The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-23
ST.
THEATRE S

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The grand opera season will be in
ful swing this evening at the Met
ropolitan. The company, scenery and
| baggage We're brought over from Min
neapol1S yesterday, sand the st. Paul
music lovers have cause for congratu
latlon on the engagement.
In way this enga cement is a kind
of experiment. If it is successful it is
practically certain that. there will be
an annual engagement Of grand opera
in English in this city, and that is
something much to be desired by those
who love the great compositions of the
successful, 1t is not probable that
Manager Scott will be able to effect
| return of the organization another
year, when it could profitably stay
in other cities.
The engagement is to open tonight
with the presentation of ''Lohengrin,"
and that opera is to be repeated on
Thursday and Saturday evenings and
at the Wednesday matinee. The other
operas of this first week will be Balfes
Bohemian Girl" which is to be pre-
sented on Tuesday, Wednesday and
Friday evenings and at the Saturday
matinee.
Next weeks attraction at the Metro
politan will be Marguerite Sylvia in
The Strollers," presented by Messrs.
Nixon and Zimmerman. The Stroll
ers' was one of the musical successes
of last season, and created quite a
vogue for itself in the principal cities
with its tuneful music, pretty dancing
and charming innovations of various
sorts. This season it has received a
distinct impetus by the addition of
Miss sylvia to the cast, and next weeks
entertainment should certainly be ac
corded a welcome. The comedy is in
good hands, when such people as
George c. Boniface Jr., D. L. Dom and
Neil MCNEIL can be mentioned. Other
members of the cast are David Tor
renee, Louise Middleton, Dorothy
Hunting and Lester Brown.
"a Ragged Hero" at the Grand.
According to the verdict of an audi
ence exceptionally large, even for Sun
day night, at the Grand, "a Ragged
Hero" which opened its engagement
at that house last night, is a most pro-.
nounced success. The play is of the
type known as melodramatic, and up
to date is abOut#the. limit in it's line. 1t
any fault is to- be attributed to the
author, it is that he has overcrOwded
his play with action, for one strongly
sensational episode follows another, in
fast succession and the audience is
barely out of one thrill until it is into
another.
Some of the situations are intense
~ dramatic, and possibly they would
be the more appreciated if they We're
not so numerous; This does not argue
that the composition is of the trashy
order, for the eiimaxes are we'll con-
ceived and the lines of the play
throughout are we'll written and at
times witty in a truly original vein.
There is much of originality in the
scenario, and the characters are, fol
the greater partt MAJ urally drawn.
The central character of theSplay is
Willie Wildflower, a stage tramp, who
is the hero of numerous deeds of hero
ism, and in the course of four acts of
close application to the rescue work
laid out for him, endears himself to
the audience. In this character Hal
Brown appears to find a congenial part
and makes the most of it.
Among the women of the cast. Miss
Julia West is particularly entitled to
credit for her pleasing portrayal of
Lettie Saunders. The other members
of the company are, for the greater
part, capable, and little Dixie Mickey
acquitted herself very creditably as
Dot Preston.
Bohemian Burlesquers at the Star.
The Bohemian Burlesquers at the
Star this week struck a popular chord
yesterday. The &eompany.=is capable,
including several performers of espe.
c1al merit, and the sketches, unlike
few seen at the house recently, afford
abundant opportunities for them. The
sketches are clever, and many humor-
Gus situations are included. The whole
show is bright and breezy.
Two little colored boys with Miss
Grace La Rue enacted well a planta-
ton sketch, and the little fellows, with
the singing and dances, proved inn
mensely popular. OF the other special
ties Charl H. Burke and Milton Schus-
ter, as Hebrews, scored pronounced
hits. Edna Davenport, as a buck
dancer and as a leader of choruses, is
pleasing.
Andy Gardner taking the part Of
Patsy in the three sketches, does some
excellent comic work, and was a ia
vorite with the house Charles H
Burke demonstrated his versatility by
taking not less than five different parts
and playing them all we'll. Harry
Campbell, as Phelin McManus, is ca
pable. Nicholas Wright is promising
lad and has good voice.