Evening star., 1896-12-15
ANsEMENTs.

uoH peSiHs 10 V1elt Otnef CltleS IL mas 70
stand on its merit alone. These reflections
are the result Of witnessing the "Geisha, /"
which had its first Washington production
last night at the Lafayette Square Opera
House. The fame that had preceded this
comic opera induced very large attend
ance. In fact, the audience was the largest
that has assembled in that handsome thea
ter since the engagement of the De Wolf
Hopper Company in John Sousas Eel Cap
itan 1t was brilliant assemblage, in
cluding people prominent in every circle,
and the disposition toward piece and per-
formers was friendly in the extreme. The
applause was most liberal, and encores
were abundant. The production is made
upon liberal scale, the scenery being
beautiful and effective and the costumes
rich In embroidery and color. The story of
the Ge1sha" has been told, so that every
one is familiar with it. The music is in
some respects pleasing, and there are two
catchy numbers, but they seem rather in
terpoiations than a part of the. regular
score; These two are Jacks the Boy and
,ne Parrot Song In the latter Miss vio-
iet Lloyd, an English soubrette, scored the
MT OF the evening: and, by the way, Miss
Lloyd Is the star of the production. She is
not great singer, but she has sufficient
voice 10 cope with the requirements of the
music allotted to Molly Seamore, and she
mas vivacfty that gains the good feeling
OF ner audience at once. She is graceful in
movement and dances charmingiy.
MISS Dorothy Morton makes a bright and
gay Geisha, but her voice doesn't seem to
re as good as when she was with the
Fencing Master" or, later. with the Wiz
ard of the Nile" When she sings mezzo
Voce It's quality is beautiful, but in forte
passages there is a strident tone that Is
Unpleasant, and once last night, when she
went for high note, the effect was un-
comfortable. Mr.. Henry Gunson, a Wash
inston tenor, had one song which he gave
IN good voice and expression, and it was a
matter Of regret that more music was not
assigned his part. Mr.. Wheeler showed
Laritone voice of fine quality and good
range, and sang in a spirited manner.
Mark Smith as the Marquis Imari had a
low comedy part, which he interpreted
win good effect, and Chas. Swain was ex-
cellent as the Chinaman. Miss Louise
Paullin did a nice bit of character work as
Jul1ette, the French girl, and raised a COM
paratively small part into prominence. The
chorus was large and well trained, and
special mention should be made of the
orchestra, the work of which, under the
taton of Mr.: VIM. Withers, was all that
bears the Daily stamp. and it is given with
the finish as to detail that characterizes all
Mr.. Days work.
National Theater.-In these days of emo
tional superlatives and tears that spout
from suffering immortality it is refreshing
aI d a revival of what is best in the human
heart to have such play as Hernes
Shore Acres" set down among US. 1t is
not new, and 1t is not in Washington for
the first time; but it is of the sentiment
that is ever new and that time nor place
nor people can make stale and uninterest-.
ing 1t is of the home, of the New Eng
land home, where the simple and genuine
feelings of men and women flow into ma
turity unaffected by the frivolties and the
artificialIties of the fashionable world, and
set down here, where such things flourish,
it cannot fail to make the deepest impress
sion. 1t was SO last night at the National,
o. nf ar1 ;1l,
we're shed over the sorrows of the Berrys
on their Shore Acres farm were such tears
as no Camille, nor Therese Raquin or any
OF that class could ever invoke, but which.
warmer and truer. OF course Mr. Herne as.
Nathaniel Berry was the star and the good
angel OF the play, and no less delight was
ms sister-in-law, Mrs. Martin Berry (Grace
the latter portion of all her sentences.
Rich-voiced and slow of speech, as the
Yankee rustic. was Miss Lucy Morrow, an
Alabama girl, making her first appearance
as Helen Berry, and there was strength
and beauty in all her work Mr.. Fischer's
Martin Berry was very natural, and David
Murray's DR.. Warren was not less So A
funny product and an odd kid were Joel
Gates and Mandy (Mr. Galloway and little
Gladys .Croilus). A bright. tot was little
Edith Taliaferro There was scarcely a
character that was not redolent of the
Maine atmosphere, and the pictures of the
New England kitchen were so good that
the audience wanted to Chamber over the
footliehts and dispossess the Berrys of
their Christmas dinner. The curtain in the
last act goes down on ole of the simplest
and most beautiful scenes en- the stage
and The audience should remember this and
wait until the end before beginning to
move.
Academy of Music.-If art tolerated such
thing as aristocracy, the names of Marti-
nett and Tannehill would without further
question command for their. owners that
respect due to representatives of the first
families. But neither of the gentlemen who
produced The Nancy Hanks at the Acad-
eniy of Music last night rely upon ances-
tral achievements for their favor with the
public. They are entertainers of superior
skill, and the audience last night laughed
and applauded with vigor and promptness
which left no doubt of their ability to
amuse. They are ably assisted in their eff
forts as entertainers by Miss Anna Boyd.
whose vivacity as an actress and a song
stress won her frequent manifestations of
approval At first glance "The Nancy
Hanks" might be classified with the farce
comedies which have been so conspicuous
OF recent years. But 1t deserves a more
dignified companionship. Mr.. Tannehill,
the author, has succeeded in subordinating
horseplay to genuine humor to a degree
which makes TIE production positively re-
freshing.. 1t is true, there are songs and
dances and other interpretations which pre-
vent the comedy from impressing itself as
a severely legitimate production. But the
situations are really ingenious and the lines
are full of spontaneous drollery. The au-
thor and the actors succeed in sense that
is most desirable but sadly unusual: they
are funny without being vulgar Ignacio
Martinetti Is joy every moment Of the
time he is on the stage. His French dialect
is something of novelty. too, for while
Gallo accent is frequently introduced on
the stage, 1t is very seldom that the at
tempt proves entertaining as it does in this
instance. The Nancy Hanks in its plot
nay not altogether satisfy the close analyst
of such matters. After building I'D an
elaborate system of complications the play
wright lightly abandons them and brings
about his denouement by totally indepen-
dent incident, leaving much that has pre-
ceded to take care of itself. 1t is not a
vital defect, but the abruptness of the ter
mination seems hardly in keeping with the
standard which the author has maintained
up to that point. A highly pleased audi
ence left the theater last night, and there
is no reason to suppose that 1.-The Nancy
Hanks" will not make a record worthy of
its name.
Grand Opera Observation-Disclosures
there was "A Breezy Time" at the Grand
Opera House last night the reception ex-
tended to Fitz and Websters merry COM
pany Of comedy players was gratefully
warm and very cheerful. "a Breezy Time''
is musical farce comedy in three acts,
and like all of its kind, hasn't any plot to
thicken. tho thickening Of plot being de-
pended upon by other kinds of plays to
make them interesting. In this one there is