The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-15
DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL.
METROPOLITAN.


marked the close Of Lieut.. Dan Godfrey's
British Guards band concert at the Metro
politan theater last night. The audience
had become enthusiastic as the pro-
gramme progressed The unity of action,
the fine shading, the wonderful attention
paid to the motion of the baton and the
harmonious volume of sound had COM
bined to inspire the audience Then came
patriotic finale. Enthusiasm was at a
high pitch when the first notes of the
Star-Spangled Banner floated over the
audience. People were on their feet in
second and their cheers mingled with the
soul-stirring notes of the piece. Then fol-
lowed 'tGod Save the Queen" which add
ed fuel to- the enthusiasm and feryor to
the demonstration.
Lieut.. Godfrey and his musicians in
their two appearances at the Metropolis
tan yesterday proved that all the advance
praise that had been written about them
was merited. 1t is certainly great band.
1t goes about it's work in the most mat
ter-of-fact way. The iHustrious leader Is
dignified always, but always unconcerned
whether in the presence of a very small
audience as in the afternoon or a large
audience as at night
He moves on and off the stage, in and
out through his musicians as though he
were the only individual in the house.
When directing a solo he sits down and
| easily waves his baton as If he had no
part in the work and didn't want any In
the general direction there is no waving
of his arms, just the simplest move of the
wand. 1t is all that is needed in this
corps. No leader seen in st. Paul seems
to have those whom he is directing so
thoroughly under his guidance as did
Lieut.. Godfrey. AS to the band itself, it
is composed of the cream of the military
bands Of Great Britain. It is possibly not
too strong to say that each Is an artist.
Certainly the soloists heard yesterday are
and the music they make conformity sug-
gests an aggregation of artists
The sale of seats for Primrose & Dock
stader's Great American Ministries for the
engagement at the Metropolitan Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday of this week
will commence today. If all the ex-
changes are to be relied on, certainly
these two leaders of minstrelsy are draw
Ing full houses and delighting their au-
diences in all cities visited
Next week will be seen Sporting Life"
Jacob 1itts latest and great success. At
chicago, Saturday night, May 10, closed
an engagement that in point of enormous
attendance and tremendous box office re-
celpts mas not been equaled or even ap-
preached. There is no denying the hit
Mr.. Lifts great production has scored.
During the eleven weeks the play has
run In the Windy City over 100000 people
have witnessed it and cheered its thrilling
scenes, marvellous number when all is
considered. The receipts have reached
the magnificent sum of $125 600
GRAND
AS seen at the Grand opera house at the
Initial performance of a return engage
ment "A Royal Prisoner" presented by
True .. James, was somewhat of an inn
pfovement- over the production on it's
first presentation here several weeks ago
Parts OF the play have been toned down
and Mr.. James enters more into the nat
uralness of the character he assumes
| thus giving the ability he may possess
as romantic actor an opportunity
scarcely permissible In his former inter
pretattons in this city. There have also
| peen changes In the company since it
| was last seen here.
| The story Of "a Royal Prisoner" deals
| with the experiences of gay lieutenant
| OF the Russian army, and is supposed to
| portray an actual event during the reign
| Of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. I'm
| pr1soned for flirting with the wife of the
| imperial minister Razoumovski continues
mis- amorous amusement with the daugh-
| ter of the keeper of the fortress where
| he is confined. The girl arranges for his
escape, but the young soldier allows an
| other prisoner, the Royal Prisoner"
| who is mixed up in state intrigues, to
! the name OF the escaped prisoner to save
| the keeper of the fortress, out of magma
| ninity to the latter's daughter, and Is
visited 1nN prison by the empress in dis
| guise. Subsequently he goes as a sort
| of paroled prisoner to the summer villa Of
| the empress, where he falls victim to
| his soyereign's beauty and makes love to
| her. His affection is returned butt the
| discovery Of his duplicity angers the en-
press, and she is about to end his life
| with a sword thrust when sudden
| change Of heart causes her to announce
| that capital punishment is not longer
| to exist in Russia, and extends to the
young lieutenant her left hand, the only
one an empress Of Russia may offer in
marriage.
Mr.. James portrayal of Razoumovski
| the debonair, light-hearted soldier, shorn
Of some bombast, might be in some de-
gree realistic. In the last act he arises
to the demands of strong scene with
| the empress and does himself credit. AS
| Count Ivan Schouvaloff, imperial minis
| ter, c.. A. Boyd is rather weak and mo-
notonous The role demands more dig
nifty and less comedy. Miss Mabel r.
Griffith, as the Empress Elizabeth. has
little opportunity except in the last act,
when she endeavors to exact every dra-
matte possibility. Ernest Joy, as Volski,
lieutenant in Her Majesty's Own reg
iment, evokes much Of the comedy of the
piece quite acceptably, while Miss Marie
Moore's portrayal of Theodore YanIsa
daughter Of Maj. Yanlka, keeper of the
! fortress Is refreshing. The rest Of tho
cast is fair.
"a Royal Prisoner will continrs to
| the Wednesday matinee
| Next week ''Uncle Toms Cabin"
MOZART HALL.
Fewer more artistic or enjoyable con-
certs have ever been given in st. Paul
than that which closed the season of the
Arion Singing society last evening. and it
was enjoyed by an audience which taxed
| the capacity of the hall to its utmost. A
mixed quartette, composed CT Misses Sim
mer and Rentz and Messrs. Bender and
| Heck, with chorus, sang Spring Time
| beautifully. Ernest ". Lux gave a vio-
| lin solo, pastoral fantasia, and Schmoei-
zer's Ave Maria" was magnificently
rendered by q male Guartette, consisting
| of Messrs Fred Bender, John s. erode,
Jacob Simmer Jr and Anton Frank.
The ladies' chorus sang Thea" the alto
| ana soprano solo roles being eXceilently
| filled by Misses Elizabeth Simmer and
| Anna erode The choral work was most
| harmonious
The mixed chorus sang I'm the Forest
| (Abt), and Miss Hildegarde Rentz pre-
! scented a bracket number Of exquisite
| lections. A quartette, composed OF Mes
| danes Schumacher and Gruber and
the Misses LUX and Gerlach, sang ''Twi-
| light Bells" and the male chorus. with a
| quartette, consisting of MeSSrs. Schu-
| macher, Geriach,. Knaff and Barfuss
sang Zollner's Prayer of Earth" The
ladies' chorus closed the musical pro-
gramme delightfully."- with Now the Birds
! Are Sleeping" (WenzeD and the pro-
| granme closed with a comedy sketch by