The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-25
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
PoRrLAND THEATRE.

PORTLAND THEATRE.
An aggregation OF vaudeville entertain
ers bearing the name Of 1.-The New York
Novelty Company" Is the Christmas
offering at the Portland theatre. and
they opened their engagement yesterday.
The show inelndes tbs conventional
features such as comedy skits, aerobatic
turns, character songs, etc., concluding
with farce entitled "1s Marriage
Failure" Miss Mnude DE Lore contri-
butes contortionist act which was one
OF the hits OF the evening and MIR. kelly's
strong baritone voice was heard in sew
eral selections which won him enoores.
Demo and Reno acrobatic work seemed
to please everybody, but-by the most
noteworthy turn in the whols programme
was the Sensational fire dancing BY Mile.
Delmore. 1t was Of kind like that
seen at Rivsrton park last summer, the
beautiful effects of which 1t Ia not nsc-
essary to attempt to describe. Prof.
Kane appeared in feats of yentriloquism,
and Reed and shaw with the flying
rings. came in for good share of ap-
plause.
| Tne company- wifi re seen afternoon
and evening today, closing their engage
ment with two performances on Wednes-
day.
ELRoY STOCK COMPANY.
The Elroy stock company, a repertoire
organization which has been seen here
during several successive seasons, opened
weeks engagement at the Jefferson
theatre last evening, Playing to good
sizsd audisuce. Since its last appearance
here there have been some changes in the
cast, the leading roles now being in the
hands OF w. A. Brumellu formerly of
Pearson's big companies, and Lillian
Mae Crawford, who makes her debut in
repertoire this- season, having previous
been cast in Hoyt's "A Contsntec Wom-
an" Among the familiar facss are those
of Edward b. Kelley, Lew McCleIiand,
Chris Moran, Lola Morrison and Valorg
Hermann. The initial Offering was
"A Tramp's Daughter" which was Civ
en- on a satisfactory and we'll balanced
production. Speeialties are instroducsd
between tina acts and the comedy songs
and dances OF McCIefiand and Moran
called out the londest kind of applause.
Arthur Walker, q nine-year-cld boy,
made decided hit by his remarkable
singing, possessed -as he isot a strong
soprano voice. :. Behan and Msscotte
proved to be a good acrobatic team and
pleased the audience.
The Christmas bill includes "Love and
Money for matinee and "Hans Han
SON. for the evening performance.
NOTES
OF the uerforniance or 'Lohengrin" az
ths Metropolistan, the N. Y. Evening
Post SAYS: Frau SchumRnn-HeinK recalled
the days OF Fri Brandt ny her sinister
acting and impassioned singing of one OF
WAQuer's most dramatic and difficult
roles. Mime Nordica brought to bear ON
the role OF Elisa not only the superiative
beauty OF a voice now In the full matur-
ity OF It's power, but variety OF emo
tional expression that betokened an en-
thusiastic interest in her task. She was
resplendent, in the second act, In
superb and tasteful new costume, which
made all tho bejeweiled iadiss In the
boxes level their glasses at her. Mr..
Damrosch conducted WIN spirit and dis
Il
has made it easisr for the conductor to
keep the surging tonarwaves from drown
ingEthe singers.
Many visitors to the CELESTIAL Kingdom
have notsd the absence OF women from
the stage. All the roles Of a Chinese play
are taken by men. This singular custom
Is traced back TO q woman's within. The
Emperor Yung Tsching married an ac-
tIess at the beginning of tha eighteenth
century, when women were allowed on
the stage. The Emperor died, and the
Empress Dowagsr ruled the country for
her son, the Prince Kim Sung. 10 salts
~ her vanity, this shrewd and most
peculiar woman issued a decree IN the
year 1916, forbiddinR, under penalty OF
instant death by the sword OF the execu-
tioner, any member OF her sax to appear
ON the Chinese stage. After me, no one"
said the Empress Dowager and since her
day no woman has within the reach OF
the Chinese law has dared to test the
strength of her decree. Liverpool Post.
1.-The Christian will be seen foI the
first time through the far Northwest early
In the new year, being presented by Lieb-
Ter a. Co.'s western company, which has
just oomplsted successful tour of the
South. 1.-The Christian Is one of the
greatest successes on the road this season,
and the Eastern company Is faring
equally we'll.
John Drew-wilI elese his engagement
at the Empire Theatre at the end Of this
week. and MIR. Frohman has arranged
his schedule for next season In snch way
that mir. Drew will open the theatre in
September. The season will be this tenth
or the theatres existence
Howard. In the Boston Sunday Globe
writes: 1 have rarely spent q more de-
II ghtful evening than that or yesterday,
when 1 saw Lady Huntsworth's Ex-
perimens'' In Daniel Frohman,s DAILY
theater A cook as heroine doesn't seem
likely TO afford attractive mettle, but this
particular cook was the reduced Lady
Huntsworth, with whom all the men folk
fell in s'lnve." John Mason as more
rough than ready soldier was the success
full wooer and In a series OF bluff -isms did
his devoir.in maniy fashion Hiida Spong
has come to stay. In the title role she
,una M ha. mast rsrtra rir,ns not cI.Iz