The Washington times., 1894-06-26
"MARKEN," THE new OPERA
1t Made Very Good Impression Upon
Large Audience.
LIBRETT0 is CRISP AND NIFTY
The Joint Work Of Philander Johnson, Of This
City, and J. Emory shaw-Marred by Some
Of the singers-'Home'' Presented in q
Thoroughly Satisfactory Manner.

A credtable opera very poorly acted about
sums up the first performance Of the comic
OPERA ',Marken," which was given at
Albaugh's Opera House last night before
large audience The ibrettist. Mr.. PhiIander
Johnson. is a washingtonian and bright
newspaper man, and this fact lent the opera
special interest. The music, which was by Mr..
J.Emory Shaw was good, and in several places,
especially SO, notably in Elsa's solo in the first
act, where the effect OF the cellos excellent,
and in the duet between Elsa and Karel at
the end OF the second act. This latter was
perhaps the richest and best worked out
harmony in the scene.
The story was not particularly strong one
on which TO frame an opera, although the
lines are more often than otherwise crisp
and clear. and exhibit a keen sense on the
part of the author OF the comic value OF the
situations.
The sctors-several of them at least-were
not up to the occasion, and in some places,
noticeably in one solo. frictional and occa-
sional in its nature because OF the refusal OF
the actors to insert more than one line in five
under any consideration. and part of the time
not that, the opera company became more
comic than the opera-really excrutiatinSly
funny.
To return to the play Derrick de Hough.
young man born on the Island of Marker.
but educated a New York swell, returns to
Holland to claim the young woman Elsa. to
whom his father had betrothed him In his
early youth. The peasants OF Marken have
been wrought to a high fever OF excitement
over the stories of Yuur Bril-. the demon of
the evil eye, supposed to visit the island every
hundredth year.
II this demon look upon a man he may
never marry; If upon woman, she must
marry within a month. Derrick arriving
with his monocle and appearing before the
peasantry of Marken in his. to them. fantastic
garb. Is at once taken for this demon Of the
evil eye and by others for a famous German
criminal. Schwartzbard. Derrick suffers
from this popular impression, and after hard
experiences is glad to leave Marken and allow
Karel. Elsa's lover, to marry her. The
usual incidental stage marriage takes place
in the last act and all is merry.
In detail, the opening scene with Sophia
Berkel and his knead1ng trough is good,
and Elsas solo was excellent Karel lost his
voice in the duet in this act and his verses in
the next.
In the second act hetopical song, For It's
the Style in New York. You Know" took
well. The duet in this act was the best music
In the opera.
In the third act the topical song, ''Can
1ney, Cdn 1ney; hdruiy 1nlHk 1Hey Ndu-
was a great success and was repeatedly en-
cored.
On the whole 1t is probable that ''Marken,'
while 1t made very good impression, will
make a much better one in the following
nights.
Louise Moore, in the role of Elsa, and
Georgia Bryton, in the role Of Marie, were
exceptions and did their work well. John
Bell, in Derrick de Hoogh, was fair. But
these effects were purely individual and the
company seemingly did not act with enthusi-
asm or interest.
The skirt dancing of Miss Bryton was
pleasing feature of the evening, and es-
pecially so was that OF the child-en's ballet.
They were pretty. danced gracefully. and
were not bit STACEY" The cast was as
follows:
Jakob Van Heemskerk Maurice Hsgeman
Karel. Fred Huntley