The Portland daily press., 1892-12-26
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
Baker Opera Company.

This afternoon the favorite Baker
Opera Company will commence a two
weeks engagement at Portland theatre
in "Said Pasha" and in the evening will
produce ''Boccaccion The Halifax
Chronicle says:
The Baker Company has frequently
been complimented on its excellent
chorus. This characteristic was brought
out once more last night. The choruses
were given with precision and dash
which well maintained the reputation of
the company in this respect. Miss Muir
phys costumes were elegant, and she
sang and acted we'll. Miss Bolton looked
pretty, and though she had not much to
do what she had was well done. Miss
Intrepid is one of the most useful MEM
bers of the company as she can take al
most any part if she has to do SO. Miss
DaCosta has beautiful contralto voice,
the merit of which makes one wish 1T
could be more frequently heard. Mr..
Armand sang well and received a double
encore. Mr.. Wooley, too, had an encore
in the second act. Messrs. Dickson and
Ranney were acceptable. formers
makeup was exceedingly good, and the
delivery of his lines excellent The two
comedians were very funny. Mr.. Wolff S
topical song ''Not the Only One,' had to
be prolonged beyond the usual length.
"She Couldn't Marry Three
This play is presented by one of the
cleverest companies in existence, every
one of them being especially selected for
their adaptability in portraying the
character they represent. The star, Miss
Lillian Kennedy, is the brightest Ingenue
Soubrette in America, and in this come
dy she has role which gives full scope
to her wonderful versatility.
The Athletic Exhibition.
The athletic exhibition advertised for
Saturday night last at Portland theatre
did not give that pleasure that was ex-
pected by the small audience. The best
sparring was by the local talent. Ike
Weir, the Belfast Spider did not ap-
pear.
Now is the time to get seats for the re-
cital by Riddle of '.Faust" next Wednes-
day evening, assisted by the Philhar-
monic Orchestra, wenty-two pieces, from
Boston. The Boston Journal says:
Mr.. Riddle expressed the exalted but
lonely and unsatisfed thoughts of Faust,
and passed quickly to the conjuring up
Of the Earth Spirit. reproducing by the
aid of the orchestra the weird imagina-
ton of the poet with wonderful effect.
He did not burden his audience with
much of Wagner's vaporings, but gave a
genuine touch OF comedy to the festival
scene before the city gate, and then
brought Faust apd Mephistopheles face
to face in the study, the orchestra again
helping him to an especially fine repro
duction of the passage where the voices
of the spirits are heard. The orchestra
adds most efficiently to the effect of the
poem. and often does as much as the
words to express it's full meaning. One
Of the most striking features of Mr.. Rid
dies performance was the sense of real
ness given to the scene in the witch s
kitchen, with the grotesqueness of imag-
inatlon in the talk of the apes, the start
ling ferceness and virulent vituperation
of the witch, her fawning and hattery
when she recognizes her master, and the
transition to Faust's exalted admiration
of the beauty Of the yisi on which is
shown him.
Fra Diavolo.
Era Diavolo" will be put on the