The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-30
FOR BENEFIT OF HOSPITAL
PRESENTED BY PORTSMOUTH
AMATEURS.
GREAT SUCCESS IN EVERY WAY
An Ovation to Jim Anderson ana
Rounds of Applause For MISS
Boswell, the Charming
uR~;oroec ROppie,'
"Princess Bonnie

"A
fashionable and appreciative audience.
For three hours they sat there and lis
tened and appauded and then went away
feeling that they had not had enough.
That is the kind of opera princess
Bonnie" is-a lovely Arrangement of ex-
ouisite music. tender sentiment. pretty
dances and rosebud faces. 1t does not
hang and pail upon the nerves. You
can sit through it and then go away feel
ing that there isfstill something left to
live for.
The opera has littlep lot-saye the gold
en- thread :, of love that runs
through It to bind together
string Of exquisite melodies,
Spanish dances and ridiculous situations.
There were sentiment and misery and en-
braces enough in it to satisfy the silhest
schoolgirl. and yet there was melodlc
vitality and good acting to please the
most hardened stickler for 'sense."
1t was in fishing village on the coast
of Maine. A ''nasty" night itw as, and
the old lighthouse keeper Capt. Tarpau-
lin, saw Spanish brig go down. But
the brave old sea-dog went out upon
the raging water and rescued beautiful
Young girl and christened her Bonnie
Belle" She was the idol and pride of all
the village loving her rescuer and foster
father with all daughters devotion. She
was the Captains pet and he never
dreamed Of her going away until one day
a handsome ''city chap Roy Sterling.
on a fishing excursion, came along and
wooed and won the simple village mai
den.
In the meantime ''Shrimps," an awk-
ward gawky fisherman. found out 'One
day that he possessed heart and that 1t
beat only for kitty Clover and that
all his thoughts ran to poetry. Now
Kitty didn't think the name Shrimps
would look we'll on wedding cards, so the
possessor of that name had an uphill
business of his love-making But he didn't
give it up He continued to spout poetry,
such as
"Oh you sweet Kitty Glover
l love you over and over
on every possible occasion. Then he be-
gan to ape the city ways of Roy Sterling,
even to wearing boomers and tying knots
Of ribbon all oyer them. But Kitty was
coy maiden and not easily won. To her
lovers most ardent lines she replied in
kind:
ooh, all my friends would cut me dead
II ever Shrimp [ should We'd
This was the situation of affairs when
the heavy william appeared on the scene.
He was Count Falsetti. who claimed to
be Spaniard, though his name indicated
that he was an Italian and his accent
that he was an American. He was search
ing for Bonnie who turned out to be
Spanish Princess, betrOthed TO him IN
early life by her uncle and guardian in
Spain. Here all the trouble begins. Bon
ME- is taken back to Spain and kitty
goes with her. She refuses TO marry the
Count and her uncle is just on the point
OF compelling her to do so when Roy
Sterling and "1Shrimps" and the light
house keeper appear upon the scene to try
to rescue them. Instead the men are dis
covered and condemned TO be shot, but
''Shrimps" picks up a letter duplicating
the Count in conspiracy against the
Kings life and that settles it. The uncle
relents in his purpose, has the Count ar
rested and Shrimps and Kitty and Roy
and Bonnie are all happily united, as
they should have been.
1t was all very pretty. with its beauti-
full accessories of Spanish dancing girls
and soldiers and wax figures and brides
maids marches q,
The woman who figures in this story as
the Princess" is an actress, made so
by nature if not by training. Beautiful
and sympathetic. her face is one on which
the deeper emotions mirror themselves
with a vivid intensity. She has
most interesting and winning per-
sonality and is good actress. One can
listen TO her clear voice and feel the
thoughts she utters in flights of song
Her part was rendered perfectly-the
dreaming. imaginative maiden who is
willing to sacrifice herself at Il moments
notice for the man she loves. Her every
appearance last night was heartily APP
auded and once she was encored three
times.
1t is no disparagement to the other
members of this excellent company of
Portsmouth amateurs, to say that III
Miss Boswell they have their greatest
dramatic and operate treasure.
In saying this, / do not count
..Shrimps." He belongs TO Raleigh.
Our own Jim Anderson"
That was the mental exclamation Of
everybody last night when "Shrimps'
came tumbling before the fOot-lights.
Then the applause went up,deafening and
intense. gathering force and volume as
it went until the hand-clapping gave place
to wells in IA very whirl-wind Of applause.
There he was. the Jim Anderson
of old, the same rollicking, jolly good
fellow, the same immitable mimic the
same born humorist. He bowed his ac-
acknowledgements only to be greeted by
greater storm of applause, and still 1T
did not cease but swelled to an ovation
that lasted for more than a minute.
1t showed that Raleigh claimed part
in the performance other than that of
being spectators, and at no time during
the evening were they other than proud
Of the part they took before the foot
light in the person of Jim Anderson.
But the stars were by no means all the
company. Mrs. Stanley as Kitty Clover
acquitted herself splcndidly She sang
her role cautiously and well, but what was
better still she entered into the spirit of
the character she represented to such an
extent as to give il life and vitality with