The evening times., 1896-10-06
AS THE CROWDS CONE OUT.

The merry monarch of comic opera come
dian. Willie" DE Wolf Hopper. his Dfes-
den china wife, Edna Wallace, Alfred Klein.
ateEthiopian keeper OF the alpachadyrm
OF the regent OF siam, and other fayoritcs
presented 'El Captain the new opera By
John Ihilip Sousa at he Lafayette square
last night. Hopper is favor
lite, the opera is a success, Sousa is ''ours,'
aud any Une OF them Is a magnet, but
Oh one stage the spectacle Is very much of
the proportion OF a three-Ting circus. with
the balance OF the company III the mammoth
hlpponroine.
Inanes hIein's plot is nanifestly good.
anu the BOOK is rIten WITH Inurc hunor
and skill than amy within memory. save
the Gilbert llbrcttos. The music is uni
lurIniy excellent. Several OF the DiarCn
numbers ana the humorous treatment OF
the DrilI Duty ard the ZanZiba- tun. are
irresistible. Nowhere in comic opera is
there a finale comparable to tnc ma EilIlcriiG
ensemble at the end OF the secoud act.
sousa's weaker numbers are the lyrical
solos and duets for the tenor aud soprano
] hey are as cUnsplcuously colorless as most
OF these compositions.
Ofthe six numbers Of the first act Hopper's
first song, IF you examine human Kind"
Is as happ. In ycrsirica,ion as scoring the
entrance OF "El Captain In me you sce,'
ormn repeated through the opera, is IN
spring 10 a degree, and tie Bah! Bahr'
nDaie l. good. The second act opens with
the Ditty OF the Drill and IL makes hit in
ilS unique simplicity. Hopper and his wife
sing duet oi delicious t:umor and rhythm
But tie iinaleis the grand coup, Thetinrd
act has TWO numbers. which Will be re-
Incinbered and sung and whistied with
the others enumerated. they are bibulous
>waltZ song by Hopper, Lett the cOrks
pop. pop and the trio- The fFpica tune
OF ZanZbar.' rI--.--
In the title part Mr.. Hopper has a role
which lows nm large scope iorhis amusing
art without diluung it with horsc play He
Is funny every minute III his de- ycct ed, miser-
able, .polysyliabiGr way. All tls humor is
generic, of the HopperesqGc genre, but it
Is calculatcd to keep carking care conhTlcu-
ously III the background, While the spirits
are DuONcd with JOY ana ehergJr rlh tickleS
with risibilities Edna Wallace Hopper
Is pretty anu sweet. and liTistibie as ever.
She is the embodiment of at least one ideal.
She plays The hackncyed soubrette role with
the finish of fine art and mikes IL a Ce-
light instead OF a reprCach. Sire can sing
awee Di Gmore ttap heretofore Alice II Csmer
gave full play to the humor OF tie role OF
Metiigua'S WIFE, and her mcliU%c Conlralto
voice made delightful effects with all her
DUUcs.
Ihe new pr:ina donna, Nellie Bergen, who
looks Ike nary Anderson, IN the Iull face.
but reminds you OF Lillian Russell ten
years ago. deserves u paragraph as sep
ardte as those divine notes she voiced ia
the second finale. She commands a high
with all the ease, fullncss, control and
sweetness imaginable. Her remarkable
voice compasseu every demand OF her diff
cult score. As for the rest. Alfred Klein,
Edmund Stanley, /. :. Guse aud John Parr
way. JOnn :. liiller led his forces with adj
mirable command and distinguished results.
At the New National Theater last night
Lillian Lewis presented for the iirsL time
here new play, III the authorship OF which
she acknowledges share. 1t ls called "A ~
tells the story of the trials OF a very COY
and emotional mountain maid from the
Businesses OF the Tennessee range. who
loved. not wisely, but too well, young
"A nj all t.aI
IN her train a hypnotist who made trouble
Hypnutism furnishes the basis Of this
comedy play IL is not used with skill
In a distant way the methods employed are
initiative OF the Du Maurier play. but in all
other points 1t is he distinct antitbesis of
"Trilby." IT'S offnescs are not merely of
construct ion, but OF sentiment as well.
There are In this piece a variety of reasons
assigned In proposals that transcend any
thing ever before known to pass lovers
lips.
Miss Lewis as Kinda gave the same dis
tinction to her part that always character
ICES the role she puts her efforts to. 1t
stands out conspicuously and few who see
her can forget her. 1t would be ungallant
10 hint tina, She haunts them, but let t
be said the memory stays close by. Law
renee IIanley as DR.. Jacob did not seem the
same fine artist that he is known to be in
Shak esperian roles. But his task is a
thankless and impossible one as the hyp-
nOtist and even he fails heneathit. Eleanor |
Carey showed some of her finesse as Laugh
ing Anne, but the character is that OF n |
disSipated woman and the mistake OF in |
PRODUCING it was not rectified in the treat |
ment.
Others who had parts were Lawrence !
Marston,- Coulter Brinker. Edwin Browne, |
Ida Burrows and Mrs, Frank Tannehill. |
The scenery was appropriate and handsome |
and the incidental music enjoyable.
Murray and Mack, in "Finnegan's Court |
Ship" uproarously entertained host of |
friends with the Irishisms, |
specialties, pretty girls. songs, and dances |
at the Academy last night.
AS Hogan and Finnegan the two stars |
have parts that give them unlimited chances |
for knnck-about work, burlesque, and buff /!
Among the special features of |
the piece are humorous boxing match. |
seven pretty girls in a dance. buck and |
wing foot scrapng and popular songs by |
the yard.
Miss Mayme Taylor Is vivacious. pretty, |
and possessed OF an excellent sOprancs
The Deaue sisters in Spanish dances are |
clever. Kitty Wolfe, Ii adge Hilard. Clara |
Mae Trumbull, Fanny Trumbull. |
aud the Misses Cummings and Delmore I'm |
the " Hot Tamale Alley are entertaining |
Grace Cummings gets off the |
I" naughty wink" and Fred Wilson is |
funny as 1.-The Widow Corrigan."
Mr.. Carl A. H Haswip's new romantic melo-
drama, "A Lions Heart, w. with himself
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