The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-26
Entertainments. HYPERION.

which MT. Bunnell has engaged to ap- pear at the Hyperion, presented His Excellency" for the first time in this city last night. The cast contained the names of more famous comic opera singers than are often seen together and large and enthusiastic audience was there to greet them. The perform ance was brilliant in every respect and MT. Bunnell certainly deserves great credit for providing such delightful entertainment.
 His Excellency" is the latest produce tion of MT. w. s. Gilbert's facile pen and is the best libretto he has given us of late years The dialogue sparkles and the lyrics are perfect gems A Gilbert libretto must be the despair or the ordinary compiler of comic opera idiocies Unfortunately for MT. Gill bert and the rest of us, he and Sir Arthur Sullivan had not at the time His Excellency" was written, decided to make up" and the cleverness was sown on barren ground. pr. Osmond Carr, despite the fact that he is Mus. Doc. Oxon., is orAy known to fame as
 
 "Marguerite of Monte Carlo" He did the best he could to ruin things, but did not quite succeed; but were 1t not for the cleverness of the interpretation, His Excellency" would probably never have been countenanced. The tunes are seldom melodious, never pright enought to be catchy" and the spark ling lines are never set to appropriate music The prettiest bits in the music are 70 Lovely Maiden" which Steger sings in the first act, and the ballad song about the bees, with the buzzing chorus, which Miss Mcintosh sings Tn the second act. The excellence ot the performance over others of a similar genre lay In the splendid work of the principals and the chorus. These Eng fish stage managers have a knack of getting people on and off the stage With most admirable celerity and ease The dancing squadron was wonderful ana the coryphee-corporal, Ernest snow was marvellously graceful The conn pany contained the names of several people who have created roles in the old Gilbert and Sullivan productions John Le Hay is celebrated for his char aeter work. He was very funny last night in makeup, voice and general
 'business" Alice Barnett has played comedy parts in all the first London productions and is good still, although her voice is only a suggestion. Cairus James as the governor, whose passion ruling is love for April-fooling," was nimble, both in his head and his heels. Julius Steger, the quondam favorite of Marie Tempest and most unpleasantly remembered in the Fencing Master returns an artist and a singer of con siderable promise. To the ladies of the troupe only praise is due. Miss Nancy Mcintosh sister of Burr Mcintosh, who went abroad unknown and returns famous as Gilbert's favorite interpreter, won unlimited applause as Christina. She did the part charrningly and in her soliloquy in the first act showed skill that promises peter things still Ethel Sidney, the doctors daughter in the "Gaiety Girl' and the original Shop Girl'' in the New York production, was Thora, the part played in New Lork by Ellaline Terriss. We missed the beauty of the former lady, but enjoyed the spirit of Miss Sidney s performance. Mabel Love, who is also | famous beauty and very much photo- graphed, proved that she can also dance with unusual grace. If she could rid herself from gasping, giggliiig enun- citation she would also be a clever lit tie actress. The orchestra was consid- erably enlarged for the occasion It was one of the most enjoyable treats of | the season.
 The Whitney Opera company will present De Koven and Smiths opera, Bob Roy," at the Hyperion on Satur- day night. The story of Rob Roy" | for whose fame the world owes no small debt of gratitude to the romance of l Sir Walter Scott, has been adhered to | with all possible exactitude by MT. Smith. Among the leading members of | the cast are Juliette Corden, soprano; | Lizzie MacNichol, prin1a donna con- 1 tralto; Anna O'Keefe, dashing and de- | bonair; William Pruette, the eminent baritone; William MacLoughlin, basso; 1 Richard F. Carroll, comedian; Harry
 Parker, Joseph Sheehan, John Bell, and | the remainder of a cast which num- bers in all twenty-one people in ad- | QlLlOn lO d SlTOlS CllOIuS Ol SGNeHlS- 1 five voices, Sale of seats opens Thurs
 day.
 'The Wizard of the Nile" Harry B. i Smith and Victor Herbert's beautiful I Egyptian comic opera, in which the now famous Frank Daniels Comic Opera company have been appearing at | the New York Casino for so many
 months, will be seen here at the Fly perion next Monday and Tuesday
 nights, with the entire original com 1 pany, headed by the favorite comedian himself, there is no doubt of the vel come it will receive. The management 1 guarantees the statement that there will not be a change or a curtailment
 of either the production or the forces and that MT. Daniels, assisted by the | original cast, including Dorothy Mor- l ton, Louis Royce, Walter Allen, Louis Casavant, Helen Redmond. Leonard | Walker, Caudia Carltedt, and the other favorites will positively appear, Sale of seats opens Saturday.
 | GRAND OPERA HOUSE.