The Washington herald., 1906-10-09

new comic opera. built on the good
old lines of twenty years ago, was pre-
sented in public for the first time at the
Nati4naI Theater last night by Jefferson
De angels and his company, and met
witH a very cordial reception from an
bidience that comfortably filed the
house.
''The Girl and the Governor it is cali
ed by the author of the book, Mr.. $ n
Brenner of Baltimore. whose name is
new in the short list of American libret-
lists. Julian Edwards. already well
known as "a composer. wrote the tune
ful and pretty score, which Is especially
rich in good choruses and viii have most
TO DO with the success OF the opera when
repeated performances have given the
members of the cast the confidence in
themselves essential TO attack their num-
bers with breezy vim
For a first night, Une performance went
with remarkable smoothness. There was
no noticeable hitch from start To finish,
the applause was generous, there were
curtain calls after the first act that
brought out Mr. De Angels a couple OF
times. and altogether the opening Of
the piece should have been highly salts
factory 10 an concerned in its author
ship and production. The chorus was
notably well trained. and the female con
tingent contained many pretty faces and
graceful figures that viii not fail TO count
In the success OF the production.
Beautifully staged.
The work is beautifully staged. the sets
for the three acts being as attractive in
design and as artistic in their color
scheme as any seen on the light opera
stage in years. The opening scene shows
q fortified Spanish settlement overlook
E1ng the harbor Of La Guaira toward the
.rlose of the sixteenth century. The sec
Dnd act is set before the picturesque home
DOua Isadora. with sharp mountain
eaks in the distance, and the third shows
Ihe banquet han in the palace of Don
Pascal de Mesquita, the harassed COVER
nor and hero of the work. Each of these
is a fne example of stagecraft.
In the part of the governor, Jefferson
de Angels has conEenial role, i'm which,
as usual. his gay and festive legs help out
wonderfully when his self-cOnfessed vo-
cal paresis threatens to swamp the use
fulness of the higher reaches of his
anatomy. He executes several dances
with all his old-time grace and humorous
effectiveness. and tells some topical songs
with a refreshing confidence that his IA
cial expression and gesticulation viii
make the audience enjoy them as thor
oUghly as if they were sung by a sweet
voiced tenor in the very prime Of his
usefulness and last night his conf
dence seemed in the main 10 be entirely
justified. even if the songs were not
notable for the sparkling brilliancv of
Aheir Wit.
She satiricaI topical song, The Land
- Brave and the Home of the Free, -
Il second act, contains some very
aSt4Ter hts on things American. Have
You Ever Heard 1t Told That Way Be
fore2" is the title Of second topical
song. given by Mr.. De Angels almost at
the final fall Of the curtain.
An Attractive Heroine.
Miss Estelle Wentworth made a very
attractive Ruth. the English heroine. faI-
len through shipwreck into the hands Of
the governor and obliged to affect bel
ligeTent shrewishuess in the hope of saw
ing herself from his uuvelcome attentions.
Miss Went worth carried her peculiar
role with reasonable success. and may
bc expected 10 render it both vocauy and
otherwise with Ear greater effectiveness
as repetition gives her ease and conf
liable at times. ana she gave other evi-
dences of the neTt BUSINESS hardly sep
arabic from q first public appearance in
q new role. Miss Maude Leekly, as DOna
Isadora. had a difficult part TO make at
tractive, but acquitted herself cTeditably
l. An infusion Of a broader comedy element
lHtO IT would enhance its success. even
al The expense OF throwing out OF key
with the general tone of the work. Dick
Kingsley. as presented by Richie Ling
WAS an agreeable pcTsOndtion. but lack
ing in vigor and boldness.
The Ibretto is fairly good one as
light opera libTettOs go tt is crude il
many places. as might be expected ia LIZ
work Of a newcomer in the field. .>7Thera
is little bTilliance IN the lines( but this
is a defect that wi.lTno -01bi be in part
--r-11s-7-sSe I'd by age7or and actors as happv
suEEesti0l Come 20 them rs the piece
raes on its career. a process common to
.c stage In all lines of endeavOT. Sew
al of the lyrics are pretty and pleasing.
and there is the genuine Spanish swing
and seusuOUsuess i'm the absurd serenade
under DCna Is8dOTa's windows in the sec
Und act
AS the big Indian medicine man. Ia
coma, Henry NoEel did some of the best
ap& most appreciated work Of the even
ing He has In this part one of the most
promising possibilities Of the production
and il Is reasonable TO expect he viii de-
yelop st into "a big success with a few