The evening times., 1896-02-04
Silver week at Davisun's. +"
AS THE CROWDS CONE OUT.

The Bostonians brought a NE W light opera
with them this last time and produced "A
War Time Wedding at the National last
night. IL was evidently very well liked by
the large audience that always comes out
when these artists come To town. The first
act is long and tiresOme, to the verge of
extreme mental and physical weariness 1t
should be immediately cut, OF the whole
book be rewritten in three acts Messrs
Barnabee and Macdonald cannot afford to
thus spoil a success by d mere defect in
construction.
The old favorites have evenly-balanced
roles. and their vocal excellcncics are too
well known here to need comment. or
Helen Bertram Henly, as Mariquita, it can
be saul that she pleased, except when those
who remembered Marie Stone fell to think
ing OF what this last seasons leading lady
might do in the part. Blake Mrs Davis.
Macdonald and Cowlcs ranged effectively
ON different sections of the scale, and their
observation-disclosures of the eold-t time evenness
and strength.
Henry Clay Barnabee. in company with
his never-stale Barnabeeisms supplied the
comedy element. Barnabee's strong hold on
the theater-goer lies in the fact that he
never seems to know that he is funny Mr.
francis Wilson might get some valua BILE
points from Mr.. Henry Clay Barnabee.
The muSiCIs tuneful. and some of the solos
VIII he whistled on the streets perhaps even
played by the hand organs. The concerted
numbers are particularly strong. in fact,
one or two OF the choruses would not seem
out OF place III grand opera. The finale
OF the flrst act was particularly effective
"A War Time Wedding" Will undoubtedly
remain i'll the Bostonians' repertoire for
some time 10 come. Its libretto, with the
exception of the defect in the first act al
IL
dramatically. 1t is no easy thing to write
an opera i'll which the various musical vir-
tues OF these artists shall have even and
ample chance for display. but the task
mas been accomplished. and one more light
opera successhaS been scored in Washington
ward meetings, county conventions NOM
mating conventions, conferences process
sions, transparancies, brass bands. shout
ing, yelling, wire pulling, everything in
fact, in the political line, was on tap at
the Lafayette Square Opera House last
night.
The Politician" was on deck and Gen.
Josiah Timber OF Chunkalmk county. Ill
was the man. in the person of Roland Reed
sterling comedian and general favorite
The politician was there smiles, check
lies. antc-electiou promises, spread-ea gle
speeches and all: everything tn everybody
and nothing to anybody save himself and
possibly the woman he wooed, won and
welded.
But Il good fellow after ALL and a splendid
wire puller. and so il happened that when
at last the nomination came 10 him every
body in the house moved to make it unan-
imous.
The Politician is clever satire not
only upon political methods here generally,
but upon the twentieth century woman. 1t
is drawn in broad lines and the colors are
laid on with n liberal brush. but 1t does
not at any time overstep the limits of
plausibibiiity. The characters in it are
true to life, the action moves swiftly and
smoothly and 1t is full of good, clean