The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-05
ADJUSTMENTS.


last night before an audience which
compared favorably in size with those
the house has been accustomed to this
season 1t was no larger and certainly
no smaller. "El Captain" was the
opera rendered. and the house seemed
very well pleased with the perform
ance.
There is no doubt that this organiza-
ton, as a whole. is the strongest Grau
has brought into Salt Lake. 1t is so
far above the company he pilOted last
year that no one will try to compare
them. The soloists of the present Grau
company give the worth of the money,
and all things considered, the chorus
may easily lay claim to being the
strongest that ever sang on the stage
of the Grand. 1t is to be said also that
the piece last night was staged splen-
didly- The scenery is well painted and
well put together, and the costumes
are all that could be desired, barring
an apparent unfdmiliarity between the
laundry and the skirts belonging TO
some of the girls, due perhaps, to
series of one-night stands. Now that
the company is settled here for week,
the hint will hardly be required except
on this occasion.
The sensation of the evening was the
tenor Mr.. Grau presents. He is a
young man with a slight physique,
whose name is plain Joseph Smith.
When he unwrapS himself the audi
ence is astOnished that so powerful
form so slight. He was an instantane-
Gus favorite, and for his solo, Queen
of the Earth" which is interpolated TO
give the tenor q chance, his reception
was almost an ovation Smith has
quality as well as force. and the only
thing really against him-aithOugh ne
isn't Richard Mansfield when It
comes TO stage business-is an inclin-
alton to sing slightly off key once IN
awhile, so often q fault with operate
tenOrs. The young man Will eclipse
all his predecessors as Grau favor1te
in this city.
The other real singer in the cast is
Miss Kate Michelena, who impersOn-
ates Isabel. She can sing high ., It
seemed so. at least, with as much ease
as the ordinary prima donna takes her
first note in some popular waltz song.
Her voice is true and has wealth OF
reserve force. Miss Micheiena viii also
be p favorite.
The soubrette of the company, Miss
Thornton, was selected, no doubt, as
is usually the case. for her appearance
rather than her voice. She makes a
charming Estrelda. nevertheless, in all
| respects.
Miss Emmett. the cOntralto, had so
/ little to do last night that it would be
unfair to pass judgment
! Now as to the comedians, who had
/ the piece, supposedly Eel Captain is
| generally understood to be comic opera,
/ they raised a number of good laughs
| I.
/ Fetch and his colleagues of two years
| ago. but manage to get through rea-
| SOndblY we'll. Mr.. Kingsley, who plays
/ Ell Captain. but for whom the piece
was not named, as some might have
! supposed, gives an imitation of De
! Wolf Hopper. which is very clumsy.
/ Perhaps il was the stage manager,
and perhaps himself, who was respon-
! Sible for it, but the idea has evidently
! been installed into Mr.. kIngley'S mind
* "a leave
| the stage. Besides. this Slap-SticlS
| comedy is becoming thing of the past.
/ Frank WOoley had less to do and was
| more enjoyed.
An unfortunate incident spoiled the
] finale last night The full brass band
on the stage" which has been featured
for a week promised to be disposed OF
peacefully until the chorus went with
| a terrific display of vim into SOusa' S
thrilling march chorus, Behold FL
Captain" This was at the close OF the
opera. 1t appears that Mr. Grau had
! engaged a bunch of local comets to dc
| the scene, and they had covered them
| selves with the costumes of the day
| and were gazing intently on tlei1
! music, anyway, so that the view of the
| orchestra was entirely shut off. The
chorus was about sung through, and
| the people and the orchestra went VI
to the climax, when 10! the blatant
horns on the stage went back to repeal
the last half of the number. Then there
| was the awful sound of the instruments
lingering several measures behind
every man blowing as if his life de-
pended uDOn it, accompanied by the
heart-rending spectacle of the musica
director waving his hands frantiCally
at the local instruments and snatChins
! patches of hair from his young pate
The chorus was nOn-plussed- The
audience took il all good naturally.
| There was another feature of the
! production extremely distaSteful Il
some st least. At the close of the
second act after the brilliant finale
was sung and the curtain had gone
up again. d few flags were distributed
about the stage, and while they were
waved the company sang STARS and
Stripes Forever" Was anything evel
| more out of place? The sight of z
| Captain, in his grotesque guise, witt
surroundings of the fourteenth cen
fury, waving an American flag over
| head. while it produced great applause
| in the gallery, was the SillieSt kline
of anachrOnism. 1t was the sort o.
| thing that might be expected from al
/ aggregation of transformers playing
! cheap meIodrama- Mr.. Grau makes
serious mistake by permitting thi!
| scene. To repeat the chorus for al
| encore is satisfactory to the people.
Eel Captain" goes tonight and to-
morrow night.
Eugene Blair opens at the Theatr,
tonight in "A Lady of Quality"
! handsome turnout will doubtless gree
this popular actress.
The sale Of seats for THE Littl
I flasa hoo fro