The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-24
SOUSA'S NEW OPERA.
"CIIEIS AND TIE TOND EREUL
r LAMP" PERFORMED.

A Big Audience Listens 10 the First Pro-
duc:ion at the Hyperion Last Night
HIany Prominent Theatrical People
sPresent-M"ch Enthusiasm D,syi"yea
The initial performance on any stage
o. the new extravaganza Chris and
the Wonderful Lamp" composed by
We John Philip Sousa, written by Glen
Maodonough, and produced by KlaW d.
Erianger and B. D. Stevens with de-
rome Sykes and Edna Wallace Hopper
as The stars at the Hyperion theater
last night was the notable event Of the
theatrical season The audience was
thoroughly representative gathering,
the enthusiasm was spontaneous ana
the marked demonstration of approval
from the rise of the curtain to the last
brilliant finale were all tokens of Il
gratifying success.
The presence of many distinguished
visitors from New York and Boston
to- do honor to Americas great march
composer and the brilliant young dram
atist. as well as cheer on to triumph
the Two new coIIllC opera SteliSt sci Ned
to lend an additional interest to the
production of a distinctly American
work. That it was an audience dis
posed to be friendly was early mani
fest, but nothing but the positive mer-
it's of the attraction could warrant the
enthusiasm that the performance evok-'
ed.
1t is pleasure to record that the tri-
L a., II
Lamp" Is that of a wholesome and re-
freshing story with the romance of
fairyland and the humor of the pres
ent day happily blended without the
coarseness or vulgarity, of pure and de-
lightful melody welded to graceful
verse, of superb scenery and gorgeous
costumlng of great beauty show of
young and charming girls, of fresh
voices and graceful dancing, of a COM
plete artistic realization of the ideas Of
both composer and librettist, and of the
skillful work of two performers who
had already earned their title to stel-
lar honore.
The extravaganza is form of enter
tainment that has languished on the
American stage for many years. the
beautiful production of Jack and the
Beanstall5' by these same managers,
Klaw & Erlanger, being the notable ex-
ception Of more than a decade. Chris,
as doubtless the public will soon learn
to call the now Sousa- Macdonough
piece, is entitled to take high rank
among dramatic works of this char
acter, and certainly no extravaganza
was ever SO superbly presented.
This may seem what w. S. Gilbert
calls "a bold and unconvincing MARIA
tive for it hardly gives an idea of
the many humorous scenes devised by
Mr. McDonough, of the speeches that
scintilate with genuine and generous
wit, of the clever characters he has
created. and the altogether charming
and unconventional atmosphere which
pervades Chris and the Wonderful |
Lamp" The lyrics are exceptionally
good. Humorous fancy finds it's ex
preston in the "Patter of the Shingle"
song, the lay of the mechanical dolls, |
the story of the "Humpback Whale"
and the topical song, He Couldn't Do
Thing Without One" More serious
versfication may be found in THE Bob
olink." ''Above the Slim Minaret," 1.-THE
Yankee Boy" and Where is Love-" 1
John Philip Sousa seems to have dis
covered an apparently inexhaustible
mine of melody, for his score of Chris
is succession of dainty numbers en-
tirely in Keeping with the character of !
the story. Some are rich in oriental col
oring, while others have the straightfor-
ward, insistent tilt and swing that usu |
ally characterize the Sousa muse. The
intent of the composer to write music
to please the millions who love simple
melodies and well defined harmonies is
apparent from the outset and admirably
has he succeeded. The music Of "Chris''
is distinctly jolly and popular while,
at the same time, never becoming banal
commonplace or vulgar It's original
ity, both in melodic invention and in
strongly marked rhythm, is hey ond
question, and the countless admirers of
the March King" will rejoice in sew
eral new and stirring martial move
ments. In a Sousa opera, the piece de
resistance will always be the inspiritng
march finale and in Chris Sousa has
written ''The Man Behind the Gun"
which in fortnight will be two
stepped in every ball room and blared
forth from the brazen threats of all the
brass bands in the country The new
march has a broad, well defined mel
ody and Is scored In the well known
Sousa style 1t is essentially martial as
BELTS it's title, and last night IT was
sung with a splendid vigor and dash
Among the musical numbers that won
particular popular favor last night were
the entrance song Of Edna Wallace
Hopper, the genie and whale songs, the
topical ditty and march sung by Jerome
Sykes, a beautiful waltz song admirably
sung by Miss Stewart and two concert
ed movements, Awake, Sleeper" and
1.-THE Yankee Boy" All in all, the
score of "Chris' is quite the best that
Mr.. Sotsa has produced
No words of praise can be too gener-