Evening star., 1900-03-31
COMING ATTRACTIONS. g..

COMING ATTRACTIONS.
THE NATIONAL THEATER.-That bril-
| liant comic opera company, the Bostonians.
| is the weeks attraction at the National
| Theater beginning their engagement Mon
| day night. This season unusually
| strong list of singers is presented, well
as group of young artists who, it is
| promised will create vertable sensation
| The company includes Henry Clay Barna-
bee, w. H. Macdonald, Helen Bertram,
! Marcia Vcn Dresser George Frothingham
Josephine Bartlett. Frank Rushworth
John Dunsmure. W. H. Fitzgerald. Grace
Cameron, Frederic Knight, Edith Hendee,
| Edith Bradford, Charles R. Hawley and S.
| L. Studley. Unusual care has been taken
in the selection of the chorus and orches-
| ira, and the repertoire is as follows: Mon
day, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
| roy" Friday night, THE Serenade;" Sat
! urday night and Wednesday matinee,
robin Hood Gorgeous masses of color
| and elaborate scenic accessories are prom
| ised in this production of 'The Viceroy.'
| From pictorial point of view 1t will
| pass all previous presentations of this pop
| ular lyric organization. In The Viceroy''
| Victor Herbert is said to have furnished a
| brilliant and graceful score, while the story,
| by Mr. Smith. is frothy, humorous and
| satirical series of incidents. The action is
lald In Sicily during the sixteenth century
! and the opera is divided into three acts
the first showing the promenade in Paler-
| mo, the second a court yard near the city
| buildings and the lnlrd grotto of the sea
| rovers. Tivolini. the rightful heir to the
| throne, has been prescribed as an outlaw
| by his cousin, who has usurped and reigns
| as viceroy. Both are rivals for the hand
| of Beatrice, charming gentlewoman. The
| Viceroy has a hard time of it, for he not
| only fears Tivolini, who has now become
| noted buccaneer, but he is also in dread
| of the chief of police, who has sworn Ven
| geance on him if he marries In order to
| of hka hoe
| a mock marriage performed with Ortensia
| a homely viragO, the wife of one of his sat
| elites. He thinks her ugiiness will safe
| guard him, but the latter, learning his Sc
| cret, uses every endeavor to get the chief
to kidnap her. Meanwhile Tivolini is cap
| tured and cast into prison, makes his es-
| cape and the viceroy, while disguised on a
| Summing expedition, is mistaken for a
burglar and forced to do time. He is only
released from the clutches of the law TO
| be captured by Tivolni and his followers
| and forced to abdicate. Brief mention may
be made of the principal ballads, which are
named as follows: The Leader Of Society"
| "Tivolinis Serenade' and "Tarantella;" )"
| 'The Robin and the Rose" Eyes of Black
| and Eyes of Blue Just for Day. and
Its Your Queen" The composer. Victor
Herbert, will conduct the opera on Monday
and succeeding nights.
| COLUMBIA.-"That which pleases long
| and pleases many must possess merit" is
an aphorism which applies to Anna Held in
! Idpd "He. Inc long and successful
run that has occupied the winter in New
| York is followed by brief supplementary
season IN this city, commencing at the CO.
iumbia Monday night Harry B. Smith has
| been successful in blending two famous
French vaudeVileS in clever comedy, and
Reginald de Koven has frightened it with
| light and haunting melodies betittirg the
| scenes and situations. Musical comedy,
once such a popular form of entertainment
| through the spirited ministrations of Aimee
Judic and the peerless Lotta," had fallen
| into desuetude in recent years: but 1t has
been the good fortune of Anna Held to re-
| store its prestige in brilliant fashion. This
fact is attested by the capacity houses
| that witnessed the piece up to the last.
| Lotta was recently an interested spectator
| in the audience at the Manhattan and
warmly congratulated Miss Held upon her
! triumph in the role Gan adaptation of Mile.
| Niteuche'' once a favorite role in the
| repertoire of the American comedienne.)
The demands of the role wide for the
range of a comedienne, but Miss Held is
| equal to the task of differentiating the va
rying phases. Her youth and beauty betit
the part. While her command of English
Is surprising, her cleverness in the histrt
onic way is equally SO. She displays a
number of beautiful costumes, that enthu-
| siasts call dream dresses" Manager
| Zlegfred has capariSoned the piece in Law
ish fashion. With beautiful costumes and
fine scenic surroundings Charles A. Bige-
low, the amusing eccentric comedian, will
appear as the music professor. Others
prominent in the company are Henry Berg
The chorus is one Of the most attractive
contingents ever enlisted in piece of this
class. During this engagement the Column
bia will have an augmented orchestra, un-
der the direction Of Herman Perlet. A sur
| prise is promised in the form of a musical
feature that Is entirely new in this city.
Reginald de Koven will conduct his music
Friday night.
ACADEMY OF MUsIC.-when 1t is con-
sidered that, since the days of "A Brass
| Mn t1a
Charles Hoyt has written and produced
| nearly twenty farces-a greater number
than can be claimed by any contemporary
author-there remains nothing surprising in
the fact that the authors earlier works
still are most liked That this is a fact
there can be no doubt The most profitable
ent are not "A Contented Woman" "A Day
and Night" and "a Stranger in New
York" but "A Texas Steer" "A Milk White
gag and last; but not least, "A Black
sheep" The Sheep in particular Is said
to have had remarkable season. 1t is be-
Ing interpreted by cast that includes
many of the original organization, and this.
together with the unquestioned wit and
| cleverness of the play, is responsible for a
long series of large audiences. Its success
Is particularly interesting now, when COM
edy and comedians are about to be seen at
the Academy of Music. "A Black Sheen"
as will be recalled by all who have wit
messed Its performance is notable for the
freshness and brilliance that were con-
spicuous in the first fifteen of Mr. Hoyt's
| compilations. Its story is rather out of the
ordinary and constantly is taking unex-
pected turns in laughable directions "a
Black Sheep" always has given manifold
opportunities for capable impersonatton and
for vaudeville diversion. 1t Is said that
advantage has been taken of all these op-
portunities in forming the present cast
big Bill' Devere has been retained for the
role Of the editor of the Tombstone In
scrption," while his support includes such
folk as George Allen. Alice Holbrook, Bar
ry Maxwell. Gilbert Girard and others. The
specialties will be introduced by the Bee
sons, whirlwind dancers; Bertha Board