Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-10
AMUsEMENTs.


Albaush's Grand Opera House.-The per-
Torrance of "A Wild Duck at Aibaugh's
last night was appreciated by good
house. The attraction belongs distinctly
to the school Of farce comedy and there is
lavish display of ingenuity in keeping
the action going at the pace which is de-
manded for that kind Of an entertainment
The piece is evidently the result of a dill
gent application of the principles which
govern the popular taste, SO far as they
can be analysed, and the author, the play
| ers and the management have all been at
evident pains to observe the demand and
TO supply 1t. The result is a rolicking as
sortment OF nonsense bound together by
enough plot to keep it from being inco-
nefent, but IN no wise handicapped as to
action by the necessity of explaining a
story. The element of plot is present, but
care Is taken that it shall not get in the
way. The company is a good one Mark
sullivan Is a clever comedian and Nellie
| and Lizzie Mccoy are bright and amusing
children. One Of the features Of the per-
| formance that stands out conspicuously is
the bit of speciality by Marie Stuart To
say that this lady has ginger is to put
| 1t very mildly. She sings French songs in
a way that captiyates by the now Of spirits
ana animal magnetism, while her audacity
astonishes her audience into an accept
anee OF whatever she chooses to d. She is
the typical French singer of a certain class
| ana as such she proved amusing wherever
another performer would perhaps not be
/ tolerated. "A Wild Duck may be expected
to ny high at Albaugh's until 1t is
Miss Innocence Abroad"
| New National -Theater.-Under the pres
ent condition Of things it requires a good
deal Of nerve to start out an English opera
| company. but Mr.. Chas. H. Pratt believes
that the public will support a good COM
! pany. and he has got together a set of peo-
pie who; when they become accustomed to
each other, will be the strongest troupe
that has been seen IN English opera. The two
main attractions are Nine. Marie Tavary
and Edward l.. Guile. Tavary was first
| ME Hauk Opera Company, and she made
| an extremely favorable impression then.
| subsequently she came here in concert and
/ increased the good feeling of the public
| toward her. She also sang in oratorio for
| the Choral Society, thus demonstrating her
artistic versatility. 1t is in opera, how
| ever, that her abilities fnd full scope. and
| as Leonora last night in I'll Trovatore."
| Nerdfs tuneful and ever-popular work. she
achieved distinct success She sang the
| horid music of the score excellently, while
she gave to the part all the dramatic in
| tensity that it required. In the concerted
numbers with Mr. Guile the audience was
| loud in its applause and both were again
| and again called before the curtain. Mr..
Guile, as Is well known, has a phenom-
| email tenor, and last night he surprised even
| his most ardent admirers by striking high
| d natural in the duet in the second act.
His singing of the "Di Quella pira" excited
| the greatest enthusiasm and he was obliged
| to repeat, giving high with perfect ease
ard with a wealth of tone that has not
been heard by any other tenor since the
days of La Franc. Guile is not new to
Washington, having been heard here first
with the Emma Juch company and more
recently with the Hinrichs company, and
those who have heard him before were con-
| firmed in their admiration of his remarka-
BILE voice, while to those who heard him
| for the first time last night his singing was
| a revelation. All through the opera his
work excited the greatest enthusiasm in
the audience and he was the recipient Of
a handsome basket Of flowers. Thea Dorre
made an excellent Azucena, giving evil
dence of fine dramatic ability and also
the possession of a voice Of fine quality and
considerable power. VIM. Mertens, who
was the Count de Luna, has powerful
voice. though with too much vibrato. and
he wandered from the key once or twice.
The chorus Is large and effective, the
crera was handsomely costumed and the
orchestration Of twenty-five pieces was eff
Academy of Music.-"Oi the Mississippi"
a new melodrama, by VIM. Haworth, was
given at the Academy Of Music last night,
with excellent results, from every point OF
consideration. Not only was the audience
appreciative. but the play went with q
smoothness and vim which gave 1t promise
of a most successful weeks engagement
The honors are about equally divided be-
tweent the company and the scenic artist.
Perhaps the scenic artist has at some
points in the performance just a trihe the
best of 1t. 1t Is southern drama, the
scenes being laid in the vicinity Of New
Orleans. Not only are the settings attrac-
tive N a spectacular sense, but they pre-
sent much that is interesting in the way Of
reproducing points of local celebrity in
the Metropolis Of the south. William Ha-
worth. as an author and an actor. DEM
onstrates a keen comprehension Of effect,
both picturesque and emotional, and Is
he secured with 1.-The Ensign" Melodrama
indifferently presented is worse than in
competent burlesque, and the conscien-
tious manner in which ION the Mississippi
is given to the public shows that this fact
is fully appreciated. There Is the close at
tention to detail that appeals to the i'm
agination and gives the element Of realism
SO necessary m this class Of entertain
ment. The company averages remarkably
we'll as to dramatic ability.
Buffers Rijou Theater. The usually
crowded conditionsprevailed at Butler Bitou
Theater last night, when Scott Marbles
scented by an exceptionally strong cast.
The play is Of the western order, but is
minus the obnoxious blood and thunder
that usually go with plays OF that class.
"Tennessee's Pardner' established its rep
utation in New York last season as
strorg, clean drama, filled with dramatic
incidents ana grand cllmaAeS OnerlnB plen-
ty of opportunities to the members Of the
cast Cora Van Tassell, a bright and con-
scientious actress, was well suited to the
star part Tennessee Kent" and charmed
everybody by the versatility displayed in
the character of the almost friendiess but
spirited girl in search Of a lost father. Chas.
b. Hawkins as "Gewiliker Hay" kept the
house in good humor while on the stage.
and presented a character true to nature
and Astounding with pathos and humor.
Mr. Percy Kingsley, as Caleb Swan" the
"Pardner," gave the star strong support
and was enthusiastically applauded in the
stirring scenes and cimaxes The remain
der of the cast, which is a long and well
selected one, did their parts in manner
to develop the points of the play in a salts
factory manner. "Tennessee's Partner
should on it's merits, crowd the Bijou at
every performance during this weeks en-
gagement.
Kernan's Lyceum Theater.-A program in
which every artist employed makes a big
hit Is being given this week at Kernans
Lyceum Theater, and the large audience
that assembled last night kept the air
constantly filled with shout after shout of
laughter and round after round Of applause.
The attraction is c. w. Williams Come
dams. under the management of AL Reeves.