Evening star., 1896-12-02
AMUSEMENTS.

stuart Robson.-Wken that popular come
olah' stuart Robson, brings mis- excellent
company to the Lafayette Square Onera
mouse next Monday evening 1t will include
among The number Madame .Janausc,ek
acknowledged to he the best tragedienne
or the present stage era This lady.s proa,
talent will be utilized in the produc,io, NJ
Mrs. Ponderbury's Past" comedy which
requires in the leading female role sucn
ability as Madame Janauschek is noted for
Mr. Robson will. Of course, be seen in tho
leading comedy role, that of the weak-
Wilied. mildly transgressing Matthew
Ihere are many funny situations into
which Matthews propensity for disnhe.
dience and the fascnations a pretty face
exert get him, but he somehow manages
TO escape the full wrath of his tyranni
cal wi1e, and In one instance most adroit-
ly does so by assuming to be q somnam
bulist. The version which Mr. Robson and
MS capable company are producing is rhe
same as played in London last year. where
1T had phenomenal success Last spring
Mr.. Robson produced it for the first time
in America. and 1t at once drew large an
d1ences during its run In New York. This
season, wherever produced, it is spokan
OF with enthusiastic praise. A short one
act farce has been moderniZed and placed
upon the program as the opening act If
Is entitled Mr.. Giman's Wedding" and
depicts the woes of young married
couple who find themselves in a historical
state Of suspicion, doubt and ,nxietv
through mistaken resemblance on the rort
OF the young husband. who in conseau.nce
Is charged with bigamy. But the mis-
take Is. soon found out and for the small
domestic cloud. married life. thereafter le
comes greater blessing.
Half a ing."-Francis Wilson brings to
the New National Theater next week MS
latest and greatest success, "Half a King
which had such brilliant career in the
metropolis. and which has been so veil
received elsewhere. There seems to be O
question that this universally and de-
servedly popular comedian has found in
this opera the most congenfal role he has
ever played. To be sure, the opera was
written for and shaped about Him. but
great results do not always follow such
endeavors. Other operas have been writ
ten expressly for Mr.. Wilson; and while
he has invariably been successful, still he
has found in Half King not arIy
part that is peculiarly suited TO him, but
he has at the same time the biggest imam
cial success Of his entire career. This is
certainly a very happy state .of affairs
happy not only for the popular comedian
admirers WELL The bare announcement
that Francis Wilson and his company are
to appear here in a new opera Is suiti-
cient guarantee to the public of mag
niheent production in every detail. Mr..
Wilson's new success, r"Haif a King" ran
two months at the Knickerb ocker Theater
In New York. and could have run six had
not previous contracts prevented The box
office receipts of these two months are said
to have exceeded those Of both ''Erm.nie"
and THE Mikado." Half a King was
adapted from the French Of Letterier and
Vanloo, by Harry B. Smith, ROBIN HOODS
author. and the music is by that splendid
composer, Ludwig Englander. The scenery.
and there are new scenes, Is by Richard
Marston and Henry Hoyt, and Percy An
derson. the London artist, designed the
costumes. which are by Dazian. Mr.. Will
sons company this season has been en-
larged and embraces several new faces
Among the principals in the east of Half
King" are Messrs. John Brand, Peter
Lang, ]. C. Miron. Clinton Elder, Edward
P. Lemple and the Misses Lulu Glaser
Christie Macdonald, Agnes Paul. Agnes
Martyne and Blanche Plunkett.
1.-The Mandarin THE Mandarin" which
will be produced at the Columbia Theater