Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-30

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drama, The Heart of Maryland" as pre-
viou SLY intimated in the brief cable dis
patches. Clement Scott's paper, the Daily
Telegraph, says in its review: The Heart
of Maryland unqueStionably suggests ro-
nance ard love episodes. Directly the dear
old familiar tune that years ago won so
airy of us to the luckless cause Of the
south strikes up in the orchestra, oh,
WHO thy beauty can withstand? Maryland!
My Maryland" there is suspicion of gen
tleness and something in accord with the
charming melody to follow. The play
which the Messrs. Gatti, in conjunction
with Mr.. Charles Frohman, have produced
with so much brilliaIcy and such admitted
success will De almost certainly discussed
this morning by all who were lucky enough
to be present at an unusually enthusiastic
first night on Saturday. Mrs. Leslie Car
ters performance is most interesting from
its intensity and earnestness. In drama
recently we have had such milk-and-water
stuff that positively the attack Of Mrs.
Leslie Carter, particularly in the scene In
which she pleads for her lover and stabs
his enemy, was most welcome. 1t would
be difficult to say how many times the
curtain was raised after every act The
cheering was incessart. The artists were
called and bowed now on this side of the
siege, now on that. The author came fer
ard to be complimented, and conGratuia-
tons were showered on the Messrs Gatti
on the genuine success Of The Heart OF
Maryland "
lies are similar in tenor.
Mrs. Leslie Carter evidently expects TO
make long stay in London. In conlunc-
ton with her mother, Mrs. Catherine DUO
ley she has taken a house at kensington,
S. W., for the London season. Mrs. Carter
has already been the recipient OF many
marked social attentions. On April "A she
was rendered q reception by H. M. and
Mrs Stanley which was attended by many
diSttp nod of literary. artistic
and social prominence.
Apropos of Wilton Lackaye, who appears
at the Lafayette Square Opera House next
Monday in his new play. Charles y NAL
ley" here is a story about the versatile
actor that has never appeared IN print
Some years ago. when both were spending
their vacation in Newport, that queen OF
watering places the writer OF this accom-
panied Lackaye on a trip across the pay
to Narragansett to spend the day and view
the Narragansett mermaids. Things inter-
ally went swimmingly. and Lackaye laid
siege to the Belle of the Pier greatly TO
the chagrin of her Narragansett caValiere
servente, who, finding his nose out of joint,
began general roast of what he called
Newport starch and buckr&m Here
we don't go i'll for style and we don't nave
any fogs so we look across at Newport
through the mist and we pity you poor
victims of conventionality." Really, SAID
Wilton, calmly, II didn't know that but
you sec we never look over at NarraSan-
sett.'
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
AT Lafayette Square Opera House on
Mcnday next the picturesque hgure OF
Ley er's great novel, Charles Malley,
will make his first bow on any stage 10
Washington audience. The part Will De
played by that versatile, magnetic and tai
ented actor Wilton Eackaye, and the play
is from the pen of Theodore Bart Sayre.
rl,lH otto
Mr. Sayre has followed the book to a GER
tain extent, but once having reintroduced
his audience to its old friends and let them
hear that immortal ballad, The Widow
Malone, Ochonei the author proceeds to
evolve a most interesting story, novel.
clear and dramatic. Act one takes place In
a Dublin dining room. OMally makes
bet with brother officer that he will at
tend the ball. unlimited, and will kiss his
hosts daughter, Lucy Eastwood. He does
both, for he DISCUSSES himself Sir
George Dashwoods eccentric sister Lady
McCann, drinks punch, scandalizes Sir
George, and having bestowed love smack
upon his supposed niece's cheek, departs in
triumph.
In the second act he is wounded in a duel
with pistols by Capt. Hammersly, his rival
in the affections of the fair Lucy, but his
sweetheart. kneeling beside him he lies
upon the ground, admits she loves him, and
as the curtain falls Hammersly seems to
have decidedly the worst of it. However,
in Act 3 he proceeds to get square, for
he contrives that OMalley shall have in
his possession, though innocently, a letter
compromising to the fair fame Of Mrs.
Blake, his commanding officers wife. He
then accuses O'Malley of having in his
pocket REASONABLE dispatches from the
French. OMalley is about to hand over
his papers to Gen. Blake when he remem-
bers about the fatal letter. He refuses to
give it up throws ii into the fire and de-
tends it until it Is burned.
In act :, O'Malley is imprisoned under
sentence of death. He escapes to Sir George
Dashwoods' house, only to find that the
house is surrounded and Hammersly is
waiting for him. The two men fight
most exciting and extraordinary duel. Up
to the las. moment the audience does not
know how the play is going to end. but is
kept on the qui vive, alternately hoping and
fearing to the very fall of the curtain. Mr..
Lackaye believes strongly in this play
that he will make it noted production in
every way. He has engaged the strongest
company that has visited Washington in d
long time, for it includes Edith Crane of
''Trilby'' fame. lately leading lady with Sol
Smith Russell: Nanette Comstock, who gave
up future in England to return to Amer
lea: Henry levitt. leading man with Fanny
Davenport: Alice Evans, who was such a
success in Texas Steer" Joseph Wheelock,
that fine actor, just closed the season with
white Heather" and his son, Joseph
Wheelock, jr., of Empire and Lyceum stock
companies, who has played throughout the
long run of the "Conjurors' until il closed.
MT. 14ackaye, w HSnlfliSlOn boy, mas cnOS-
en- his native city for what he thinks will
be the most important production he has
ever made, and with such n company and
SO strong play feels sure he has winner.
FRANK DANIELS.-Frank Daniels, the
COMMUNICATING little comedian, will play
a return engagement at the Columbia the
week of May in the brightest of comic
operas, THE IDOLS Eye The tour this
season of Frank Daniels. which closes
with his engagement here, has been the
most successful he has ever had, and the
standngroom sign has been the rule
wherever he has appeared THE IDOLS
Eye is a clean, tuneful, bright American
opera, and Harry b. Smith, the librettist,
introduces some characters that would
make a yellow dog laugh while the music
by Victor Herbert is light and catchy, and
every theater orchestra in the country
features it on its program. The part Of
Abel Conn suits Daniels perfectly. 1t Is
that of American balloonist going
around the world in balloon searching
for adventure. He lands in India and In
a short space of time he finds enough ad-
venture to last him for the balance Of his
life. The opportunities afford Mr.. Daniels
many situations that are overwhelmingly
funny. The locale of the opera being in
India gives the scenic painters rare OPP
portunity TO display some fine settings,