Morning journal and courier., 1892-04-22
THE FROGS OF wINDHAm.

The First Production of This Comic | Opera in This City Witnessed by a |
 Large Audience at the Hyperion 1
 Last Evening-The Production a
 Great Success.
 The first production of tThe Frogs of Windham" in this city was witnessed at the Hyperion last evening by crowded house. The production, which is for the benefit of the Grace hospital, was looked forward to with considerable curiosity on account of the reputation that the piece had acquired both in Connecticut and New York state, and also on account of the uniqueness of the incidents on which it is founded. It was on the whole an ex- ceedingly creditable performance.
 The opening number of the opera is chorus, "Welcome Home," in which the entire chorus of one hundred voices join. | It welcomes the safe arrival at Norwich of Captain Follett's party, who tell of the arrival at Norwich town" of an English
 lord to whom Colonel Dyer, a gruff, over
 bearing old aristocrat and resident of l Windham, has determined to marry his | daughter. The next noticeable song is by
 Lord Linwood, "The Dashing London Swell," with 8 waltz movement in the chorus. After this comes drinking
 song, "Good Old Windham Flip" with a glass clinking chorus. The first act ends
 with a minuet kitchen dance, at the end of
 which the Indians surprise the settlement
 and capture Lord Linwood.
 In the beginning of the second act Lord
 Linwood is discovered as 8 captive in
 Chief Uncas' camp and sings topical
 song, "This Blawsted Countree" The
 Whip-foor-will song in this act is one of
 the sweetest pieces of music that one often
 hears and the song of Scarlet Feather,
 'Pity the Captive" is also particularly
 bright feature of the act. This act ends
 with the wedding dance of Lord Linwood
 and Scarlet Feather, whom the noble Eng
 lishman falls in love with, and then is
 life, something little out of the order of
 the common experience of young men in
 love. In the last act Colonel Dyer's song,
 "We are Liable to be Disappointed" and
 the gypsy dance led by Miss Bradley as
 gypsy queen were excellent. The
 lows is replete with beautiful
 evolutions, posings and pictures The
 frog ballet follows and is the most unique
 feature of the opera. It is by ter
 young men with costumes which come as
 near the semblance of frog as costume
 can make it. In the grand finale every
 faction comes on the stage in their own
 peculiar way to join in the closing chorus
 and makes one of the finest scenes in the
 opera. The score is arranged for full or ; chestral scores, as follows: Two first vio lins, a second violin, cello, bassoon, flute l two clarionets, two horns, trombone , drums, and MT. Leavitt, the composer . acts as director. The Philharmonic or chestra, Frank Fichtl leader, render th music.
 , Miss Hettis Bradley in the double role O the gypsy girl and the chiefs daughter "Scarlet Feather" is certainly charming and her song, "The Gypsy's Lullaby" cap tivated the audience. The role of Doroth, Dyer, Colonel Dyer's daughter, whom San } Larabee finally marries, is assumed b, Mrs. Warren Hedden. She is well up il her part, and has an excellent voice. MT F. S. Woodruff, the tenor, as Lord Lin wood, makes an excellent dude, and MT. L P. W. Marvin as Colonel Dyer is a } gruH and overbearing as the most iras
 cible father could be. MT. H. Freeman
 in his German dialect part, "Lim Burger,
 is excellent. The other parts are ''San , Larabee" by w. s. Moyle, 7'Parson White , by MT. Haskell, ''Uncas'' by 0. H. Mann
 "Adolphus," Colonel Dyer's favorite slave J by MT. Post, "Old Prime" by MT. Edgar "Aunt Polly" by Miss Clara Ford, ''Katri na" by Miss Zilpha Hazlett. The choru consists of 100 trained voices The cos l l tunes are bright and varied. Most o , them were gotten up especially for thi ! production. The training of the company ha l all along been under the personal direction o | MT. Burton E. Leavitt of Yale '93, who is tn l composer. He has been considerably assisted b ] I N. W. Leavitt and Professor Loomis.
 To Mrs. E. s. Gaylord is due, however, tn } greatest credit for the successful result of tn ! whole performance. In the large amount c l work and the immense number of minor detaii l which an amateur production of this kind incur ! she has been the managing head, displayin l anew the executive ability which has been calle l upon in many occasions of charitable an l church work effort in this city.
 The incident which suggested the libretto t , Mr Leavitt is well known all over the country. Few incidents occurring in America have bee l so widely circulated Without the aid of news E papers or pictorial illustrations it was borne . ! every part of the land. It was sung in song an ballad; it related in histories; it served as l standing joke in all circles and seasons Let
 | son of Windham penetrate to the uttermost part l of the earth, he would find that the story of tn B ! frog-fght had preceded him. The WindhaI | bull frogs have achieved world wide reputatio 7 and with Rome's goose, Putnam's wolf and a fe' l other favored animals will ever hold place ! popular memory and favor.
 This was the sixty sixth performance of tn , piece. It has never before been elaboratel l staged, and with good reason it can be said ths 5 l this performance was success in every respec | Among those in the boxes were noticed Fran 3 H. Sperry, Joseph Porter and party, Lucu 3 Bradley and party. Miss Bradley was encore l l and called out before the curtain twice. Mis- Bradley, F. s. Woodruff, W. s. Haskell were re : l cipients of flowers.