The times., 1898-05-12
COMING TO THE THEATERS.

| Never before IN the history of the La
| fayette Square Opera House-perhaps
never before in the history of any local
| theater-has such a demonstration of APP
proval and patriotic enthusiasm been
evoked by any organization as was
brought out last night by Sousa's great
| spectacle. THE Trooping of the Colors."
| 1t is equally certain that no more brill
| liant audience ever attended a musical
| performance, either here or elsewhere.
! Half the celebri les and fashionables in
! town were present, the other half having
| reserved their pleasure for this evening.
| From orchestra to galleries, from the
/ first row 10 the las. the house was pack
ed with Il mass of humanity that at
nrst merely great in numbers, became
powerful in its intensity of feeling before
| the entertainment was over
Manager Albaugh's theater was beauti-
Iuily decorated for the occasion with
bunting and banners of all nations. "Old
Glory predominated, of course her trl-
! coiored folds sweeping gracefully from
! the balconies and hanging before the
foundations of the proscenium arch Lit
1 Tie nags were stuck in every conceI
nook and crevice and silken banners,
showing either our colors or those of
lise &abu. a5ounded conspicuous in
the decoration was the British flag, which
! huSg DIV right of the friendship the eroy-
ernment il represents has professed 10,
US, IN every prominent place not oceu-
( pied by the Stars and Stripes Possibly
IL may have been a mis- AXE which placed
big English emblem in the center of the
easily remedied
shorty before $50 the curtain lifted. re-
! Neaihg well set stage. filled to the back
wall oil the theater with the chorus and
oahd Sousa's appearance was greeted
with hearty cheers. The first mart of the
program presented was his usual band
concert and it was of the usual excel
renee. Contrasts that no director in the
country other than The March King
Mouid nave dared to present were empha-
sized and both light and classic music
We're played with a degree OF perfection
mat won each friends from the ranks of
the other Wagnerian music aiternated
( with negro airs and tone pictures with
the composers own popular marches. All
were beautifully given and all alike ap-
plauded aP
Ihe overture from ''Tannhauser. was
the first number and in its renderiue
brasses and reeds were so well blended
that the entire bard seemed TO be merged
INTO one perfect artist. The overture call
ed forth the best efforts of every indlvid-
ual In the organization and was received
IN a manner that made necessary n doubIa
encore. King Cotton" and another Sousa
march being the responses. Arthur Pryor
played as a trombone solo quaint mel
ody replete with variations, and followed
II with ~ he Banks of the Wabash" Mr.
Pryor IS complete master of his instrU
meht, and both selections were beau
ufully given. A tone picture and the
iharch from The Bride-Elect" came next
ahd a,I Louise Brehany was introduced as
nfasll nN..g-v
voice Is a charming soprano though more
adequate to parlor than TO stage use. II
mas, however, certain liquid quality anC
deep pathos that could not helm but
please Sousa's versatility was shown IN
MS Three Quotations" a martial chorus
an Arcadian duet for reeds with a seconc
part for the band and sprightly negro
melody that might rank with any rag
time song ever written. The COMPOSERS
powerful symphonic poem. Ben Hur'
played with wonderful spirit and vigor.
bro'- nj the first part 10 a close
The Trooping of the CoIors'' which
Termed the second part of the entertain
ment. brought into use the services of
over hundred people, and was in many
re spects the most remarkable patriotic
spectacle ever seen here. 1t evoked en-
thusiasm that took expression in wild
cheers and hearty applause that rung
around the house in manner that show
ed the Yankee TO have been aroused I'm
every man present. The affair began with
the trumpeter's challenge America Pro-
claiming Liberty to the World" which
was followed by the entrance of a trio
dressed as Continentals There were
father and his two sons. the latter playing
Yankee Doodle on drum and fife and
the former carrying a mutilated flag This
began the ovation and started the cheer
| ing. A brigade Of British grenadiers next
entered to a choral rendering of God
Save the Queen" two squads of German
| infantry brought out Die Wacht am
Rhein'' and troop of French zouayes
introduced 1.-The MarseilIaise" All three
divisions bore the emphatic marks of be-
ing of super origin and none. seemed par
! ticularly well drilled, but the audience
was not disposed to be critical and even
very bad solo singing of the French
national air was applauded Each set of
men was headed by woman, dressed in
emblematic colors and bearing a flag
THE Wearing of the Green" was sung
by the chorus after the enthusiasm eVok-
ed by its predecessors had died out and
the presence of a Swiss flag, backed by
the excellent work of a Tyrolean trio
fairly brought down the house. Two
Scotch bagpipers followed, playing The
Campbells are Coming" and a hearty
greeting was given squad of Cubans
"
notes of Then You'll Remember Me"
Spain was afforded her proper place
among civilized nations in that she was
not represented at all.
But the portion of the entertainment
for which everyone had been waiting
closed the performance In the extreme
distance a band was heard playing
Dixie" Nearer and nearer it came.
the enthusiasm of the audience grew. un-
til its merging into Marching Through
Georgia united people from both sec
tions of the country in wild cheering.
Men rose TO their feet and yelled them
selves hoarse; women's gloved hands APP
plauded heartily, and flags and handlIer-
chiefs were waved from every portion
of the house. In the face of such a
din. the primary notes of The Stars
and Stripes Forever could barely be
heard, but nothing prevented the recog-
milton of the American soldiers and
sailors. who entered amidst the almost
insane enthusiasm of the house. Three
women each bearing "Old Glory" step
ped to the front of the stage. the two
bands and the chorus rose to their feet
flags of all nations We're unfurled to the
breeze men in all uniforms lifted their
voices, Sousa's baton descended upon the
rack and 1.-The Stars and Stripes For
ever changed to THE Star-Spangled
Banner"
Instantly the muskets of the soldiers
and the cutlasses of the sailors came to
present" The house rose Then came
the roar of the brasses in the grand old
air and the audience became temporarily
insane. 1t forgot that the chorus was
entirely inadequate to the occasion, that
the soIoist was unable to fill the theater
with her voice and that the uniformed