The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-04

the @ate Sir Augustus Harris, and wife Of
Horace Sedger, the American actor, is
dead.
The London theatrical season of 1887
9S may fairly be dated from tonight,
when 1t will be .ushered in by the re-
the Haymarket and Her Majesty's,- both
of them presenting notable bills. Inter
est is focused upon the latter house, the
dramatic home of Beerbohm Tree, but
engaged from brief season by G. e..
Hedmondt, who is to introduce an oper-
attic version of the old story OF Rip Van
Wrinkle.
The new work is pretentious essay in
English opera, written by William Aker
man and composed by France Leoni. .Ac-
cording to the description of its authors
it is compromise between serious opera
and opera comique. There are no spoken
passages. the incidental dialogues being
cast in a recitative: The Rip Van Wink
able theme for romantic opera, where
fore the reception of this attempt har
beeen much discussed. The opera 1az
been. diviie into three acts. the first 10
Gated in Sleepy Hollow Village in spring
time, the second has the Katskill Noun
tains by. moonlight for. its background,
the last Is a wideawake hamlet
The sleep of twenty years intervenes be-
tween the first and second acts. The
title role will be assumed by Mr.. He'd
mondt. Other leading characters will be:
The Nick Vedders, father and son, by
Arthur Winckworth; Darrick. by Homer
Lind. a Washington man who has re-
ceived his musical education in Germany;
Knickerbocker, Herbert Linwood; Gret-
chen, Attalie Claire; Alice, Ada Davies;
Katrina, Gertrude Woodhall.
Several dances have been arranged by
John D'Auban, in which Ethel Ross-Sel-
wicke will figure conspicuously.
Mrs. Hedmont promises to present also
titled "The Prentice Piller." The major
ity of the company are English singers
with comparatively little operate expert
ence. Mr.. Lind first came into notice in
London by his work in the part of Beck
messer In production of "Die Meister-
singer" last spring.
porary revival Of "A Marriage of Con
venience'' until J. M. Barrie's drama tia
ton of 1.-THE Little Minister" shall be
ready for the stage next month "The
Little Minister is cast in four acts, but
only two of them follow the lines of the
novel which furnished the framework for
the play. The author is experimenting
the rehearsalS in person.
The second mile stone of the new sea-
son will be reached next Saturday, when
Forbes Robertson and Mrs. Patrick
and often postponed production of
| Hamlet" which has excited more inter-
| est than any other announcement of the
| their bills until after Hamlet" should
| have its day, when the new attractions
may be expected, to come forward with a
| reception will be watched with interest
| by American managers is '"The Wizard
of the Nile, which is undergoing rehear-
sails at the SALISBURY.
The original intention to import Frank
| Daniels for the part which he created
has been abandoned. In his stead Lionel
| Rignold was engaged, but after several
rehearsals his retirement is announced
| official reason an injury to his knee--and
| J. J. Dallas tries his hand. Aileen
| D'Orme has not been suited with the
so Clara Thripp attempts the part.
| Btolemy will be played by Charles Roch.
| Another American opera to bid for
+ English favor or rather one of American
origin. is 1.-THE American Heiress' by
Author Branscombe.
| In addition to these two exotics there
| will be a deluge of new comic operas.
| Foremost among them is 'The Duchess OF
| er of "Majorie,'' and Basil Wood; scene,
| an Italian frontier of France; time, four
| teenth century; Sdramatis personae, sol
| gee, an American baritone with British
| spurs yet to be won; Miss Hall Caine
| sister of the Manx author.
''Diarmid.' = which has the prestige Of the
| name of the Marquis of Lorne as col
| Ilaborator with Hanish McCunn, and the
part of the Celtic heroine will be sung
| by Miss Cecil Lorraine, who is placardeG
| as new American soprano "The Will
| low Pattern Plate" a tripartite work fol
which George D. Day. Sidney Bawkett
| and Edward Dean are responsible, and 9
| musical farce, "Bilberry of Tilbury,'' by
| Silvanus Dauncey, are also ready for ths
| stage.
| MY Friend, the Prince ''The
| Geisha'' and "The Daughters of Baby
| lon" are. all having successful runs in
| the provinces.
| W. S. Gilbert who was somewhat con-
| spicuous as dramatist before his devo'
| tion to humorous opera, has returned te
rework the first vein. Miss Fortesque
| will produce a melodrama of his. author
| ship in Birmingham this month which
| will be brought to London as matter
1 of course, after it's provincial christening
| The play is cosmopolitan in its atmos
| phere, having English, American, French
| and Australian characters.