The Portland daily press., 1898-12-24
HARD ON BosToNIANs.
A windy city Critic and the Opera
Singers from the Hub.

opera called "Clysses." They have pre-
sented it in Chicago and the Windy City
nubIic does not take kindly to their
efforts. if tLis article from the Chicago
News correctly represents public opinion:
Given one of Lederer's travesty compa-
MES. with Walter Jones, Lucy DAILY, Lou
Use Hepner and Dave Warfield, tolera-'
bic entertainment might be made OF
Ulysses after somebody clever mad
written some verses for the songs, and
somebody else clever written some music
for the verses.
But for the Bostonians in their second
childhood to have been led by chance TO
be sirens and kings, to leave their peaten
path of melodious primness, is a mistake
with considerable pathos in atten lance
Listening or sitting around waiting Ior
something to hear while the Bostonlans
cayort blithely in vocal monochrome is
mas lively as lottery full OF blanks. Inc
4nusic of this ridiculous show is pas1 rec
ognition in the lists of music; 1t has
neither melody nor method. neither force
nor sweetness, and expresses mourning
mora musical than futile strings OF notes.
The Ibretto is infantile and offensive
because of the delightful opportunity tne
WRITER had to be exceedingly witty since
his choice of subject is the happiest posi-
BILE.
Granted this combination, mourning
short of nervous prostration could pe the
fate of an expeotant auditor pinned TO the
duty of attending Powers Theatre. where
an extraordinary calamity occurs.
Jessie BARTLETT Davis sings in most
superior way some distressingiy inferior
songs, and by her grace and peaub'lul
voice saves much hopeless nonsense tom
enveloping her popularity IN maze.
Der gauzy draperies as Gree are eAquis-
itely worn and most costly, and voice was
resonant and sweet even in cnlpper,
kinky song-anddance to which ner spieh-
did contralto is subjected.
Miss Bertram fiuttered about gracefully
and delivered some wordless vocal exsr'
cises in the main rather unsteady, tut IN
her first salutation her voice cracked, ana
she Event all to pieces" without losing
time or perhaps money in the per1or-
nance. II Miss Bertram would give over
using any oonsonants at all In the unln-
telligible gibberish she allows to accom-
pany her vocalisn she would save her yo-
cal cords much annoyance and convey
lust exactly as much sense to her listen
ers 1t is not language at all which clogs
her singing; it is bundles Of letters which
Impede. She never pronounces anything
SO a human being could understand what
she is singing about.
And the sirensi Oh, the merry, merry
Bostonian sirensi They attacked the
Greek army with the frisk ribaldry of ell
DERBY missionaries distributing fiannels
to the heather. Anybody who wants to be
real wicked should just go to Powers
and hear the sirens sing "What a Funny,
Funny Way
Mr.. Macdonald is asked to chirrup a
perfectly imbeoile ditty while he stands
glorified in Respondent garb of magnifi-
cence and beauty. 1t is almost worth adj
mission to look upon Macdonald in the
armor of Ulysses.
That Henry Clay Barnabee should in
the evening of his career be requested to
waste his time studying such balderdash
as Oudeis Is a pity and that he acceded to
the demand is appalling. Oudeis is
part with possibilities under the dextrous
trifiings of brilliant comdian; but with
Mr.. Barnabee it is spotted dirge. His
voice is clear and true and sweet in the
meddlesome little ohansons given to the
role. but he was in fog over the ht&hor
or the chances for it. Long suffering
from Mr.. Frothingham's comic endeayors
brought signs of relief that he had Moth
ing to do and few chances to interfere in
s'UIysses. !" Lloyd Rand is a stuffy tenor
of mighty torso and unsteady notes, and
it was left for Harry Brown, the only
actor in the company, to step in and stalk
off wittraIl the honors.
Mr.. Browns part is the least signifi-
can't of any in the piece, but with the
invention of schooled actor he has butt
it into proportions which are4farcioal, but
at least intelligent and amuslng. His
purple siren revives memories OF this de-
lightful actors representation of Minerva
in "Ixion," which kept New York
laughing a year. His makeup as the as
troIoger in "Ulysses" is artistic and his
untiring efforts to make the hopeless
thing galvanize to an endurable viyacity
were gratefully appreciated by as many of
the audience as could bring themselves to
stay through to the sad, sad end of the
entertainment
The harmonies are empty monotones
and SO the singing qualities OF the chorus
were eclipsed and their angular eyoiu-
tions in the wildly intoxicating dance
and playful coquetry were most plaintiVe.
Much money must have been invested be-
fore the discovery of this unhappy come
dy of music for the Bostonians to cut up
high jinks in, just like real play actors.
Oh, for the purilng chants of Sullivan
and Audran; with the pretty voices of
the Bostonians triokling out their melo-
dies in simple choir fashion, or even De
Koyen' IS shelf emancipations andHerbert's
little classicsl There are no new operas.