The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-05
~THE PLAYS
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II the Wilbur-Kirwin opera company
should visit Birmingham again next season
they should prepare to hang out the IS
r. o." sign on the first night of their en-
gagement and Birmingham theater goers
Will be just as glad to fall in line around
the box office as the company will be to
pull off the big receipts Their engage
ment closed last night to a large audience
almost every seat in the house being taken
"The Two Vagabonds' was the Offering and
1t went off well in every particular. Mr..
Harvey was the bundle of fun, around
which the opera revolved. One of the
largest houses of any season attended the
matinee yesterday afternoon and heard
FRA Dialvo." Every seat was occupied
early and some of the fashionable ladies of
the town went up in the gallery. Others
were turned away.
The company has presented clean and
creditable amusement. This was it's first
visit here, but success was instantaneous.
Susie Kirwin with her sweet voice and
graceful acting will always be welcome to
O'Brien's.
The coming of the Bostonians is an
nounced for O'Briens opera house Wednes-
day and Thursday nights, and this splendid
light opera company returns here again
with strong list of artists which includes
names familiar to every music lover. Not
ed among the singers are Henry Clay Barn
abee, William IL. Macdonald, Jessie Bart
lett Davis, Helen Bertram, William e.
LAWN, George rockingham, William Brod-
erick, Harry Brown, w. H. Fitzgerald,
Charles Hawley, Josephine Bartlett, Caro-
lyn Daniels, Lloyd Rand and S. l.. Studley,
musical director. The vitality and popu-
larity of the Bostonians remains as strong
as ever and the eagerness with which the
public has besieged the box office cages the
warm regard with which this organization
is held. Concerning 1.-THE Serenade," it's
continued success in the principal centers
is well known here. 1t is brimful of mel
ody and contains more than fifteen popular
numbers, distributed among the chief
lists and with an abundance of fun and
jollity in the story. The scene of action is
laid in Spain, during the eighteenth century
and the story recounts the adventures of
Alvarado civilian H. MacDonald), a dash
seE baritone, of the Royal Opera, who has
carried on a Irritation with Dolores Jessie
Bartlett Davis, ward and fiancee of the
duke of Santa Cruz (Henry Clay Barnabee);
this Irritation has maintained by means of
a serenade and the dukes only means of
Identification is the song Removing his
ward to his castle in the mountains he,
unwittingly hires Alvarado as coachman
and this disguise, the daring baritone, is
enconsed In the same castle with his in
amorata. Meanwhile, Colombo. a broken
down tenor Harry Brown, and Gomez
George Frothingham), stage-struck tail
or, and Yvonne (delen BERTRAND, a dam
seuse, appear on the scene, and the broken
down tenor, while teaching his familiar
serenade to the tailor, Is overheard by the
duke, mistaken for Alvarado, and incarcer-
ated In the tower. The action is then
shifted to the grounds of monastery and
an adjoining convent; Dolores, who has
been placed in the convent by the duke. eff
fects her escape from the grounds by means
of an exchange of clothes with Yvonne, who
seeking her recreant lover, Alvarado, has
followed him into the monastery. The SUBJ
sequent appearance of Romero, bandit,
William Broderick), in disguise and the
arrival of the stage-struck tailor into the
monastery brings about the recital of the
ed over the garden wall and reaching the
ears of the duke, who has returned to the
convent has learned of Dolores disappear
ance, rounds out several amusing situa-
TONS In the last act all ends happily in
true comic opera style. 1.-THE Serenade'
will be embellished with beautiful scenery
and elaborate costumes. brilliant chorus
and an enlarged orchestra will be promi-
nent features.
1.-THE Serenade" will be produced Wednes-
day evening, while for Thursday evening
s.Robbin Hood" the Bostonians favorite
niece. has been reserved. This production
is too we'll known to need any introduction
or ADVERTISING The sale of seats viii be-
i,,or oil