Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-09
AMUsEMENrs,

keene last night presented SnakeSpeare
Richard III" at the Lafayette Square
Opera House, and evidently pleased the
large audience that was in attendance.
Since the death Of Edwin Booth no actor
on the American stage has given the char
acter of the hump-backed king more care
full attention than Mr.. Keene. He also
brings to his work the result Of long ex-
perience on the stage, during which he has
seen and supported the greatest TRACE
dams. Mr.. Keene gives a consistent and
intelligent Interpretation Of the character
of Richard, and his faults are those which
were acquired during his early experience.
when greater latitude was given to robust
methods than obtains at present There
are crudities in Mr.. Keene's performance,
but they are overbalanced by his intensity,
earnestness and power. In Mr.. Keene's
conception ambition is the keynote of Rich
ards character, and he stops at nothing to
accomplish his purpose. First his eye is
set upon the crown ond after that his sole
object is to keep it. All his crimes are
traceable to this ambition. Mr.. Keene
was well supported, Mr.. Hanford playing
Richmond with dignity and power. Though
the part is a small one Mr.. Hanford in
vested 1t with unusual Importance and re-
oeived warm applause from the audience.
Tonight Mr.. Keene will play "Othello."
assuming himself the part Of the Moor,
while Mr.. Hanford will play Iago.
ANNA HELD's BARGAIN MATINEE
The combination Of Mile. Anna Held, "ths
idol of Paris THE Cat and the Cherub'
and "A Gay Deceiver" is one of the strong
est bills that has been presented in Wash
ington this season. and is nightly drawing
to the Columbia Theater its capacity. OF
Miss Held there is nothing but words Of
praise. Whatever else may be said of her,
she remains beyond dispute the most beau
tiful singer Of her class on this stage. She
is charming, and possesses that vivacity
q tn hn he nf fhn
ladies, as well as the gentlemen, wherever
she has appeared. Her coon song, II Want
Dem Presents Back" assisted by the ami
mated colored chorus of forty voices, of
which Miss Held is the originator, has
made pronounced hit. and she is COM
PEELED to repeat 1t four or five times at
every performance. The Gay Deceiver''
Is lively three-act farce, well calculated
to keep the audience in laughter and good
humor. Not the least, however. is The
Cat and the Cherub,'' styled by the most
eminent critics the "Cevaleria Rusticana"
of the dramatic stage. 1t is weird and
bewildering drama, so intense that at times
you sit spellbound, and imagine you live
in Chinatown, witnessing a real drama.
Owing to the popular demand for a mid
week matinee, the management Of the CO.
lumbia has offered inducements to Miss
Held to give bargain matinee tomorrow
Thursday, when the admission to the en-
tire house will be 50 cents.
BOSION S1 MPttON1 ORC1ESIRA.-
The fourth matinee in the series by the
Boston Symphony Orchestra at the La
fayette Square Opera House is announced
for next Tuesday Afternoon, February To-
at 4:15. The program is an exceptionally
attractive one. 1t opens with Mendels-
sohn's overture to "Ruy Bias" which was
written for a performance of Victor Hugo's
drama of "Ruy Bias" given in aid of the
theatrical fund. in Leipzig. on March H.
1880. The second number on the program
Is the solo number, divertimentO for vio-
lin ard orchestra. 1t is in itself tribute
to the resources Of this organization that
the composer and performer of this number
are one and the same person--Mr. G. M.
Loeff1er, for several years one of the lead
ing first violins Of the orchestra, sitting at
the same desk with the concertmcister Mr.
kneisel. This composition was first played
by Mr.. Loeffier In the Boston Music Hall
on January 5. 1895. 1t is a strikingly bril-
liant and effective work. and reflects the
greatest credit upon it's composer. The
score is dedicated to Mrs. John l.. Gard
ner of Boston. The next number upon the
program is the Schumann Symphony No.
4, in D minor, sketched out and finished in
lS41. and received Its first performance in
Schumann was not satisfied with it, and
did not have the score published. He laid
the symphony upon the shelf for several
years, and IT was not until 1851 that he
gave a new, remodeled version for publica-
uon.. Following the symphony ere three
most fascinating selections from Beriozs
'Damnation of Faust'-the minuet of
Will-o the Wisps, supposed to be sort of
serenade. given by firefiies
under Marguerite's window one night by
Mephistos command; the Waltz Of Sylphs,
a short orchestral movement, during which
the sylphs dance away through the air
after singing, at Mephisto's command. the
praises Of Marguerites beauty and lowell
ness to the sleeping Faust on the banks of
the Elbe, and the Rakoczy March, which Is
the most famous of Hungarian national
airs. and is supposed 10 have been written
by Rakoczy Ference, Pennsylvania prince.
Then follows the suite, The Furies." by
Massenet. The music to THE Furies,'' as
given at the first performance, did not
contain the advertisement with which the
present version ends. He afterward re-
wrote and rescored the whole, adding
some choruses and the long ballet-diver-
[issement. The added choruses are omitted
N the published score for concert perform
ance, which is In the shape of an orches-
trail suite. The closing number on the pro-
gram Is Auber's overture to The Black
Domino" This opera was for a long time
considered as Aubers most original work,
the one in which he gave himself up with
the least reserve to his poetic fancy. The
Black Domino was for many years one
of the most popular comic operas both in
France and in Germany.
THE CIRCUS GIRL"-Charles Froh-
mans musical comedy, THE Circus Girl"
which will be the attraction at the New
Nduonal Iheater next week, has very
interesting and prominent cast of prlnci-
pal people. A great many of those who
in the piece during it's twenty-one
weeks engagement at Days Theater, New
York, are still playing the parts which
they created. Among these may be men
toned Samuel Edwards, who is seen as
ORWELL. the owner of a French circus
Douglas Flint, VINO appears as the ring
master; Edwin Hartford, who is the old
clown, Augusta; George Miller, the French
Ticomte, and Mary Young, whose interpre-
-ation Of the character of Lucille a slack
wire walker, has obtained for her the high
est praise. In the title role, the well-known
orima donna, Amanda Fabrs, is said to
nave achieved distinguished success. Miss
Fabris is already well known through her
appearances with the American Opera Com
Dany, with Francis Wilson's revival of "Er-
ninie." and last season as the princess in
Brian Boru." John Slavin, who also
made a hit In Brian Boru" as Johnny
Dugan, appears as Biggs, the bartender
while Bert Thayer, for the past two sea-
IONS with Lost, Strayed or Stolen" is
he Dick Capel, and Edward Tyler is the
Hon. Reginald Cover. Added to these peo-
pie is a chorus, which brings the total of
he company up to seveuty-five people, SO
hat Mr. Frohman's comedy company" is
| pretty big one. The play since its New
York enhancement. has been seen for five