Evening star., 1899-01-04
AMUSEMENTS,

opera House held a brilliant II not Dig
audience last night on the opening of the
| grand opera season by the excellent COM
| pany under the management of Mr. Chas.
| A. Ellis. Romeo and Juliet" was the Of
fering and Nine. Nellie Melba was the
chief attraction. 1t must have been rather
disappointing to the Australian singer when
she made her entrance as the fair daughter
| of Old Capulet to see several rows of seats
vacant. for at every previous appearance she
has made in this city she had been greeted
with an overfowing. house. Melba has sung
Juliet here before, and on that occasion
she mad as support Jean and Edouard De
ResZke. The performance was in the Grand
| Opera House, and that big auditorium was
| so crowded that extra chairs were placed
in the aisles and around the orchestra, all
OF which were occupied, and people were
standing up many rows deep in the lobby.
Other operate roles given here by Melba
have been Violetta in La Travata'' and
Marguerite in Faust" and both have
| drawn crowded houses
1t is probable that the memory of the
former performance of Gounod's setting OF
Shakespeares tragedy and the fear that
the support, which was mostly new, would
not be equal had something to do with the
attendance last night. Faust would have
| drawn better Lucia in which Nine.
Melba has never been heard here She
gave the mad scene at concert, but that
would have been an additional inducement
to near her in the entire role.
There is no one who in mere vocal tech
nique surpasses Melba. Her voice, pure in
tone. clear and distinct in enunciation and
flexible to most remarkable degree is Il
delight to listen to a work of art and
as showing the perfection of method and
execution. But it lacks the note of sim
cerity One is dazzled and bewildered by
Melba's brilliant vocalzation, but not thrill
ed by her earnestneSS passion. Last
night she sang the waltz song in the first
act exquisitely, the notes falling clear and
cold like rippling water, easily establish
ing her position as colerature singer with
out peer. Her work throughout the opera
was artistically satisfying, the duet in the
second act the parting in the fourth and
the death duet at the close of the opera, all
being sung faultlessly correct. NJ. Bonnard.
the French tenor, can act as well as sing,
and he made an impassioned Romeo, his
voice EarmoniZing well with Melba's in the
considerable work they have together. He
was quite dramatic in the duel with Tybalt
and his action when sentence of banish-
ment was passed upon him was effective
Bourdouresque. whose excellent work last
year in Mephisto is well remembered made
dignified and impressive Friar Lawrence
and sang in excellent form. He fully de-
served the spontaneous applause which his
excellent work elected. Miss Mattfeld
made fair StephanO only. The chorus
was large and sang with spirit its best
work being in the prologue and in the finale
of the third act, and here a pleasant word
should be said of Rains, who did the brief
but difficult part of the Duke well. The
stage settings We're rich and effective and
reflect great credit upon the director be-
hind the scenes. The orchestra, under the
direction of Signor Seppelli, was a thing of
JOY and satisfaction. 1t is the same
SanlZatlon that has been heard here in
former operate seasons, the New York Sym
phony Organization, and its work is all
that could be desired.
The audience last night included people
prominent in official and social circles, the
wife of the President occupying box and
having with her Gen. Corbin. Miss Barber
Miss McWilliams, Miss Mabel Mckinley
Mr.. Barber and Mr.. James Mckinley.
Among others who occupied boxes either as
hosts or guests were Senator and Mrs. Ell
kins, Miss Isabel McKenna, Miss Eliza
beth Davis and Capt. Davis Elkns. Senator
and Mrs. Lodge, Mr.. and Mrs U. H. Paint
er, Mrs. Letter and Mrs. Westinghouse. DR.
and Mrs Hamlin. Mrs. Dalzell. Miss Daisy
Letter, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles F. Sprague
Miss Helen Hay Mr.. and Mrs. Beriah Will
Mrs. Gage, Commander and Mrs. Glover
and Representative and Mrs. George B. Nc
Clelan, Baron Herman, Senator and Mrs
Mcmillan, Mr. and Mrs. Mayo w Hazel
tine, the Misses Elizabeth and Alice War
der. Mrs. Henry Morgan; the charge daft
faires of Belgium. Mr.. Jostens; Mr.. John
Lodge. Mrs. Williams, Miss May Williams.
Mrs F. w. Andrews and Mr.. Richard
Townsend, Mrs Audenried. DR.. and Mrs
Hammond, Miss Wallach Miss Pauncefote,
Miss de Cassini, Mr.. Tower of the British
embassy, JDt DdnlSn minister, the members
Of the Venezuelan legation. Mr.. and Mrs.
Cropper. Justice and Mrs. White, DIR. and
Mrs Jenkins, the Misses Patten and Miss
Addison Mitchell.
night, when ''Tannhauser' will be given
with Walter Damrosch as conductor and
the following cast: Elizabeth, Gadski: We
nus, Brandes; Shepherd Mattfeld: Tam
hauser, Dppel (by arrangement Maurice
Grau Opera Company: Landgrave, Steh-
mann: Walter, Van Hoose; Wolfram, Stury;
Riterolf, Rains; Reinmar, Cass; Heinrich,
Lehman.
PRIMROSE AND DOCKSTADER MIN
STRELS.-At the National on Monday,
January 9, Primrose and Dockstader will
make their initial bow as copartners of
their great American minstrels, and prom
Use a program of many novelties, a re-
splendent stage setting, magnificent cos
tunes and a goodly number of clever art
lists, whose regulations in several instances
are second to none. The entire company
dons burnt cork and will inaugurate a de-
cided departure from the usual minstrel
semi-circle will be occupied by George
Primrose, Lew Dockstader, Lew Sully and
Jimmy Wall. When the curtain rises on
the first part it will reveal a splendid dis
play of the scenic artists ingenuity and
talent, and as the great military band,
under the able baton of Carl Carleton be-
gins fetching melody the entire company
Will file out and take its place. The vocal
lists have been selected with special care
and include such notables as Manuel Ro-
maine, w. II. Thompson, Fred Reynolds,
Charles d. Watson, Edward Hansen, Harry
Ernest, John Perry and B. S. Carnes The
orchestra will be under the direction Of
Prof Latham An olo of an exceedingly
entertaining quality has been provided. of
which the following are some of the promi-
nent features: The Brothers Deonzo; the
clever musical trio, Howe, Wall and Lew
Sully, while not the least prominent will
| be Lew Dockstader, in one of his famous
monologues. and the Quaker City Quar-
| tet followed by the four greatest club
| sWingers in the world, the Juggling John
| stons. George Primrose will also appear
| In an entirely new speciality, presenting
| types of the dandy darkey coon, and will
| finish his act with an entirely new idea. as
| sisted by four champion pickaninny cake
| walkers
| THE VILLAGE POSTMASTER. THE
| Village Postmaster makes its first appear
| ance in Washington at the Lafayette
| Square Opera House next week, commence
| ing the 9th. THE Village Postmaster has
| just ended triumphant run of 1O6 nights
| at the Fourteenth Street Theater. New
! York. This play, depicting life in New
| England, which will have its inaugural pre-
| sentation in this city. was written by .Je-
| rome Eddy, the Well-known New York
| journalist, and Miss Alice Ives The drama