Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-27

1ne interesting young hien, anu en0 AAAo
dle-aged ones, too, who are engaged at
present in persusding the theatergoing
public that they are great comedians, had
better keep a sharp lookout for one, Thomas
Q. Seabrooke who is breaking traditions
and smashing antique methods in comic
opera and blazing out new path to fame
by himself OF course it is not news that
Seabrooke is a clever comedian, but last
night he showed very substantial claims
to far larger fame than we had supposed
he could present. When a comic opera
comedian makes the musicians in the or
chestra, those clammily critical beings
laugh, when the artist who beats the drum
and the genius of the bass viol join in the
outlaws of a crowded house, the unusual has
happened and the phenomenon will bear
watching Seabrooke is as solemn as an
owl half the time even in his most riotous
testing, but his audience laughs for him and
thousand or two more.
sPittsburgers like comic opera-there's no
doubt of that They hadn't had bite of it
for months, and a hungry crowd it was that
simply packed the Duquesne Theater last
night. 'The Isle of Champagne" a new
comic opera-so-caued-in three acts, writ
ten by Charles Alfred Byrne and Louis
Harrison to music by W. w. Furst, was
given the first time here. 1t is really an
extravaganza rather than a comic opera.
but whatever you may call it, it is good, it is
new, and there is as much laughter in it as
anybody could ask for in an entertainment
of this sort. The audience emphatically
recognized its merits, encoring everything
they could and sticking in their seats to
laugh till the last moment, which, by the
way, was dangerously near midnight
II I'll -
straight and strong. Nothing foggy, but
much that is funny about it. The Isle of
Champagne is ruled over BY a King who
has been deprived of all his revenues by his
people, and all his perquisites but the fish
cries. which have not yielded sardine in
200 years. A queer feature of the
land is that champagne is the only
fluid known there. Therefore, when q
Yankee ship is wrecked on the coast, and
water is introduced BY three castaways it
creates a sensation. The King sees his way
from Massachusetts, who owns the supply
of water on the ship. The natives pay
fabulous prices for the new beverage, and
the royal exchequer is filled. The King
keeps full also, and his wife and his prime
minister plot TO get rid of him. The con-
stitution of Champagne ordains that
husbands must be buried with their wives
when the latter die, and the Queen
shams death. In spite of his objections
the King is lodged in the mausoleum with
his allegedly deceased spouse. The way
this complication is unraveled must be seen
to be appreciated. Indeed, the whole story
acts well; the dialogue helps it along, is
incidentally sharp and witty, the lyrics are
fairly good, and the music is tuneful and
light, if very seldom original Some of the
songs are very good. The love song in Act
L; ''The North Pole" and horn-pipe chorus
and ''The Spider and the Fly" in new
shape in Act IL being the most notable.
The waltz movement used for the ballet,
ana country sabot dance in the last act,
serve their purpose well.
But after all MI. Seabrooke, as has been sug-
gested above, is the locomotive OF the show.
He is dry and compelling humorist as well
as a wonderfully clever actor. Miss Minnie
Landes, the soprano, was with the National
Opera Company, and her singing is natur-
ally artistic as well as melodious Her en-
cores were deserved Walter Allen in a
straight comedy part was all
right, and Eugene O'Rourke was so
good as Sam Beandcle, an unctuous
sea dog that we could stand more of him.
Robert Dunbar sang better than ever be-
fore, and Alice Hosmer, who played with
him in ''The Little Tycoon" also showed
up wen IN tne proolglously comic role OF
the Yankee Queen Miss Elvia Crox was
buoyant and bright as the bubbling cham
payne ITSELF The number of pretty women
in the chorus exceeds the legal percentage
by a long shot, and such dashing
dancing as the charming Mile. Qualltz
and her little band of iight-tooted girls
threw IN has not been seen here in years
The scenery is quantity new and pretty.
All in ali ''The Isle of Champagne" is an
intoxicant; but it breeds no headaches
The gentle youth of the town may beware
of heartaches, however. The only fault we
can find with the show is that it is Just a
little too long, and there is more wine
bibbing in it than absolutely necessary.