New-York tribune., 1894-10-30
MITSIC-THE DRAMA.
4 NEW OPERETTA.


=, coming events really do cast their shadows be-
,orc as we were tod IN sonorous verse in our
cboolhoy days and If there lies an augury of sue
- f., the fact that the Scotch freebooter Rob
D.. has been more enthusiastically greeted than
u.as the English outlaw Robin Hood. then the new
opcra Of Messrs. De kovcn and Smith. brought for
c,ard last nign. IT the herald Square Theatre. has
long merry and prosperous III" before it. 1t
would rot be wise to inquire too curiously as to
,ho ortictic validity of the title public favor
which We are willing to cOncede 20 the operetta.
Il is Il fact which has long been outside the prov
,,ce Of serious discussion that the merits of Il
comic opcrc;ta. Judged by the ordinary standards
az dramatic ingenuity and verisimtude and musi
cal invcntiVcneSs and beauty, do not necessarily
stand in any relationship to its chances Tor
.. success 5 commonly measured There have
o,en some approaches to good comcl,. combined
with clever music. which have been popular fail
ures mot many within the last dozen years. il
must Dee sad. because there have not been
many opercttas which have deserved sucA
a description. and there have been many things
called comic operas which have outraged both in
,eliccace and taste. Vet have gone on. to the JOY
OF the singing acrobat and the ericf OF tho lover Of
the play house and music Therefore. II seems that
there is scarcely any use in askinS .hat the ere.
a,ors o. the most popular Of all forms of public
diversion Just now shall think very seriously O;
ar in any OF its aspects when compiling ooncociine
or constructing an operctta Consciously or uncOn-
scously they put up for the judcious the sign
which Dante over the gates OF Inferno before
the beginning of their labors and the unhappy
lover o. the sood knows what conirOnts him be
fore the overture begins. So he is content when =
musical comedy offers him pretty pictures which
please the eye. an occasional tune which charms
his ear or witticiSm now and then which In
yifes smile All OF these things Messrs DE koNe Ell
and smith have done in Rob Roy" and they
have been helped by the fact that as i'm The case
OF their greatest success. Robin Hood they have
had pers0nases to deal with whose mere names
exert a charm upon such unreasoning faculties as
affection ana Imagination. Rob Roy MacGre-or
Prince Charlie and Flora Macdonald are creatures
Ike Robin Hood. Little John and Maid Marian:
We love them for the romance which pOeIy has
thrown around them. and feel kindly toward them
even when they appear in the poor hahiliments
with which ineffective though striving talent in
vests them.
II these things were not 50 1t might be- possible
10 urge many things against the work brought for
ward last night We might object TO the frghtfu
which are relied to make its far
cical parts funny and to its invertebrate plot We
might even suggest that the composer, no matter
how profoundly he be convinced OF the proprety
and effectiveness of local color secured hy the use
Of Scotch folk-tunes. has no business to interject
Dr Arne's Rule Britannia" in a drama which Is
supposed 10 play in the Highlands Of Scotland, or
have any Of his stage folks sing God Save the
as it is We can only be glad that there i 50 little
that can offend taste and in igment in the literary
AMI musical composition. and so much 10 please
in both these elements the scenic presentation and
tie doings of the actors Nh De K0ven has come
back pretty close TO the style which marks his
Robin Hood in the music. and which a Kindly
disposition will characterize as good stiff British
music. though ii might be wished that ne were
little less obstreperous with his chorus and Orches-
ira in the first act. ard little more varied ana
neiodious and progressive The Herdd square me.
atre is as resonant As d bass drum ana IL Is nov
agreeable. no matter how enthusiastic one may b..
to feel the necessity after an act OF opeIatt 10 90
ar nerves a rest Mr.. DE KoVen has introduced
cievery and effectively; ana how aGmirdhiy pnrr-
posed this proceeding was all krew laSt nisht ~
I.addie" appeared on the stage. They were
tremey effective in helping on the sla isome *,
calls for the authors after the rSi ana
second acts. Both bowed their acknowl Judgements
Mansfield had made all hat was necessary asi
Novellis be also remembered for the arse sh1re
musical @ point of 1e& Lbretjis and composer have
been happy in an effort, quite unusual under sucn
crcumst tances. t out parts in which 10 less than
three women may early win and firmly ho.d the
and interest of the pubic and they have
Al The parts Miss Macnchol carried of the honor'
by her fine hearty singing but MS o. keetG wa
a lniratIon followed her al ming. Miss Ju.iette
'orden was fortunate in having one Of the most
effective bits in the whole 10 sing CThere was
A Jolly mler'D. and she sang il well \ tenor with
! p%ish face ana a German accent tMr. Bertna!O
naturally left things 20 be desired in the IMP TFona
ion OF the Young Pretender and the TWO rcbustous.
periwig-pated fellows Prlette and Mclaughlin. gave
more generous measure Of voice and action than l.
-ecOncable with the portical atmosphere which
,ught TO surround the romantic incident with which
he oporetta deals hut nearly everybody. including
signor de Novellis. seemed anxious % Jet tho oW,s
N the Herald Building enjoy the music ana 1t is
afe say that this was party because they dli
lot know how excellent ar m. acoustic properties
VI the theatre. \ cever dancer Is Richard +. car
-oll. and a clever comedian Joseph Herbert