The age-herald., 1899-01-22
~THE PLAY@

The Herrmanns Adelaide and Leon, will appear at O Brien's opera house Monday matinee and night in a new melange of magic, mystery and dance.
 Hermann" and magic. What familiar sound. The names have been intertwined for many years. First it was Carl Herr mann, whom our fathers raved over. Next Alexander, call the Great, whom the pres ent generation idolized, and now comes Leon Herman, pocket edition of those who have gone before, who will amuse and mystify the present and coming genera tion. Was there ever quite such se- quence before? Always a Hermann and always identified with magic. Is it then strange that when the name of Hermann is mentioned that ones thoughts fly to all that is mysterious and uncanny Not tha. the Herrmanns are uncanny far from it. for the HerrmannS were a jovial lot, and amused and entertained with a flow of small talk while performing the most founding feats of legerdeman, that quite won one, and opened up a vein of good fel- lowship that crossed over the footlights and brought the audience and the magician in close communion. The present Herr mann, Leon, who appears at O'Brien is just as entertaining as his predecessors, and performs the most startling feats in the approved Hermann manner.
 Nearly every one in this country is fa- miliar with MT. Sousa's unique style of music but there are a few who know that he has literary abilities of no mean order. He has written the book as well as the music of his new comic opera, "The Bride Elect" which comes to O'Brfens opera house January 2. In construction he has thrown some wcll-settIed and rather threadbare dramatic principles to the winds; for instance, all comic operas, so far as can now be called to mind either be- gin with a short chorus or bit of dialogue, then work up to the entrance of the prima donna, while the first act invariably closes with chorus, and principals on the stage. Sousa begins the first act of 'The Bride Elect" with fourteen minutes of music be- fore there is a word of dialogue spoken, and in this space of time he includes one of his most stirring marches, "With Clanling Sword and Glistening Gun" Then the prima donna Is introduced, the comedian has a scene, there is a conspirators octette, several comedy scenes, and the act closes upon a picture, with the two women prin- ciDals on the mounted side, eight watchmen marching across the stage to the music of a dainty patrol by the harp and strings with A slow curtain. His second act continues what is claimed to be the ceverest satire on the Italian school of opera yet written, and fin it the chorus performs feat which has never been witnessed before upon the stage. Imagine chorus, if you will, that doesn't
 
 has never failed to receive less than six encores The chorus makes it's exit with a peculiar movement which has been chris tened "The Italian Cake Walk" The great scene of the opera. of course, Is the. closing of this act, when the famous march, "Un- chain the Dogs of War" is given by prin- cipas, chorus, military band on the stage, and an augmented orchestra. The march Is first head faintly in the distance, coming nearer and nearer until 1t ceases Then there is q recitatve, "Open in the Name of the Queen" a moment later there ' an explosion the walls of the castle fall. great pillars tumble and crash to the ground, and over the ruins the soldiers swarm, coming from the extreme rear of the stage to the footlights. singing the most inspiring march that Sousa has ever written. In the third act there Is what is claimed to be an origin al tropical song which describes the doings of goat who has swallowed the wax cylinders of photograph. and tells the tunes that hc could not catch.