The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-09
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The IdoI,s Eve atLyceum.

Ceum last night. The BOOK OF the opera
is from the prolific pen Of Harry Il.
Smith and the music was written by
Nicto- Herbert. 1t Is hardly up to the
standard he set in his earlier operate
work. Most of the solos and choruses
are heavy, lacking that sprightly quail
ity the public demands in light opera
music. That the opera was written to
fit Frank Daniels is very evident from
the moment he makes his sensational
entry by falling from his balloon and
a very good fit 1t is too. 1t is orna-
mented with plenty of color in the mat
ter of costuming and scenery, and
many of the stage pictures were truly
beautiful.
The chief figure of the opera is Abel
Conn. an American aeronaut This role
is assumed by Mr.. Daniels. He is en-
gagged in making a tour of the world in
twenty days In his balloon and makes
a landing at an English barrack on
the banks of the Ganges in India. The
first and third acts show the exterior
of the barracks. Able Conn finds at
the barracks Don Pablo Tobasco, a Gu
ban planter, who has come to this
place to break off an affair between
his daughter. Maraquita and Ned Win
ner, q young American novelist, who Is
travelling in search of material for his
novels.
Immediately after the arrival of
Abel Conn, a Scotchman who has at
tempted to commit suicide in the
Ganges, is rescued by Conn as the
result OF a wager with Tobasco. The
Scotchman turns out to be a worthless
fellow who had been drummed out of
the barracks. Meanwhile dele
cation from the Rajah of Jabalpur ar
rives in search of a stolen ruby which
has the power of making the possess
sor beloved by all women. 1t was
stolen by the ScotChman who had 1T
on his person when rescued by Able
Conn. The women show such a decid-
ed preference for him that he is sus-
pected of the theft OF the ruby and to
prevent discovery he hid it in Able
Conn's coat. AS soon as the latter
dons the garment he becomes the OBJ
ject of the attentions of the fair sex
to an extent that amaZes him. The
cause of this admiration he has no
knowledge of.
The natives of the country, Brahmins,
when they become convinced that the
Sootchman was the thief inform Able
Conn that as the Scotchman, jamie Nc
SHully ny Ndlle, contemplated SELL
destruction he was dead in the eyes of
the law and his rescuer became re-
sponsible for all of his acts past and
present. Able Conn was therefore
placed under arrest. Damayanti, the
favorite Nautch girl of the Rajah. has
fallen in love with Conn through the
powers of the ruby and conceives the
idea of getting another ruby to take
tho nlapp of +ha stolen and fhttc
save his life.
The scene of the second act is laid in
the Temple of the Ruby in the jungles
of India. All the characters of the first
act are present in search of another
ruby. the idol of the temple having one
for an eye that was desired. On this
particular day the idol is supposed to
come to life, an event which happens
once every century. After arrest and
some exciting adventures Conn's
friends carry off the idol ito remove the
gem at their leisure and after this pro-
ceeding Conn enters the temple not
knowing the events that preceded his
entry. He is accompanied by the
Scotchman who embroils him in all
kinds of trouble. Conn is surprised by
the devotees of the temple and to save
himself takes the place of the missing
idol. The idolaters are anXiously await
ing the coming to life OF the idol and
when this does not occur it is decided
to consign it to the flames. As may he
supposed this promptly brings the al
legged idol to life.
In the third act all are back at the
barracks again. Tobasco has secured
the ruby taken from the eye of the
IDOL which possesses the power to make
all hate the owner, just the opposite
from the powers of the ruby concealed
in Able Conn's coat. Tobasco gives his
ruby to Ned Winner, having become
reconciled to the idea of seeing his
daughter welded to the novelist. Win
ner discovers that the ruby has made
him distasteful in the eyes of Mara
quita and he decides to make an ex-
change with Conn for the ruby of love.
AS the ruby of hate is a little the lSrg-
est he succeeds in making the ex-
change and regains the affections of
Maraquita.
During this time the Scotchman has
not been idle. He has become mixed
up in variety of mischief which he
lays at the door of Able Conn, who
he says, is the responsible person. Conn
has about come to the conclusion that
and get rid of the Scotchman when the
latter receives telegram announcing
that a relative has died in Scotland
leaving him fortune of two hundred
thousand pounds. Conn tells him that
ne Comm is the responsible person
add therefore the one who must get
the money. Just at this moment he
remembers that on his way to the
Ganges he left his wife on the moon
and he starts for that planet in his
balloon leaving the chagrined Scot ia
indulge in his favorite cry "Hoot Mon u
This story, as may he imagined, fur
nshed Mr.. Daniels with abundant op-
portunitleS for the particular kind OF
facial gymnastics and comic opera hu-
NOR for which he is famed.
He has a role that in some respects
suggest the work he did in the Wizard
of the Nile" and he sang several songs
that were encored again and again
They Were: Il Just Dropped In," Lord
Chumley of the Guards" THE Tat
tooed Man." and a darkey song.
In the matter of facial gymnastics
which has always been a strong point
of Mr.. Daniels comedy methods he
was quite outdistanced last night by
ALI G. Wheelan as Jamie McSuffy and
VIII Danforth as Don Pablo Tobasco
Their work contributes not a little to
the success the opera is meeting with
Maurice Darcy, the tenor of the CON-
pany is a handsome young fellow who
uses a good voice very intelligently
Helen Redmond, Norma Kopp and
Claudia Carlstedt sang the leading fe.
Ia tah