The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-06
THEATRICAL.

|3 THEATRICAL. !
| Tho past week has been one of the best
of the season in the way OF attractions at
| the opera house. "A Trip to Chinatown
| which began the week Monday night, was
in the hands OF very poor company, and
was, therefore, n disappointment But the
| Bostonians followed, Tuesday night with
| THE Serenade" and delighted a large
audience. Wednesday Colonel Bob lnger~
sell lectured; Thursday Sturat Robson and
his company gave THE Henrietta for q
| matinee and The Jucklins' AT night, the
| latter the best thing Robson has svar
| had, and Roland Reed closed the week FRI
| day night with his new play "A Man Of
| IDEAS This week we will have Lillian
Lewis Monday night, Francis Wilson, The
| now celebrated operate comedian will be
| seen and heard. for the first time hero
! Tuesday night, Thursday night one of last
| seasons attractions, The Prodieal
| Father" will return, and Friday night and
! Saturday matinee "Courted Into Court"
| will held the boards.
The patronage continues good, hut there
| is questionable policy in raising the prices
| for many of these shows, and the size Of
| the audiences at some of the high priced
| attractions demonstrate 1t. 1t is not the
, opera house management that raises the
| prices. although many OF the public nave
| that idea. The managers CT the compaules
| fix their own prices, and in several in
| stances Manager Bergman Of the opera
| house has striven to get the charges low
cred. knowing that he could do better With
lower rate. The increased attendance in
| nearly every case would more than COM
| penaite for a reduction OF prices.
Lillian Lewis new military drama For
Liberty and Love appeals strongly TO the
| sympathy of every true American. AT our
| very door, with outstretched hands, APP
| pealing to the American Republic stands
n struggling. oppressed people. asking 10
| aims, though they are little removed from
beggary asking no food, though thousands
Of them are starving. All they ask is Tor
| our government 10 recognize Them as a
nation, and give them our friendship and
| sympathy in their struggle for fre3dom.
| On the Nineteenth ceDtury's page OF his
! tory, written high in letters OF lire, Is the
story OF their wrongs, their heroic, almost
superhuman efforts, TO avengc or r.sht
| them. On this Cuban war for lndepend-
! ence is built the drama For liberty and
Love" The thrilling war play deals. II Is
| said with real facts and real personages,
| Carlotta, the young Cuban patriot, the
| heroine Of the play, gives all, father,
,t,rfb nr Giste
| and driven 10 despair by the lying repre-
! sensations of jealous rival, she herself
| condemns her idolzed lover 10 run The
| gauntlet--that punishment awful IN KS
| shamefulness when righteously inflicted.
I but still more terrible when given an nom
/ orable soldier. The play ends happily, and
| the authors have had the courage to an
| tinipate history in the finale. making the
| last act of the play Cuba an annexed Sente
| of the Union, what IL soon viii be. L'lilan
| Lewis will appear at Sweeney d Coombs
| opera house Monday, February Z, one night
| only.
| Francis Wilson and his opera company
| are sure OF a hearty welcome during their
| engagement at the opera house Tuesday
| February S. He had the unqualified in
! dorsement of the public last wear, and
| his suera, Half King" proved to be
one CT the most successful productions Of
| the season.
| Halt a King is distinct advance upon
| the average which has been maintained
| during the past few years. The iibretto
| has been adapted from the French Of lse-
| terrier and Van Loo, by Harry b. smith,
| who has come TO be recognized as the lead
ing workman in this branch of stage me
| cbanics. The story which has been worked
| into the opera has the advantage 81 being
| humorous in itself, although not wholly
new. This makes the usual forcing process
unnecessary interviewer with the thread
of wit and fun is silken thread OF ro-
nance which gives the whole texture oel-
icacy and distinction. II is question, m
| deed whether Half King could not be
i called romantic opera as accurately az
IL is now called a comic opera, MT, snNn
has kept the dialogue OF his BOOK up 70
his level, and Mr.. Wilson has sinned legs
than usual with interspersed up 70 u1 =
illusions The music by Ludwig Ehsiahuei
IA charming. Some of the melodies nave
ali the dangerous sweetness OF JaeoooMshi
al his best, and some OF the choruses ana
| marches ring as spiritedIy az charse ~
/ cavalry. To class II as q comic opsl'
| hardly does justice 10 Half King, loi
there is ambitious effort shown In every
mart 20 get very near the legitimate in
the musical line. and these attempts sell
dom fail 10 achieve distinct results, Mr.
Wilson is well fitted in this latest con-
ceit. fcI the part OF mountebank r;as-
querading as one Of the nobility gives min
| opportunities that serve his ends admir-
ably. He goes through the three acts Win
| that jocund iighiness characteristic Of him
| and succeeds in winning additional III
dorsement-
''The Prodigsl Father" Glen MacDon'
4 oueh's jolly ann nirth-producipg comedy
which viii be- the attraction at the opcfi
house Thurrdsy February 10 is a fares
comedy In three acts. and triumphan'