The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-30

vived by Boossy Kiralfy. Of the famous
family OF spectacular production fame,
and last evenings was the occasion OF the
trial on the dog. IL Is 10 be believed that
the dog enjoyed IL. lie probably enjoyed
IL rather better on the whole, than ala
the people on the stage.
The production is on an enormous
scale. There Is enough elaborate scenery
20 crowd the auditorium, IL IL were packed
there instead OF on the stage. Big as Is
the stage at the Providence, the scenic
outfit must I'LL IL pretty nearly chock-a-
block There is ballet corps and SUI
pernumeraries that crowd the space left
by the cargo OF scenery. There Is posi-
tive plethora OF beautiful costumes.
All this mass OF scenery. regiment OF
people and wealth OF costumes was pre-
sented on the stage last evening. but IL
had not been assimilated. The elaborate
machinery was not in working order.
Things had not got down 10 their bear
ings. At times there was chaos.
Considered as dress rehearsal, the
performance was lacking in smoothness.
But as a first night performance there
was much about IL TO commend II TO an
audience that was not slow in realizing
that IL they were not strictly getting
more than their moneys worth, they were
surely witnessing a spectacle the like OF
which had never been handed out In the
Providence Opera house before.
of family affair. The audience and the
stage struck a mutual chord OF sympathy
before the end OF the first act The former
awoke 10 the realization that they were
enjoying an unusual opportunity To Wit
ness a tremendous production in the proc
ess of shaping up The people on tne
stage did their level best 10 demonstrate
how we'll they could do with insufficient
rehearsals The audience laughed, but II
was a good natured laugh for they were
truly enjoying themselves. The people on
the stage were plainly not enjoying them
selves but they kept up good nerve ana
were rewarded by cordial and sincere APP
plause when their cleverness triumphed
over the embarrassing conditions.
AT one stage of the production utter coll
! 1se was threatened and disaster was
averted only by the GOODNESS and nerve OF
Miss Oriska Warden. Miss Warden had
song coming There was paralyzinS
art. Even the orchestra fiunked de-
f1airingly The chorus was frozen into
wooden images and the gallery gods cut
loose while a wave OF mingled despair and
merriment swept down 20 the parquet.
Miss Warden wrestled desperately for
moment. then she stamped her foot at
the gallery, and. In French commanded
the orchestra to stop and begin again.
The gallery promptly shut up, the orches-
fra leader surrendered, the parquet held
its breath. the chorus shook itself and
came out Of the faint and Miss warden
was I'm full command Of the house. or
chestra and stage. Then she started her
song IL was a pretty song and u was
splendidly sung The house gave the
singer an ovation and business was re-
sumed with freshened energies and new
hope.
II may be depended upon that, after
last nights exhibition, those who sat In
front OF the stage will have an increased
ha
ton that they see staged and running
like clockwork Last evening they wit
messed the thing in the raw, struggling
with unfamiliarity and lack Of sufficient
drill IL wasn't what they came To see but
n was worth seeing and probably not one
was sorry 10 he there. Before the week
Is half through. the production will be
revelation. by contrast. OF what can be
done and what has 20 be done TO set up
and polish of one of these big stage
epectacles.
Let's call Il something like twenty
Ave years ago that the kiralfy Bros.
produced their first Around the World |
in SO DAYS" AZ the Providence Opera
House. An actor OF the name OF George |
Metkiff was the Phileas Fogg. the man |
who accomplished what was then thought |
60 be a feat possible only 10 the imagina-
ton OF Jules Verne Dora Goldwaite was |
The East Indian Princess. The production |
was n sensa tional one for those DAYS. |
both for scenic effect and for the ballet, !
although the latter was nothing like |
as elaborate as that offered az the same |
theatre this week. Occaeionally. since 4
then, the story OF Around the World In |
o. paws" has had a dramatic revival but |
nothing 10 match the Kiralfy production /
has been seen until the present effort.
In the production that i5 being whipped /
into shape az the Providence this week n
lot OF elaborate music and tremendous
ballet show Is planned. through which the i
thread % the story runs It's course at
rate sufficient 20 allow for shifts OF beau
tiful scenery and changes OF ksloidosco-
pic costumes for the ballet. Special music