
vii accompaniment, in the third
act that delighted the house.
The Friar Tuck of Mr.. rockingham
was simply immense, and the comedy
element supplied by Mr.Barnabee as the
sheriff and Mr.. rockingham as the jolly
friar, would furnish fun enough for
two or three ordinary comic operas.
There are SO many pleasing numbers
that it would take too much space to
enumerate them. There is chorus of
journeymen thinkers who accompany
their song by tapping on their pans and
tin cans they are mending; Song of
Brown October Ale, sung by Little John {;
a forest song for Maid Marion a splen-
did bell song, sung by Jessie Bartlett
Davis, that brought armfuls of beautiful
flowers over the footlights; number of
stirring male choruses, and two admir-
ably written finales.
The company appeared to be in fine
voice last night, and the work of the
chorus was especially good. All of the
principals were encored, and the entire
performance went off with great spirit.
This evening Miss Juliette Corden will
appear in the role of Maid Marion and
Mr.. Hoff will be the Robin Hood.
The Bostonians will undoubtedly do an
immense business, and they will merit
it, for they always give artistic perform
ances and fulfill all, and even more, that
they promise.
Stanley did not lecture in the Lone
Star state. A dispatch gives the rea-
sons Tor this neglect of the Long Horns
as follows:
Henry NJ. Stanley and his party al
rived here from Los Angeles Thursday
morning and they left for New Orleans
at O'Clock.
In reply to question why the trav-
eler would not lecture in this state,
Major Pond gave brief story OF the
cause. He said that on February 14th
contract was made by him, acting for
Mr.. Stanley, with. Francis McKlown,
the Dallas manager. This contract pro-
vided for lectures to be delivered in San
Antonio, Galveston, Austin and Dallas
in the order mentioned on dates from
March 25th to the 2Sth.
During the time the Stanley party
was in California Major Pond became
uneasy about the Texas tour. In re-
sponse to repeated wiring he at last re-
ceived reply from Austin, Texas,
while the party was in Fresno, on March
10Th. The telegram read:
'Crlticlsms 30 severe on Stanley |