The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-18
ROB RoT.


 As the authors of Robin Hood"
 Messrs. DeKoven and Smith, enjoy the
 distinction of having written the most
 successful light opera on record. They
 have never repeated their success, al-
 though MT. DeKoven has conceived
 the clever plan of employing again
 various strains from Robin Hood" In
 his later efforts. This is probably all right, but it is bit disconcerting at
 first in Captain sherldan's' entrance
 song to sing I've Come, We Come to the
 Sound of the Drum" etc. to the same
 tune to which We used to sing about the tailor who dwelt near old Sherwood
 edge and was delft with an old cross-
 bow. However it is pretty tune and it's nice to have g. variety of words for
 it.
 Well, Rob Roy is very charming
 opera and since it was produced last
 October in New York it has enjoyed
 unwavering popularity and the man
 agers have been troubled to know what to do with their money. This prosperity
 they deserve, however, for the success
 is probably due as much to the gor-
 geous manner in which 1t is produced
 as to the opera. itself. The company is
 the best comic opera troupe that has
 been seen here for a, long time and the
 scenery is really beautiful The "Bos-
 tonians'' must take counsel among themselves or they will he dusting off
 their old laurels instead of winning fresh ones. With three such prirna dor- mas as Mesdames Corden, Macnichol and O'Keefe and such men as Pruette, Berthald, Mclaughlin and Carroll as comedians, the Whitney Opera com pany are prepared to do almost s many brave things as Rob Roy" himself.
 The story is the well known one about Rob Roy MacGregor's heroic defense of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald's faithful love. The rest If the characters are of less importance to history, but of great consequence in the opera. The librettist has shown 9 keen sense of humor in creating such droll personages as Dugald MaoWhee- ble, the mayor of Perth, Tammas Mac Sorlie, his henchman, and Sandy Me- 1 the town-crier. Mc. Carroll as the mayor is the life of the play. He | has fun in his heels as well as his | head. His dancing is fine and his puns | were new and clever Tuliette Corden, who is an old favorite here, played | the part of Janet, the mayors daugh- | ter. She is just as good nowadays as | a blonde, as she used 10 be when she | was a brunette and sang "Mignon" with the Boston Ideals. Barron Der thald as the prince and Lizzie Mac l nichol as Flora sang both extremely | well. Their duets were well done, inc | one, Marry for Love-" containing the | prettiest waltz in the opera, William | has fine bass voice and | acts his part of Lochlel very well. Anna | who is a very handsome wo- man, made stunning appearance as Captain Sheridan.
 The music is very Scotchy through | out. There are those to whom the h. | tervals and syncopations of Scotch music are a bore and whom the sound | of bagpipes makes profane and other | wise violent. Such must refrain from Rob Roy" for the noise never ceases. When the bagpipes retire, lest enc should get sleepy, enter the English troops to the footing of the lusty life The ensemble music is fine throughout, at the end of Act l, where the clans enter each singing one of the hearty Scotch folk songs, all being blended Into a wonderfully clever finale. The ballad, There Was Mercy Mii- Ter" which Juliette Corfen sings fn a captivating manner all her own, VIII be the most popular of the melodies.
 The performance was badly cut in the afternoon and there was a good leal of by-play for which the audience were hardly grateful In the evening he performance was fine in every re- spect and the audience was large and fashionable.