The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-17
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
PROSPECTS or COOP BUSINESS
rx.,un Ar,,.,. Not I'm Favor.-Comic Opera
in the metropofis-iondon Theariea's--A
Brilliant Week ia Richmond.

write % me tlHt Du-lDets - piDhlH6 "P'
OF course. there are exceptions to every
rule. and this holds goods now IN one or two
cases. For instance. the season OF ltallah
opera at the Metropolitan Opera House - not
success. Once before in the same house
Manager Abbey lost over quarter OF a nil
lion dollars his hackers. aud it looks az
though the same thing would happen now
for the big barn like Metropolitan has only
held one laTge-siZed audience-on the opeu-
ing night. r
Funny. isn't it. how New York has tired OF
Italian opera There IS good reason, now
ever. when we consider that 1t costs % 10
take your best girl 20 the opera. not Counting
carriAge hire. etc For e or - ii most you
can take tue lady 10 see the hest drama OF
medy on the stage, interpreted by the Des1
actors of the day.
High-prlced singers have had their dag.
Why. tenor ike Jean de Reske receives
more money FIR singing once than many
star actor receives IN week
FOREIGN ARTISTS NOT n Favor.
By-the-by. the foreign artists are not pluck
ing the American goose as easily as they did
few years ago.
Really. the natives appear TO be in the as
cendant. And this is true of the dramatists.
There are more plays by American authors on
the stage to-day than ever before ia the MS
tory OF the drama in this country. Bronson
II ward. William Gillette. Henry De Mile
Martha Morton. and number Of Others are
wei. represented. Next IA order Will be pays
on strictly American themes, two OF which
are now being rehearsed
HOME FOR COMIC OPERA.
Before another year rolls around we will
have comic opera presented IN a home OF It's
own. ~ come opera 1 DO mean that
conglomerAtion OF horse play. old iokes and "A
few catchy airs. including topical song
That 20 DO sure, Is the present accepted idea
OF comic opera But the comic opera | speak
OF means such works as The Merry War.
and like Tx. sung by artists, not butchers OF
melody. 20 of the cultured people Of this
city have already taken steps 10 raise iund
for this Obec and the scheme Will soon be
fully matured.
So there will be two new opera houses in
this city next seasOn-tAe home OF comic
opera aud the new house TO be built by Man
ager Hammersteiu. New York Is music
loving city. as IS evidenced by the success
attending the Casino, where "NanOn' has
Just been revived and by the bust
ness being done at the Garden Theatre. where
La Cigae" has won triumph. hen the
Sunday concerts by Damro-ch and those by
Seidl are always well attended. Pretty soon.
] hear. Gilmore viii start IN. and II he does
his success is assured, for the genial : atrck
:. has host OF fol overs. and. as he always
produces popular music. he IS sure OF crowded
houses.
FAILURES AND SUCCESSES.
The first halt Of the present season saw
number of successes. but ~ 1 look over the
list Of new productions IA this town. / notice
many failures The Solicitor" with Dixey
as the star. at Herman s; The khediye'
and "Beaut ful Star D." at Niblo's The Black
MasQue." at the Union Square; Pau me
Blanchard" and la Dame de Challant, at
the Standard. 'Letterblair al the Lyceum.
and the Meiniuger Troupe at the Ihalla,
were the most prominent failures.
On the other hand. The Man with Hun
bred Heads The Better Part "Ihermi-
dor" "Dorothys Dilemma The Dancing
Girl ." Lady Bountif1i." The Cadi b." The
Struggle of Life" have all achieved success.
ADA RfH,N TO STAR.
The latest actress who desires to be q star is
Miss Ada kehan. OF Days company. While
the lazy doe not admit the factor rather.
Is non-committal--I have it from 90 ID au-
thOrity that she Is endeayOring TO perfect
plans to that end, Miss kehan Is pretty Wei
known IN this country she has appeared with
the DAILY company IN all the principal cities.
Besides she has appeared III In land. France
and Germany. no actress on the stage ever
built up reputation Oh less merit As an artist
than Miss Rehan. Her nasal intouatlons, and
her samenese so % speak IN al that She
esteem of the critics.
TIL ATRICALs ~ LONDON.
NV London correspondent informs me that
Christmas eutert inments still Loid sway IN
England. The British pantOmlme Is style OF
amusement That - hardly understood IN tins
country. 10 Is true we have p9ntOmImes here
with clown pantalOOn. harlev uln and col
umbiue. but we nave never taken kindly TO
the entertainment. 1t j. not an institution rs
faa rf.rrf ~ Q
theatres one laf the year is devoted O.
making preparations Tor the Christmas pam
tOmime which runs sometimes tor three
tour months Children think they arc badly
used ii they are not taken 70 pantOnme so
Christmas time. and tue little ones OF the
20 rest, N some way or other. manage TO get
this annual treat.
sir Augustus Harris, who only recently
added the prefix ''Sir 20 his name has. ct
Drury Lane lheatre, eclip5ed all 5 former
productions in the way OF pantOmlme. II
has "a any names as "A spanish grandee. aud
Is entitled 'tiumpty Dumpty or The elbow
Drawi and the air he with the Golden
Locks There are pageants professions and
ballets which dazzle the vision OF the thou
sands who LOck to see the piece. The la ish
display. the cOlurng. the beauty of the mate
rails used and the Brilliant and gorgeous
effects produced have never been surpassed
on the English stage
DIT AN~A1 Al4lA4of WIZ ~ u ilDbufl Oh
Charles arris who staged Gllbert-Sulliyan' 8
Patience ia New olk IS said % be inan-
cia.ly embarrassed and las great hope that
tins paut0mlne Will enable HIM 10 retrieve
himself
NOT IUCH OF PLAY.
At the London Vaudeville Theatre which
il what the Lyceuu Theatre IS TO New \ ork
Mr. Chambers new play. The Honorable Her
bert IS running % fair audiences IL is deli
cate and reAned " "a. but it not likely TO
be success n this country. when produced
~ tie Lyceun in this city. Tie story is thin
and weak. 10 IS 81 pie and stretched t. an
almost danger Us degree IF thluness ~ order
10 spread It over four acts
Mr.. Chamber will be To en- hered as the
author of The ldler' which was produced
in tits couatry. but did not long hold the
stage
D. /. Io0le. who was another failure here
some years ago hut who IS wOrshped by
hlr. and Ars. II. NrT VILE ca ed The Don
u deals with uu.vr sity he and maguates.
Ir NJ al American po.at OF view it's gloomy
play. as is Mr cole humOr
Tho great event of the London theatrical
season Is undoubtedly tic magnificent reyi-
yai ot 'Eenry Wiz by irving az the
Lyceum. ryinl plays Cardinal WOlsey with
Great art sub.lety sud refinement. William
Ierrs- whose w TX j. familiar % Americans.
is only an Indifferent King henry Ellen
Terry is al that Is to be desired - Queen
katherine
Tie Dancing Girl" which has only been d
moderate success IN London. has been with