The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-15
AT THE THEATERS.

That "Evangeline" Is still name with which
to conjure was proved last night, for an
audience larger than those customary on Sun
day evening gathered to witness the opening
performance of the weeks engagement at the
Metropolitan. 1t is true that the punning
rhyming text has gone out Of fashion, and it
may be admitted that the company Is not SO
large some OF those which have been seen
in the days when the first of the Rice bur-
lesques was novelty, but the lines have
not lost all their cleverness with the change
Of fashion. and there is still a sparkle In
the music that pleases and attracts. Evange-
line, with the quaint conceH of the lone fish
erman, the dancing COW, the fun OF Fortes-
que, the melody Of it's catchy airs and with
even It's puns and it's amazon march, is
capable of filling an attractive evening. A
bit of Hamlet" quoted for the benefit Of
Keene, in stage box was piece of by-play
not on the bills and enjoyed not only by the
actor, but by the audience as we'll.
The company, already stated, is not as
large as might be wished, but suffers more in
quantity than in quality. Fortesque is a
host IN himself and none OF his efforts went
unrewarded, for there was applause for him
In generous measure. His solo, intended to
convey the idea that he had the in the
moon for sweetheart pleased the audience
immensely, mach so that two three re-
of it. Mae Baker, as Gabriel, ard Bertha
Wood in the title role, were also heartily
received, and both contributed vocal numbers
that were awarded encores. J. w. Harris,
the Lone Fisherman, in the way the Lone
Fisherman has always had, contributed to the
fun from the beginning to point little be-
yond the final curtain and was we'll assisted
by Sherman Wade, Dan Mason and Charles
Seagrave. AS was to be expected, the fun
was often broad, but not vulgar.
"Evangelne" will be at the Metropolitan
through the week with matinees on Wednes-
day and Saturday.
Owing to the delay Of the Humanity" COM
pany in the northern snow drifts it was nee
essary for Manager Hays to make other ar
rangements for the evening bill at the Grand,
and he was enabled to secure Emily Bancker
and company, who not only repeated "A Dr.
vorce Cure but presented for the first time
in this city a one-act curtain raiser, Thirty
Minutes Of Matrimony," which is possessed
of considerable local interest. The sketch,
besides being bright and crisp and clean, is
the work of Arthur E. James Peger, at
present a Minneapolis newspaper man, but
formerly connected with the G / OBJ and
other papers in this city. The story, also, is
based on an incident which the Veracious Peg
Ter AYERS occurred at the Ryan, in this city,
which makes the local color stronger. Miss
Bancker, in the role of Clara Talbot, a Chi
cago girl, who runs away to marry a Kansas
lawyer, but fails to meet him before her irate
father overtakes her. makes the fugitive so
attractive that her ability to induce a nervy
newspaper reporter to palm himself off in the
injured husband role before the irate father
is not at all illogical.
Miss Bancker's honors In the skit are we'll
shared by Raymond Capp, who, but for
slight discrepancy in height, might almost
be taken by the old friends of the playwright
for the identical reporter who figured in the
original story. The other roles are of minor
Importance, although J. P. Cope, Maj.
Talbot, has a congeniaI role and some oppor-
tunities not to be despised
The author and a number of st. Paul
friends were in the audience last night.