The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-08
IMUSENENTS.
Miss Lillian Russell In "The Queen sf
Brillisnts" at Abbey's.

Miss Lillian Russell In "Tho Queen %
Brinisnts" ut Asbey's.
The audience at Abbey's Theatre last night
had an opportunity to laugh. II came early in
the evening. and 1t was seized upon with n hear
tiness which seemed to indicate a suspicion that
it might be the last. Lillian Russell. who was
Beta. q fisher girl, in the play, was talking with
her lover about marriage. The audience grew
alert as the subject came into view. It
Uttered when Miss Russell said: perhaps
you'll leave me- 1t reared when Herbert
wilke turned to her and said: But perhaps
poi'u leave me-" The joke spread gradually
over the audience, and when It reached the back
OF the auditorium the house was laughing and
applauding as IL did at no other time during the
evening.
1.-THE Queen OF Brilliants.' which Is the opera
that served to bring Miss Russell into New
York view again, would never make anybody
laugh. After the audience had enjoyed the wit
that circumstances gave to the two
quoted speeches 1t settled down to this
style OF thing: ~ took her for bet
ter or for worse. and found her .
good deal worse than I took her for" Good old
friend that. In a milder vein came a stream, Of
Him on his head. It's his weakest spot There
were q plenty of such nuggets of familiar
which newer nss'srs Sot beyond, SDoes he love %es'
shall trust my heart (" or how happy
you have made me-" The words or the lyrics
gua9e was no more unhsckneysd and their sem
timent no rarer than the spoken dialogue:
comic opera has made even first night audiences
t Isr Sirs snS few sns mlRn lStt %'!Thh The was aas aDana ciunr H 70 L
longer than the audience, but even they called
act and let it 90 as living pictures. They
were very successful tsbleaux: moreover, and
s srScsfal 'p pSs ae.0'r Theodore doT 0R Taabe and Isidogr
Fuchs are the German authors Of the piece. and
II [J, :; W v, ,b Dam ,b has s sdni,s%.n II ,d for A%s%ri tSs
started from Vienna, and they were probably
latest work heard here was The Devils Dspu-
the measures are rhythmical: but 1t is lacking
Thin Il I0t and the s score Is IN no places =
musicianly as the close Of the second
s sSseea tsr T !Rst 5assin Of II bri fhs SRses ss Asss ssss
composer has written, and a march In the last
she'll song for Beta, a comic duet, and q move.
II the libretto q this new opera however.
would have come much nearer success; Miss
Russell was never much more comely than she
one or two OF them we're rather trying In shape
and color. She sang with much less facility than
usual, and forced her voice unpleasantly at
times. She sang consistently out OF the side of
her mouth. and the facial contortion this re-
quired was not becoming. The actors In her
support, excepting one, were not successful, and
II Is doubtful IL they. had the oppor-
tunity. Sydney Howard knew his lines.
which was not true of Digby Bell. Annie
Meyers supplied the one element of vivacity in
the performances, and Laura Joyce always
brings to comic opera the ease of a finished ac-
tress. Owen Westford, Hubert Wilke, Fowler
Thatcher, and Madge Greet were other MEM
beers of the cast.
The material parts of the production. were
completely successful. The scenery and cos
tunes were elaborate and beautiful. As .
spectacle. the work Is brilliant The scenes
are lavish In color. There is a COMPANY OF tire
less dancers that were graceful In a serpentine
ballet which introduced the living pictures.
The audience was large, but there were no
speeches; every number was not two or three
times repeated, and that first night applause
which thunders necessarily from the orchestra
10 the galleries was concentrated back under
the balconies. It seemed mut1ed, ana the
quantity Of IL unusually small. But It was .
comic opera first night.