The record-union., 1896-02-25
AMUSEMENT NOTES.
Success at the Opera HOuSe-COminS Of
Pad0FeWSki.
Mrs. Langtry's Daughter-The Scarlet
Letter in Opera Tribute to
Ambrose Thomas


''F'rom Sire to Son." as presented at
the Clunie Opera-house last night, is
dream of scenic beauty. While the play
ers all do well and Mr. Mobiles drama
is a strong one, full of strange interest,
with some rather heavy demands upon
the fancy albeit, yet to Mr.. Walthew,
the scenic artist, the palm of greatest
success must be awarded. The Cali
fornia mining camp scenes in the first
and second acts are realistic, we'll
painted, and all around superior; but
the Venetian scene in the third act, and
the castle interior and outlook in the
fourth act, are gems of scenic art. There
is possibly over coloring in the blue of
the outlook from the balcony in the
Grand Hotel view, but that may be par
doned; indeed, it may defended under
certain conditions of artificial light cast
at night across water back ground. But
the detail and careful attention to its
working out, in architecture, drapery,
wall decorations, ETC., in that scene and
in the tower interior command warm
commendation. There has been nothing
handsomer or more chaste put upon any
stage in this city. The play is full of
human interest; its contrasts are very
sharp and severe; it's situations exceed
ingly sensational But we are not pre-
pared to say that they are not within
probability Certainly established truth
has more than once given US record of
thugs, villains, loves wrongs and tri-
umphs every whit level with Mr.. Mobiles
romantic story. 1t affords both Mr.. and
Mrs. Mobiles excellent opportunity, es-
pecially the lady, to do good work, and
the opening is neglected by neither. 1t
presents Mr.. Hallett in wholly new
character and broadens still more his
versatility. It gives Charles Davies his
chance, for as the Sheriff he does the
best work yet from his hands. Only in
the third act does he lower the tone of
the character by relaxing too much its
severity and rough manliness. Refer
ence to excellence and defects in others
Of the cast must be deferred. AS to the
action of the play itself, the one and
only mistake in it is in bringing all the
characters upon the final scene. That
mars the dramatic picture crowds the
stage and violates the unities. The
play should close with the avenging
father, the rescued daughter, and the
covering abductor alone in that solemn
chamber, leaving the audience to its
own fancy as to what the sequel should
be. To mar the artistic effect by the
sudden entry of foreign police in Ameri-
can uniforms, the bursting in Of a dozen
people and the unpoetic seizure of the
villain by an American Sheriff on for
eign soil, is a mistake, to put it mildly.
Perhaps the following of Armitage by
his friend, the Sheriff, and a single of
fer of police" might be pardoned and
serve TO fortify the pronouncing of the
doom Of the abductor by the father.
But as for the other characters-they
are out of place in that scene. The play
viii have fine run. 1t is one of the
very best of its order and deserves the
warm applause it received last night,
and will surely have every night of its
run.
Manager Todd announces this morn
ing the engagement of the Tavary
Grand Opera Company for two operas
Saturday next In the afternoon at
I'll Trovatore" will be sung with Mad
anne Tavary and the full company;
at night Carmen" with Dorre in the
lead, probably the best Carmen on the
stage to-day. The company is thus
composed: Madame Tavary, prima dom
ma assoluta, of Russian parentage, but
bern in Belgium. She is a handsome
woman, singer who has appeared in
all European centers and has a supe-
rior musical record; Albert L. Guile,
tenor of Avignon, France, student Of
Audraro, three years first tenor with
Patti, knighted by the Portuguese mon
arch in honor of his musical triumphs.
He has sung with the first artists and
in all musical centers. He reaches high
G and sings on that note with ease.
He is tenor said to have perfect chest
and head registers, a magnetic person
ality and a voice which Patti pro-
nounced to be "silver tongued" Guile
is so enamored OF America that he is
having his children educated in English
by an American teacher Thea Dorre,
the mezzo soprano, is of petite figure,
speaking countenance, magnetic person.
ality, a dash and vim that captivates,
and she has voice of great range,
clear cut and of dramatic power. Mile.
LIGHTER, young and handsome, is prima
donna secundo; she is said to have
voice of broad range and vivacious
style. Nine. Tomlins is prima donna
contralto, strong singer and good ac-
tress. Nine. Roman and Suzanne Ryane
are respectively second soprano and Sec
ond contralto. Michelena, the tenor, is
to sing in this engagement. He will be
remembered as of the Emma Abbott
and Emma Juch companies. Payne
Clark is tenor robusto. Sig Abramoff.
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