The evening times., 1898-03-22
AT THE THEATERS.
Lafayette-"The Bride Elect,


With the inspiriting strains of Sousa's
latest military march still ringing in its
ears, and with visions of calcium-light-
ed scenes and well-formed chorus girls
dancing before its eyes, one of the larg-
est and most representative audiences of
the year left the Lafayette Square Op-
era House last night at the conclusion
of The Bride Elect" That this audi
ence applauded everything in the opera
may be put down partly TO the great
popularity of the composer, partly to
the efficient work of the managers who
have staged this Offering. and mainly 10
the worth of the opera itself.
1t is only fair TO say that in the score
of his latest Offering the March King"
has done better work and of a higher or
der than ever before I'm his career. The
music Is catchy. bright and brilliant,
but, nevertheless, pervades one with the
fullest realization Of IT'S intrinsic value
as a substantial addition TO the more
classic productions " this nation. There
is a smoothucSs and uuanimity of orches-
tration ;hat reminds ono forcibly OF the
German masters. and yet has the inher-
ent qualities OF compositions from the
pens of Herbert. kerker or De koven.
THE Snow Baby" a lullaby. sung by
Christie Macdonald: a card Song"
rendered by Nella Bergen; a march at
the beginning of the first act; three chO-
raj numbers. opening the second; two
tenor solos, and a topical song make up
the score Of The Bride Elect"
While the book is up to the average,
and certainly no worse than that fur
nished "El Captain by Charles Klein.
ii lacks i'm many of the things that go
toward making an opera pleasing. 1t
has little genuine humor, while Sousa has
gone, for his ieSts to numbers of THE
Farmers Almanac" that are not on the
most recent files. The story is conven-
tional, and, with the exception of THE
Goat and the Phonograph," the lyrics are
only fair. The cleverest thing in the
librettO is the manner in which that
much-advertiSed march. "Unchain the
Dogs of War is introduced at the close
of the second act. This makes up for the
degree and a. half the composition itself
falls below the Sousa standard. AS a
march, il has all the swing and fire OF
earlier products, but IL lacks the solidity
in sound and the central figure in ap-
pearance that would have provoked even
greater enthusiasm than that evinced
last night had either lei Captain or
Manhattan Beach" been the number in
terpreted so effectively.
The production is done by cast of de-
cidedly superior merit. Albert Hart is
the unlucky king around whom the story
revolves, and he brings out every detail
Of humor and apparently creates sever
al things not in the original manuscript.
Christie Macdonald is just the sort of
a parsonage matinee girls delight in cali
ing cute" and dramatic critics.
dainty" while Nella Bergen acts and
sings the lines Of the BriEand Queen in
a thoroughly effective manner. Melville
Stewart. who has been seen here fire.
quently with the Castle SQUARE Opera
Company. appears to the greatest ad-
vantage while Lillian Carllsmith Frank
Pollock Charles II. Drew and Harry
Luckstone are performers Of more or less
ability.
The Bride Elect" is staged with a de-
gree Of care rarely eQualed and never
surpassed IN this city. There are three
acts, and each is appropriately set in the
most sumptuOus manner. The costumes
and properties are a hundred times more
than adequate and the choruses are
trained. yocally and physically, 10 per-
feCtiOn.