Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-03-05

New Work, March 4.-The novelties
OF the weak include two operas, reals
tic drama, AphyScho-dramatic sensation
and farce e>medy, and by managerial
tact they have been spread out to cover
nearly every eyening Of the week.
1.-THE Basoche," sen for the first time
in New York at the Casino on Monday,
is an opera comique Ia three acts by AL
bert Carre, music by Audre Messenger.
1t took the place of Henry B. Smiths
deadly dull Fencing Maser," and was
performed by the Inf Opera
Company in a very slipshod man
ner. In fact, the greatest fun
extracted from the work was
caused by the actors not knowing their
lines, and the exasperatel WHISPER of
the prompter. The music IL only fair,
but whatever the merits OF tle compo-
stion may be, the orchestrition was
excellent, and even the monotoly of the
choruses were counterbaanced by the
perfect execution Of the orchestra. The
plot, however, is both interesting and
original. 1.-The Basoche" is a mock
king of law student In Paris in TIN time
Of Louis XII. These law student had
rendered the king valuable sevice,
in reward for which be permitted
them 10 elect annually q king, who
was to receive from the court aud the
people the homage usually paid to a ov-
ereign. The king elected in the lay
had married, sometime before his Coo
nation, peasant girl who, upon comLg
to Paris and hearing him hailed king,
took him to be the King of France. Tie
real king, an old man, had, just prior o
that time, sent to England for wifi.
The royal lady arrived In Paris on thu
same day the peasant girl did, aud by /
series of very amusing incidents ther
got mixed up and looked upon the Bas
oche as the real king. The Basochs
was, of course, embarrassed, but he wa,
not half as embarrassed as Louis XII
when the latter found a pair OF queen:
on his hands. In several spots where
the lines halt, the commission OF French
witticlsm is evident. 1t failed, how
ever, to produce interest, and although
a success to France and England, it Il
sure to fail in America.
William Haworth's "a Nutme.
Match" also had its first presentation
in New York on Monday although /
has been seen in nearly every large
town in the Union. 1t contains heap
Of fun, some pretty Connecticut scenery
and steam pile driver in full opers-
tion. The play is full of quaint, rural
incidents and dialect and is enlivend
by case OF a mad bull, wedding pref
ent OF live calf. a deal Of good sins
ing, neat dancing and lots OF the cuts
ways OF the rnral Conneeticutor
1t has been money-winner on the road
and will win ducats here.
"A Mad Bargain" at the Bijou Is first
class example Of the song-and-danee
farce, made for laughter by John J.
McNally, OF the Boston Herald, and
Julian Mitchell. stage manager of
Hoyt's Madison Square Theatre. TIE
pes upon which hangs the extravagant
story : young man who fancies he is
madly IL love with coquette, who
leases him lutil he wishes to die. He
lacks the cosrage to commit suicide
and therefore arfanges TO be murdered
when he isn't looking" by q man
who engages In earnest to do the
Job; but the girl proves true
md constant, whereupon her lover de-
iires to live. and his fresh perplexities
rise from the danger OF being killed by
he all too conscientious assassin accor-
ling to the mad bargain. All this is
ised to ludicrous account ana perform
ID In rapid teuch-and-go manner