St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-26
A SEASON OF GERMAN.
1t Is Successfully Inaugurated at
the Metropolitan With
.'Mein Leopold"
Familiar Faces and New Talent
Are Present and Pleas
antly Entertain.

Last night was German gala night
at the metropolitan opera house, the
occasion being the opening of the
| German theatrical season, which is to
cover period of twenty-five Sunday
nights, and, taking this opening as a
criterion, the engagement will prove
grand success. The company is
under the management of Theodore
bollmann, and is equal to any that has
ever been witnessed in ST. Paul. There
are some familiar faces who were here
with "Dle Milwauke'er' last season,
and as each one appeared they were
greeted with a hearty round of APP
plause. The evening was opened
with prologue rendered by Theodore
Bollmann,sand written by that popular
and gifted young journalist, Louis
| Stern. The subject was the German
influence on the advancement of civIi-
| cation and the refining aid of their
music and literature. 1t was written as
poem. and many of the couplets we're
adaptable to the Twin Cities. 1t was re-
! ceiyed with considerable enthusiasm,
| both as to its merit and rendition.
The play of the evening was melo-
drama with song, entitled MEN Leo
| pold," and in Its selection for the open
ing night showed good Judgment OIL the
| part of the management. The story of
the play shows the blind and de-
luded love of an indulgent father
! for an unworthy son, and the
moral to be pointed out is the old Ger
| man saying. ''Schuster bleib bel deim
| lest" or, III other words, it is always
| wise for the shoemaker to stick to his
| last" The scene is laid in one
| and the time the present. GOtt-
| leib .Weigelt, who has become
! wealthy property owner through his in
| dustry in the shoe business, has a son OH
| whom he doteS, and who is his only
| passion, he having denied himself every
| pleasure Of life that the young man may
| have every desire OF his heart.
| He allows nothing to stand in
| the way of his wishes and
finally beggars himself to accommodate
the boy. neglecting his daughter and
! commits a forgery and leaves for
| America, and the old man goes back to
| the shoemaker's bench to try and earn
| by hard work the amount of the
sons forgery. In the course of the
| play his foreman while prosperity is
| still with the old man asks him for the
| hand of his daughter, which is refused,
! with curse, and she leaves her father.
| who Is willing to give up everything for
| the idol OF his Soul-his Son--to marry
the workman. In his poverty. and while
trying to pay the amount of his sons
forgery, he is discovered by mutual
friend, and through an appeal to his
| heart to come and see his grandchildren
he is brought to the home of him who
had taken hia daughter away. The
son-in-law had taken an oath when
he married the daughter that he
would never allow the father to
| enter his home unless he would apol-
Ogize Oh Bonded knee. and there is
| very pretty piece of acting as we'll as
strategy when they ask the now wealthy
| Son-ih-law. who is having his measure
| taken for new pair of boots to allow
the old man TO take it, thus bringing
| the old man to his knees and making a
! happy reconciliation.
| There are several excellent love
| scenes in the play. and it is quite re-
| marbable how much more NATURALLY they
are handled than those in the English
line. The first enc between Gertrude
| Berry, as Emma, and TheO Lie
| and funny in the extreme when the
| climax shows that the young man
| simply wanted to borrow money, and
| not ask for her hand in marriage. The
| other is in the second act. when Theo-
| dore Bollman, as the workman, asks
| Elsa Romer, as the daughter OF his en-
| ployer. To marry him. The scene was a
| picture of true German love, and was
| immensely enjoyed. especially by the
DIR I,,fh n atrIi
The company is we'll organized from
musical standpoint, and many we'll
| rendered selections were interspersed
| through the play. Christian Schober. as
| the honest old shoemaker. sang "Meine
! Einsige Passion LIST Mein Leopold,
Mein Sohn'' in the first act, and
| Immediately had the audience with
| him. although this has been his first
appearance in the city. But not till
his full capabilities. when he sang
| touching song entitled 'Welke Blet-
term (Witbered Leaves. 1t is doubt
full ii there is prettier song
sung on the German stage, and il
could not be better placed than in the
hands of Christian Schober. His excel
| lent work as comedian shone all the
brighter in contrast with this piece OF
prthos. The singing last evening was
not, however, cOHnleu 10 the male
| members of the company. and as
| character and mimic singer
| Martha Neumann added laurels to her
reputation as a brilliant soubrette. Her
| rendition of the different adaptations
| that could be pleced on the same song
| if it were sung i'll accordance with thu
| musical Interpretation of all the
| great composers was laughable in
| the extreme, and called forth roars
of applause. 1t is slightly after the
American fashion, but very pleasing
| innovation in the German. Gertrude
Berry sang very pretty song, but her
| voice being somewhat weak it was
| partially lost on the audience.
Herman Schneider, one of last years
favorites, acted minor part well. and
| his many friends seemed to welcome
| him back with a great deal Of enthusi-
asm, and he may rest assured that they
will all be there when he appears
| in more extended role. Carl
! Back is another one of the
old favorites, and the pleasant greetings
|, which he received while standing i'm the