Evening star., 1897-03-06

nOunCed for a week engagement tHe
Columbia Theater next week commenc-
Ing tomorrow evening, and this should
prove one of the most notable and brilhant
engagements of the season. artistically,
financially and socially. Since her last en-
gagement here Miss Russell has even
further strengthened her hold upon the
affections OF the American public She is
even more strongly enthroned as the queen
of comic opera. and now, In the regal splen-
dor of her wondrous beauty. the marvellous
fascination of her manner, the siren charm
of her beWitching voice and in the FULL
ness of her great talents, Miss Lillian Rus
sell should again receive that tribute OF
admiration and that generous support to
" hich her position on the stage aud her
merits entitle her. Miss Russell Will ap-
pear in her newest success, An American
Beauty" which was written especially TO
fit her great talents a singer and an
actress. At no time during the long and
brilliant career of this remarkable woman
has vehicle been provided that Afforded
her personality untrammeled freedom. In
no work in which she has appeared has she
been favored with acting scope As
handsome woman of remarkable grace and
voice the diva has been presented always.
Her authors called for no more. dozen
years of Princess this or Little Duke that,
and the long list of other fanciful crea-
tions. have wearied the diva. She believes
she is capable of a oreG;table degree Of
hiStTionic expression, and ! er Tew vehicle
is designed to deliver her from the era Ting
comic opera traditions that have long
restricted her. Not that there is not 20 be
romance in her opera. not that ii is
tC. suffer iota Of the magnificence OF
color that has always feeE n feature OF
her offerings The same glowing canvaSes.
the same bewildering groups of glttering
Jageantry. the same sensuous details OF
ornament and melody will all be present
but the plot will be of today and of native
movement. Newport in the height of its
social season is a legitimate source of Gu
riosity for the uninitiated. and Monte Carlo
in the full swirg of its gilded gaming and
intrigue is rich in possibilities that no play
maker has yet reflected. This is the en-
Vironment chosen fer the new opera. The
organization supporting Miss Russell this
season is the largest and most efficient she
has ever had "An American Beauty. the
Few comic opera which with the fai~ diva,
fas achieved the greatest II eaS.Ire of sue
cess. will he interpreted by such we'll
known artists as Catharine Linyard. lead
ing prima donna of various opera com
panies; Susanne Leonard, the noted con-
tralto: Sadie Kirby. former leading
soubrette of the Hoyt farces: Mabel
Bouton. comedierne and denseuse from
London: Georgie Hawley. Josie Dit. Min
ME Miller. Irene Bentley, Hattie Moore,
Sophia Witt Jerome Sykes. late leading
comedian of the original BoStonians. who
alternated the principal comedy roles with
II. G. Barnahee for many years; owen
Westford, for number of years leading
comedian of several companies; William
Cameron. eccentric comedian in Passing
Show: Harold Blake. the best tenor OF
Europe and America; Willard Simms, late
principal comedian of Canary and Leder-
er's Merry World" Randolph Curry. AL
bert Juhre. Gerard Coventry and Others
equally noted There is grand chorus OF
seventy-five. composed of pretty girls, End
male singers of undoubted talent. The Or
chestra, which is augmented by members
of the New York Casino forces, is under
the direction of Paul Steindorff.
National Theater-"A Black Sheep"
which gave such universal satisfaction to
theatcr-Goers last season, Will return TO the
New National Theater next Monday night
Th,- piece wi bc remembered as spark
ling comedy written in Hoyt's best vein,
and wherever it has been presented it has
created a furore The announcement that
il is 10 return will attract large and fash
lonable audience Since seen here previously,
il has completed a remarkably successful
run of one hundred and fifty nights al
Hoyt's Theater. New York city, and the
production here will be exactly similar to
that given in New York. "A Black Sheep
Is one of the most dexterous blendings OF
comedy character and specialties ever pre-
sented 10 the public. Its situations side
splitting ard the dialogUe-or ra ther the
mos. Of it's extremely keen. approaching
now and then real Gilbertiaa drollery. A
r'ppling stream of melody runs through the
piece. broken only by the sharp turn of wit
ty lines, and from beginning to end il
forms most captivating symphony of mer-
rament and music. The principal character
Is Hot Stuff, the black sheep'-a most
amusing type. In all of Mr. Hoyt's plays
there is creation of this sort; a travesty
of some peculiar individuality but in the
present instance IT is a character perhaps
more famtiisr TO the multitude. and satir-
lied with keener shafts of wit, without
sliding too deeply into the regions of the
grotesquo- CpCn none of his former pro-
ductiOns has Mr.. Hoyt exercised such care
and 1udgmen' in selecting cast. He pick
ed out from everywhere. anywhere. the
E'E and women most capable of playing
the characters he has chosen TO portray. In
a Black Sheep Mr.. Hoyt wro1e the prin-
h1 4cf tor for -.
could be better calculated TO bring out all
the laughable points.
Lafayette Square Opera House.-David
BelascO and Mrs. Leslie Carter have scored
q distinct triumph i'll the magnificent pro-
auction of The Heart of MARYLAND in the
Lafayette Square Opera House 1t is very
much 10 be doubted If Mr.. Belasco can at
any time construct play that Will meet
with greater popular approval than has
De%n gwen to this romantic drama of the
late war. and IL is also very much to be
doubted II Mrs. Carter. talented as she
certainly is. will ever have a part better
suited to her temperament than that Of
Maryland Calvert, the heroine of this in
tensely interesting and most delightful
play Lovers of the best in recent dramatic
literature should see The Heart of Mary
land during its second and last week At
every performance during inaugurat alton
week the house has been packed to the
doors. many people being turned away.
unable 10 gain admission The play is
mat marked the original production in this
city year ago Since then the play has
Deen improved in many ways ard now is
most finished performance Mrs Carter
has demonstrated her ability: she is mo
longer dramatic experiment and indeed
le" actresses on the American stage today
any, could meet the requirements of this
difficult role so fully. II runs the gamut of
human emotions and calls for an expendt-
ture OF mental and physical force well nigh
appalling. When Beasco came forwar rd
over a year ago with his play managers
objected TO IT on the ground that the public
h$id mad surfeit of war Plays or even OF
plays with a war setting. But they didn.i
Know, experienced as they were and IN,
strongest objection-Mr Belasco's deter
mination that Mrs. Carter should play tn,
leading part-has proven its greatest sue
cess The company is one of the best bal
anced and thoroughly competent that ha.
been in Washington for many years
includes many widely known players tw.
OF them, j. II. Hazleton and William r
johnson. being Washington boys Some O
the other members of the company ar
Herbert kelcey, John E. Kellerd FranI
hordaunt. Odell Williams Henry Weaver
1r-, John w. Jennings, Malcolm Williams
Grant Stewart, Charles Collins Herber
BOStWick. Helen Tracy Angela McCauI