The evening world., 1893-11-22
THE PRINCESS NICOTINE"

once more is the poor old buffeted
bond-torn, mortgage-squeezed, quarrel
peppCrcd Casino pen TO the public. 1t
still has its Moorish appearance, and Its
air OF undiluted opulencc, probably COW
cring an aching heart. Yet 1t Is open
again, and II has Miss Lillian Russell at
the head of It's forces. The cares that
have wrinklrd the beautiful Moorish
playhouse have not oppressed MISS Rus
sell. While receivers, less"es, stock
holders. and all the rest of the strange
paraphernalia were wearing themselves
hin with worry. Miss Russell. p%laci1ly,
amiably and simmcringly, has grown fat.
There IL no use pretending that She Is
merely plump. She is absolutely fat. yet
lovely. Not Il day, apparently, has been
added to her age, nor an emphasis to
the chubby ComplacenCy that she calls
dramatic fervor. Miss Russell Is her old
self. but there IL more of her. Every
body will be pleased to hear that, for she
Is charming.
'The Princess Nicotine" is the new
opera. 1t must at once be said that 1t
Is "A worthy effort, Il legitimate attempt
to give comic opera as 1t used to be
gIven-as 1t is still given abroad-without
horseplay, vulgarity or concert hall
features. The line distinguishing the
vaudeville programme and the comic
opera was gradually becoming obliter-
ated. and there were many who mourned.
The authors Of the present work are
Messrs. Byrne, Harrison and Furst. tin"
last named carrying away the honors
with the music, which is surprisingly
tuneful. MI. Furst. in all verify. has
never really been heard before. He has
been hiding his light under a bushel, and
permitting Mr.. DE Koven to rule the
musical roast. The music of The
Princess Nicotine is so airy and fasci-
mating that you long for the score TO try
over on the family tea kettle. There Is
a good night song that Is a gem; a
semi-topical song that Is exceedingly
pretty, and a number of brightly, win
some airs. The Choruses are all well
written, and the only fault to be found
IL with one or two Of the Spanish num-
bers that seem to have been culled from
other sources In perhaps unconscious
assimilation Just as the digestion of
food is an Involuntary process. SO 1t is
with the digestion Of music. Com
IJS'I - N 'ONF, ' =" ~ N''''
ihe book of Tie Princess NIco-
tine is the charming story by the
Spanish novelist, Pedro A. de Alarcon,
called "The Cooked Hat" When you
read this novel-if You did-you must
have se,n in it II comic opera. You
could hear the Choruses. picture the
groupings. imagine the scenes. IT seemed
burning to lend itself to comic opera
treatment. Messrs. Byrne and Harrison
have made an ingenious adaptation, but
they have forgotten that a comic opera
audience wants to laugh, ana there is
scarcely a smile in "The Princess NiCo-
tine" Their Don Pedro-the Corregidor
OF the novel-might have been made
amtsing, the sort Of rule that Gros-
smith used to play at the Savoy Theatre.
London. Yet he is a tiabby sort of per
son, who seldom evokes a smile, and
he goes seriously through the opera.
THEE was Il chance to make the
Duchess entertaining, but she Is also
DUH and heavy. In return for the
wholesale piracy of the plot. the libret-
lists might have made an effort at
originality as far as the humor went.
Yet. The Princess Nicotiue' is inf
nitely better as it Is. than as It would
be riddled with gags and horseplay. 1t
Is so encouraging to hear "A comic opera
that Is not Il burlesuue that criticism is
really almost diSarmed.
Miss Russell sings very well indeed.
No r%oulades, IL you please. Her former
Alpine vocal efforts, undertaken with
out a guide and leading her to disaster,
are omitted. A good deal of her tire
molO has gone. In fact. Miss Russell t.
in better voice than she ever has been
y-t. There Is a mellow autumn in her
notes, a gratifying tonal warmth. Ora
mi tic power IL of Coura" absent. but her
walk Is a good one. and she promenades
gracefully through her role. Digby Boil
Is not very HAPPY in his part. The
llhrettIsts have sat upon him, SO to
speak. and You feel inclined to thank
the lihrettiSts, for BELL IL very ANNOYING
when unthwarted. Perry Averill Is a
tame sort of lover, hut he is better
"oCally than dramatically. Miss Marie
nressler ~ very good, and would not
abuse her opportunities, If she had any.
There are, however, few chances for
ANYBODY but Miss Russell. She IL in un-
disputed possession Of the field. THE
Princess Nicotine" Is artisticallv ami
beautifully staged. ALAN DALE.