The Portland daily press., 1893-03-22
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
Nell Gwynne.

Last night the Wilbur Opera Company
appeared at Portland Theatre in Plan
quette's opera of Nell Gwynne." Ev-
erybody remembers the beautiful mis-
tress of Charles IL, and his two Tome
companions, the Duke of Buckingham
and Earl of Rochester. All these per-
sonages are characters in the opera, and
also Jessamine, niece of the village
pawnbroker, whom the twohobles each
seeks to secure for his mistress. The
adventures of all these people and 9TH
ers furnish the plot of the opera. There
are some rather pleasing airs IN the
work, and the ensemble at the close of
the second act is very effective and was
well worked up last evening.
Miss Kirwin was NOS present last night
and Miss Morton assumed the title role.
The opera, however, does not give her
the opportunity for display of her talents
that is afford by the Royal MILDLY"
Her eccentric song in the second act re-
ceived hearty applause. Mr.. Konule
made a hit as the pawnbroker, and his
song in the second act was encored. In
response he gave the song from Wang
"a shady nook, babbling brook"
But the great success of last evening
was the specialties in the third act The
march of the Amazons is one of the best
things Of the kind ever seen on Portland
Theatre stage. Shaw. the female i'm
personator, is great card, and the other
acts are excellent.
At the matinee today ''Erminie'' will
be given, and in the evening the charm
ing little opera Dorothy which the
Bostonians gave here SO we'll a few sea-
sons ago.
Pinafore.
The time draws nigh for the Home
Opera Company to be heard at City Hall
Thursday evening. All the old famil-
lar airs will be heard in their simple
beauty and by soloists of well-known
repute, assisted by the excellent tenor OF
Boston, Mr.. J. C. Bartlett. The cos
TUNES have arrived from Boston. The
scenery painted by Smith Of Boston is
finished, and Mr. Montgomery says that
when the curtain rolls up Thursday eve
ming on the good ship Pinafore there
will be treat, as the scenery is all that
can be desired. No expense has been
spared in this revival to please the pub
lie, both as regards the selection of So
loists and the large outlay on scenery
and costumes, But then Mr.. Montgom-
cry says Portland patronizes home opera
better than any city in this country.
Seats are now on sale at Chandler's mus
&c store. Lots of good seats are left.
Secure them early.
A Nights Frolic.
Helen Barry will appear for one night
at Portland Theatre, March 2sth. She
will appear in "a Nights Frolic,'' a
comedy adapted by Augustus Thomas,
author of alabama" from the German
of Gustav Won Moser The plot of the
play is pleasing, the dialogue bright,
sparkling and witty, and the scenes hui
morus and intricate. 1t is light come
dy of refined style, and affords the great
actress an opportunity to make the sue
cess of her career. The play has had
successful runs in Boston and New
York.
Notes.
Miss Minnie Hauk and her husband,
also Miss Nikita, her uncle, NJ. Leroy,
and Mrs. Nicholson, have sailed on the
Normannia for New York, all bound for
Chicago. Miss Nikita will stay for some
weeks at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New
York. She takes with her a French
cook, who insisted on having her life
insured, apparently frightened at imagi-
nary Indians; a German maid, a magnih-
cent set of silver plate, presented to her
by her admirers in Russia, Partisan toll
cts, which, she writes, are dreams Of
loneliness; ~ large trunks and q white
Russian cat cher mascot), with fluffy
hair and perfectly deaf.