The Portland daily press., 1892-09-21
MUSIC AND DRAMA.



the stage. The first four acts are so well
handled that one naturally expects the
fifth to be merely finish to the story.
But the fifth has several surprises, and is
quite as interesting up to the time for the
righting of all wrongs, the punishment
of all villainy, as any of the others. One
does not look for brilliant literary merit
in a melodrama, nor do the relations OF
the lower classes between themselves
permit the application of those elegant
means to gain ends which one finds nat
ural to the aristocracy. But there are
great many successful dramas in which
there is not half as much point or sharp
ness and in the appropriateness of Ian
guage to character.
The Messrs. Jefferson put the drama
on the boards in excellent shape. The
revolving prison scenes in the second act
are very cleverly managed. The various
characters are assumed by actors well
fitted to their several parts. Miss Anna
Mack Berlein is worthy successor to
Anna Ward Tiffany as Biddy Roman, the
warm-hearted Irish woman; Mr.. E. J.
Mack was a good Jew pawnbroker, Abe
Nathans; Edward See was funny and
natural as Jim Farren; E. B. Tilton was
good as Tom Cooper, Will A. Paul was
effective as George Benson, and Miss
Edith Fassett Tilton was very well fitted
to the dual characters of Annie and Hell
en- Standish. The play will be repeated
tonight.
Spider and Fly.
M. B. Leavitt's burlesque and panto-
mime company will be seen at Portland
Theatre tomorrow night, and the tickets
are now on sale. Among the company
are Jaquarina, the peerless queen of the
sword; Jarina, the marvellous European
wonder; the Putnam sisters; Chas. Ken
nedy, the London comedian and vocalist;
Mauritius and Ravie, the famous panto-
mimists, as well as the Alhambra ballet,
led by Miles. Newman and Sorocco.
Lord Rooney.
The Rooney family in lord Rooney
had big crowd at the Boston Theatre.
An exchange says:
A better performance in the line of
farce-comedy is seldom seen. In spite
of the hot weather the audience was
fairly large, and the company seemed to
rise superior to their surroundings and
worked with spirit and vim. The enter
tainment in its entirety has as many
bright features, as many excellent quail
ties and as much fun and life as any that
has been seen here in many day. The
play itself has sufficient plot and basis to
make it worthy the name of a play.
Then it is presented by people who are
capable of doing something and who
work with willingness and seem intent
upon pleasing. Katie, Matte and Josie
Rooney were the bright stars of the
piece. and made decided hits in their re-
spective parts.
Lord Rooney will be seen at Portland
Theatre, Friday and Saturday.
Cleveland's Minstrels.
Cleveland's Minstrels and the great
dancer Cyrene will be seen at City Hall
Friday evening. The tickets should be
bought at Stockbridge's now. An ex-
change says of Cyrene:
There is nothing of improperly about
what she does; ali is most acceptable,
and powerless to wound the most deli
cate feelings, but there is a sensuousness
pervading all that must accompany any
dancing to the music of Spain, and in
ia Mandorillo," which is one of her
best dances, this is plainest. The last
dance, favorite in the southern coun-
tries, has never been danced here before.
and in it Cyrene excels Her other
dances. the posing and high kicking. and
everything else that goes to make her
appearance the signal for round of APP
plause and her exit the occasion for en-
core after encore, can scarcely be de-
of motion" grace personified, and nov
city incalnate. Cyrene must be seen to
be appreciated.
A wag has it that Fanny Davenport is
shooting Welsh rabbits from the win
dows of her castle in Wales.
The Henry Mapieson opera company
begins its American tour at the Boston
Tremon October 18th, with "Fadette,"
an English version of Lies dragons de
Villars,'' by William Grist, music by
Tito Mattel, Americanized by B. B. Val
entine.
Katie Emmett, in Killarney" has
been filling Pope's ST. Louis Theatre to
OVERLOOKING during the week. The unan-
imous opinion of the Western press
agrees with the metropolitan in this, that
Killarney is the best Irish play yet
produced.
Amy Sherwin, the prima donna, and
Signor Galossi, the famous baritone, will
both appear in the Stockbridge course.
Salvini is not pleasant person to en-
counter when they do succeed in making
him f'mad," as he calls it. His temper,
which is very hard to arouse, has occa-
sionally been detriment to him in his
profession. He has the greatest con-
tempt for laziness and inattention to bus
mess, and he is prone to express it. Last
season, when playing "a Child of Ma
PIES he many times regretted speaking
harshly to some incompetent stage
hands. for they would be revenged by
strewing the stage with small tacks, and
as he played the part with bare feet it
wac mot xrerv D1aa SAINT