Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18


the fashionables and the lovers of music,
hut two of the theaters have done good
business because they presented plays tina;
were unusually attractive. One was the
National. where Mr.. Herne's Shore Acres"
in some respects the best American play
written. delighted large audiences. and the
other was the Columbia. where Mr. Roland
Reed and his company furnished clean
and wholesome fun. though of the farcical
order to people who filled the theater at
every performance.
Next week two plays new to the city
will be Observation-Disclosures 81 at the
Lafayette. and What Happened to Jones'
at the National The Columbia will also
present a new attraction in the representa-
ton of the Passion Play" through the
medium of the cinematograph aecompa-
MED with a descriptive lecture by Prof
Lacey This is the second city visited by
this representation, the first having been
Philadelphia. where it created the greatest
interest not only among students of biblical
literature and the religious community
generally, but with the public at large
During the run of Cumberland. 81 at the
fourteenth street Theater, New York
there was an il cident not down on the pro-
gram In the scene of the burning of the
Charles Craig have a hand-to-hand fight
on the bridge. During the fight Mr.. Dayen-
pert tries TO throw the old Kentucky noun
tanner on the bridge and into the ravine
below but does not succeed. Davenport
gave Craig harder fight than usual and
actually threw him off the bridge and into
the ravine- The spectators cheered but
Mr. craig was not SO enthusiastic. He
ceived bad shaking up and numerous
bruises on his arms and legs.
If man were Judged by his works"
Geo. III. Broadhurst would be a round and
JoviaI individual. wreathed In perpetual
smiles and given to firing off witticisms
with the rapdity of Calling gun. But in
point of fact. the real Broadhurst. the au-
thor of happenings to Jones and the do
1Egs of Mr.. Wright" is rather solemn
tespectacled individual, intensely sensitive
and shy as a rural bridegroom
In point of fact, there is no public char
aeter which is the subject of more frequent
speculation than a dramatic author. Hav-
ing witnessed the product of his pen, the
spectator is filed with curiosity to what
sort OF looking individual the author
really is. Some look upon an author with
no slight degree of contempt. and others
with admiration. but they all agree in be-
HeVIng him to be something different from
the generality of people; and it is remark
able with what greedness they attend to
any little anecdotes which they can pick
He Is. indeed. kind of ideal being, of
which people conceive very different no.
tons. BY some he is supposed never TO
stir out of the garrett" as in the good Old
Gays. to wear a rusty black coat soiled
linen. darned stockings and to be in per-
petual want of all necessaries. well as
the conveniences in life while others re-
gard him a creature superior to the res.
OF mOrtalS and endowed with something
more than reason One party. therefore. is
surprised TO see him walk abroad and ap-
pear as well dressed as other people; and
another is disappointed when it finds him
talk and act and fill the office of life
better than any other individual in this
''work-a-day world" In short. authors
what one might suppose from their works.
Hoyt is funereal. Du SouChet sphinx-hke
and Broddhurst coy and backward.
GRAND OPERATING closing perform
ance of the grand opera season at the La
fayette Square Opera House last night at
tractei the largest and most brilliant audi
ence of the week and in spots the interpre
tation Of Gounod's Faust was in keeping
with the audience. Faust is wonderfully
popular. for Goerhe's charming story is set
to exquisite melody, which never pals upon
the 1t affords opportunity for great
lyric well dramatic ability, and calls
for at least five artists of the first rank.
One seldom hears that number In the cast
L
three-hfths of the actual requirement but
those three were great in their respective
parts
First. of course was Melba, whose per-
feet voice is eninently fitted for the bril-
liant music of Marguerite's role. Techni-
caNy il is perfect in its tone. its purity, it's
fexibility and it's power. 1t is tho most
marvellous piece of mechanism put in
a wOman's throat. There is no vocal en-
broidery or pyrOtechncS of which it is not
capable, and its volume scars clear and
4hDNe rh0rng in fho
fortissimo passages. Nine. Melba's weak
nesseS are temperamental. There is no
sympathetic quality in her voice and she
daZzlcs ard bewilderS the listener by its
brllliancy and mechanical perfection, but
never touches his feelings by any subtle
power of sympathy or personal magnetism.
W lille something of this kind has been said
in The Star before in speaking of Melba
1t has perhaps never been put so plainly
and her deficiencies well as her great ex-
celIencies are especially brought to mind
now in the consideration of last nights
performance in Faust
There never was but one perfect Margue-
rite and that was Christine Nilsson. II
seems that she was especially created to
give 10 lovers of opera ths highest interpre-
tauOn OF two parts Observation-Disclosures
lite and Nignon. True she was great I'm
ether roles. but in those two she was great
est No one who ever saw her Marguerite
with its perfection of vocalization, and its
dramatic power, will ever be satisfied with
q lower standard OF work Melba technical
" sings the part in perfect form, but the
leu sacre is lacking, and this deficiency is
OF course. manifested in her acting. Only
IN the final trio did she approach the exhi-
billion OF any feeling. and this number ex-
cited the greatest enthusiasm OF the even
Ng- So continuous and emphatic was the
applause that il had to be repeated.
The second of the trio of great artists
heard last night was Campanari. who sang
Valentine sloriously. This gentleman is
probably the most satisfactory baritone
now upon the operate stage. There are
those with bigger voices. but none with
an organ OF richer, more virile tone or one
evidencing better cultivation. His aria in
the second act was given with such artis-
tic finish and such magnetic effect that II
awoke the first spontaneous applause of the
evening, and he declined to take the encore
that was asked for. His dramatic power
Is also great, and his death scene in the
third act was giyR with tragic force with
out being at all theatric. He and Krauss
were easily the most popular members of
the DamrOsch-E,llis troupe.
Boudouresque. the Mephistopheles. was a
GeH conner, but he found favor from the
first and proved himself an artist His
voice is rich and flexible. cantante rather