Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-23
ADJUSTMENTS.

The New Opera.-The production at AL
baughs next week of MARX en-, or the Leg
end Of vuur-Bril" by Philander johnson OF
The Evening Star, and ]. Emory Shaw. for
merly Of this city. nav be considered
most pre- missing venture. The fact that
Manager Strakosch found enough merit N
II TO warrant his producing it as one OF a
series Of operas by standard composers is
an indication that 1t has substantial claims
TO approval. The story is striking one
ana admits of situations which appeal
strongly to the sense of the ludicrous-the
more strongly because they have the mimi
mum OF reminiscent suggestion Of the stock
material for plot and climax. The central
idea Is that II one of our conventionally at
TIED eountryfnen were to go among a print
tive people he would be more Of an object
Of wonder to them than one of Their num-
Der would be In United States drawing
room. The substantial and conservative
people of the Island of Marken in the Zuy-
der Zee furnish exactly the environment
Tor the development OF such a complication.
wealthy and prosperous. as a rule. the Mar
kenites have no desire to do more than per-
pstuate the honesty and thrift Of their an
cestors. With their principles they have re-
tained the costumes and ideas Of the remote
past with fidelity which makes them a
| veritabie antique aristocracy.
To produce the full impression of con-
trtLst between the interesting folk and the
young American gentleman who makes his
appearance In their midst the first act is
devoted almost entirely to putting the az
dience en- rapport with the peasantry. The
rise of the curtain discloses an interior in
the home Of Jakob Van Heemskerk, the
hurQ0ma ha 70 I'm cd
FOR merry making. but Father Heems-
kerk has. with characteristic frugality.
turned the occasion into an apple-paring
bee. For In one of those melodic conf
| burgomaster explains that his most vaiu-
able maxim is See that everybody works
except Yourself" And the chorus acqui
| esces with
See that everybody works except yourself
| 1T is O rule
That Is better than guardian fay or elf.
| II from want you would be free.
Let this your motto be:
| Sec that everybody works except your
| self
Later in the evening the comedy but ma
| ture housewife, Sophia. invites the party
out to partake Of a supper that has been
| arranged for them, and her practical turn
| Of mind is demonstrated by her song. In
which she says:
| 80 maidens. list to my advice
And learn to cook all dishes nice.
| For when you'd touch some mans hard
heart. tits vain to droop sigh.
Just work with culinary art and touch 1t
| with a pie"
Father Heemskerk explains that his rea-
| son In summoning these guests was to pro-
| vide hearty welcome for the young man
| to whom his daughter, Elsa, was betrothed
| in her childhood. The young man is the
| son Of his old neighbor, Pieter De Hoogh.
| who years before had gone 10 America. Be-
fore his departure. in order to cement the
neighborly affection between the two FAINT
| lies. little Elsa Van Heemske ERIK was pledg-
| ed In matrimony to little Derrick De
Hoogh. Derrick was expected to arrive to
claim his bride. but has evidently missed
| the boat and cannot therefore arrive for
weeks to come. With the perverseness Of
| her sex, Elsa has entirely ignored the ar
rangements made by her father. and has
| fallen irrevocabiy in love with one Of her
peasant companions. Karel Her position
IL naturally conducive to romantic melan-
| choly. and In a mood of affectionate des-
peration she apcstrophizes the evening
| breeze with
"Oh. winds. bear a message from me
| To one who ever dearest will be
Breathe soft these words. Il love thee"
Her lover, however, has no need of the
aerial messenger for he Is at hand and
puts in timely appearance Just In time
| for a duet.
Soldiers arrive and state that a famous
European criminal has been traced 10 this
island. Father Heemskerk agrees to keep
a lookout for him. AS 1t is growing late.
Sophia suggests that the young people had
u
and. besides. the demon Vuur-Bril might
get them. 1t Is explained In The dialogue
and through the legend song which Kare,
sings that Vuur-Bril Is monster with the
evil eye, who visits the island every hun
dredth year In life he was betrayed from
a position of proud prosperity by woman,
and his decree is that II his great CLASSY
eye looks upon a woman she must marry
within a month: II on a man. he may never
marry while he stays in Marker. Thus he
protects the men and wreaks his hatred
on the women. During the story the storm
has reached a point of fury. and when Der
rick appears ne is with his :nonocle and
strange attire Immediately taken for
vuur-Bril His CONSERVATION is equaled
only by that Of the peasants, and the finale
of the first act begs in a swinging waltz
rhythm his instant departure
It is In the first act that the story is
mainly developed. the second and third
in which Derrick finds himself. through he
dread Of the people and with the police
authorities.
Derrick is naturally mystihed at his re-
his unpopularity cannot be due to his at
tire for throughout it is The style In New
York Just prior to the finale of the sec
ond act the criminal. disguised as a monk.
comes on the scene. monk Is a very I'm
familiar parsonage in Holland, but when,
after cooling his face at the windmill, he
exclaims. Blessings on the cool waterr'
they apply the somewhat misty ideas of
holy water, which they have gathered.
and determine to put Derrick under the
windmill. To add to his discontinue the
soldiers place him under arrest as the GRIM
inal In the third act the threads of the story
are brought together and the love affair Of
Karel and Elsa is happily Strengthened out
by Derrick's declaration that he would be
much pleased IL the engagement could be
annuled. And the curse Of Vuur-Bril be-
ing an exploded myth. the youths and dam
sells plighted their troths anew and the cur
tain gees down on a scene OF the blythest
cheer.
John @. Bell, the stage manager will be
Derrick: Maurice Hageman, Father Heems-
kerk; Fred. Huntley. Karel; Miss Louise
Moore, Elsa; Miss Hosmer, Sophia; Miss
George Bryton, Marie. the fiirtatious peas
ant lass. and j. X Adams her perturbed
lover. Frants
The music will be performed under the
leadership Of Director Machette
The Living Pictures--The second series Of
Living Pictures At Aibaugh's Grand Opera
House next week will be even more inter-
estng than those of this week The sub
3eets chosen win include a number of fig
urs studies. to be selected from the most
prominent works of well-known artists
The entire series will be changed and new
figures and subjects shown each night 1t
Is both astonishing and gratifying to those
who have charge Of these Living Pictures
that the work has been appreciated to such