The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-05
1.-THE FENCING MASTER"
Coming to Portland Theatre Friday and
Saturday This Week


sources or is so thoroughly equipped as
the Fencing Master" The scenes OF the
opera are laid in Italy, the first act being
located at Milan and the second and
third in and about the world famed
Venice Hence the local coloring afford
ing such an interesting scope for scenic
and costume investiture. The placing
upon the stage of SO pretentious a repro
duction resolved itself into managerial
artistic judgment'and financial invest
ment. That the fullest advantage was
taken of these opportunities was demon
strated when the Fencing Master" was
given birth. Captain Alfred Thompson,
a well known artist and designer, who
has spent much of his life in and about
Venice and Milan and whose artistic tenn
permanent and reputation are universal
Iy accepted and admired was called upon
to design and model the scenic and cos
tune effects. That he did his work
thoroughly is an accepted fact. The cos
tunes were s manufactured under his
direction by Eaves g. Co.. of New York,
while the scenery was painted by Reid
&gSchaefer and Ernest eros, the latter
being chief assistant to the famous Phil
lipeaux, who created the great pano-
rama S, The Seige of Paris, Falls of
Niagara and Battle of Gettysburg. While
all this was being done most capable
company of operatic artists was organized
and drilled in the music lines, and situa-
tions that had been created in the
authors mind. At the head of this or
ganization was splaced the peerless
imperial court singer, Laura Mapleson,
whose triupmhs, both home and abroad
had made her famous. The company
numbered in all eighty people, and in
addition to Madam Mapleson included
the world famous baritone Hubert W1lke
and the clever native prima donna Lilly
Post However, it was in the grand
ensembles and perfection Of detail where
in the production exceeded all others; to
the orchestra accompaniment particular
attention was paid, and the voice OF the
press in the several cities visited was
unanimous in it's EXPLANATIONS of praise.
New York and Boston accepted the work
with alacrity and patronized it literally
for nights running up to the hundreds,
while Chicago and Philadelphia were
loath to part with it after runs of four
weeks EACH I his grand ensemble of
artistic and popular results is now being
brought to Portland, where it will be
produced Friday and Saturday evenings
of this week and Saturday matinee.
The company is under the management
of Fred c. Whitney, who together with
Col. Mapleson, are directing its destiny.
The sale of reserved seats has shown con-
clusively that the followers and lovers of
musical events intend in tangible
manner to Encourage the engagement in
this city. The leading dual role of Fan
cesca francesca will be sung Friday and
Saturday nights by Laura Schirmer-
Mapleson, and at the Saturday matinee.
by Lilly Post, while Hubert FWilke will
appear at each of the three recitals given
in Portland.
Discussion of the merits of the "Fenc-
ing Mastern will leave food for discussion
among music lovers in this city for some
time to come
The Testimonial Concert.
Parties should secure their seats today
at Stockbridge's for the grand compli-
mentary concert to be rendered to Misses
Knight, Kicker and Philbrook at City
Hall tonight Miss Bertha Webb, the
Haydn Quartette, Singers Club, Messrs.
Murray and Rankin will all assist.
This will ba tho rlroUr9. nn1a
1.-The Millers Wooing .............. Tanning
Singers Club.
Observation-Disclosures and yaria-
tons MIC VAN :. Haydn Leonard
Scena e Duel to, I'll Profeta," Per SerbaT
Miss Knight and Miss Kicker.
Miss Philbrook.
save Maria. o.. Bach-Gounod
; Miss Knight-(yiohn obligato-Miss Webb dSr
"A slumDer Son Singers, Club L0nf
vow - ' :, Miss Webb. s,,,,,,,,.
Lost Chord (aGy yy gGSqqes asrtette SULLIVAN
"From the Desert Gomez. ....-.D Dudley. Buck
Miss Kicker.
10y = 0'N Singers Club.
The third and fourth numbers on the
programme were rendered at the Wom-
ems Amateur Musical Convention at
Chicago.
The covers for the programmes are
done in half tone, after a design drawn
by Mrs. Fl. F. Harmon of Woodfordstand
represents Medallion of Apollo, the
God of Song. resting upon a harp with
back ground of laurel leaves.
The work was done by the Lakeside
Press.
The Vendetta.
"The Vendetta" is melo-drama full
of cayenne pepper and mustard, meta
phorically speaking, for, beginning with
a murder at Paris, for which an inno-
cent man is convicted and sent to the
galleys at Toulon, it's action passes with
the blowing up of the prison and escape
of the convicts, a game of baccarat at
Monte Carlo, the collision and wreck of
q steamer at sea, and finally the burn
ing of Paris. The acts are short, the
action rapid, the scenic and stage effects
are very good, and the acting prais-