Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-06

! uleIllS, anu NIL hdThS uISM SuPCt-
stltious darky with skill. The minor
roles were we'll taken, particularly the
seconds of Messrs. Gilbert and Young.
The tussle for the pistol between Edna
and Agnes was rather unnaturally
done-a detail which practice will i'm
prove.
The play is finely staged and held
the attention of an enthusiastic au-
dience consistently. Apparently the
inexhaustible vitality of its romantic
theme will assure it a second week at
the Burbank.
The sweetest and most haunting
strains heard in any theater of this
city since the International Grand Op-
era company left us echo and inter-
mingle in the Love Tales o. Hoff-
man. which the Ferris Hartman COM
pany sang in brilliant revival last night
at the Grand opera house. In an arid
waste of unmusical comedy here is Il
clear spring of melody. Theme and
score, song and story. the Ofenbach
opera is an artistic godsend for which
every true music lover must be hon
estly grateful.
The tale itself has all the charm
of a subtle allegory. We see the poet,
Hoffman, robust and tlorid, lovelorn
but not world weary, manfully drink
ing his draught of life with his boon
companions To them he tells the story
of his three loves, and these loves, in
successive acts, are melod' '0usly Wis
ualized. The first is the idealization
of his own fancy, a fieetng but poig.
nant passion for a dol-woman. The
second love is the ruthless appeal of
| the senses, and to vocalize its mean
| ing the composer has created for us the
strange and aspiring sadness of his
/ Barcarolle. AS the object of his pas
sion mockingly eludes him. the poet
hears these strains of immortal sor-
row. a sorrow which has been voiced
by every singer of the mystery of
physical beauty and its decay. The
despair of Omar is in this Barcarolle,
the passion of Heine and the wistfui
wonder of Francois Nillon. The joy
of the senses wrestles with the grief OF
the spirit, and the struggle is born in
the soul Of song.
The third love-the love of the mind
passes too. and the poet, In the last
act. sits surrounded by his hushed
companions. out of the silence speaks
the voice of the spirit of Poetry, and
before his eyes appears her form. She
commands him henceforth to be de-
voted to her service, and vanishes.
The love Of the poet has found its
bride.
Besides the Barcarolle. the duet by
Oscar WalCh, as Hoffman. and Miss
Josephine Islieb in act three was not
ably we'll sung. In the trio with Jo-
seph Fogarty and George Pouitney in
/ the fourth act the opera reaches it's
musical climax. Here Mr.. Walch was
| heard to the best advantage. his rich,
clear tenor rising above his Fellow
, singers in just and noble pre-emin-
ence The chorus work, in the main,
was in fine accord and feeling, al
though the opening ensemble left much
to be desired in volume.
The company which comes to the
Majestic next week in Rex BeaCh's
Alaskan play, THE Spoilers" utilizes
on the stage a pack of full blooded
Eskimo dogs of the breed used by
Peary and Cook on their trips to the
pole.
Sweet Kitty Belairs," David Belas-
co.'s comedy in which he starred Hen
rletta Crossman, and which never has
! been seen in Los Angeles. will be
! played at the Burbank within few
weeks. The holiday week attraction at
that house will be THE Girl of the
! Golden West" in which Miss Frances
/ Nordstrom will make her debut as
/ leading woman.
Bailey and Austin, the stars of THE
/ Top O. the World" open their western
tour tonight in Denver. Colo, and will
be seen in Lso Angeles at the Majestic
the week of December 26.
Lewis S. Stone and the Belasco COM
pany will open tonight in a big pro-
duction of Dumas Monte Cristo.'
Mr.. Stone will play Edmund Dantes.
made famous by James O'Neill. The
production will enlist the services of
every member of the company. The
audience will be kept fully advised Of
the election count tomorrow night.
/ With Howard Missimer and his COM
pany I'm the comedy, Mister Stranger"
heading the program, the Los Angeles
/ theater will open a new bill this aft
ernoOn. Others on the new bill are
Killion and Moore, Frobel and Ruge,
/ Colby and May, LaYelle and Grant
and Josephine Ainsley.
Heralding the coming of Harry Lau-
der January s, Walter Hoff Seeley, Cal
ifornia representative for William Nor
/ ris, is in Los Angeles. Lauder will be
/ booked at the Temple auditorium, if
1 possible, Manager Len Behymer acting
as local agent. If not the temple, Mr..
Seeley says either the Shrine or the
/ Simpson auditorium viii be chosen.
Lauder will bring a squad of Scotch
ppers with him.
Mr.. Seeley announces that Samuel
/ Newhouse Of Salt Lake City has con-
tracted to build the Morris interests a
new theater in that city, for when
/ Henry Ives Cobb, a Chicago architect,
( has prepared plans. He also states that
/ William Morris will pay a visit to Los
Angeles on the occasion Of the Lauder
engagement.
Clyde Fitch's comedy, "rhe Bach
elor," win be presented for the first
time here 1t the Auditorium tonight,
with Charles Cherry, the English actor,
/ i'm the title role. The engagement is
for one week, with Wednesday and
Saturday matnees. Mr.. Cherry and
company arrived last night and are
staying at the Alexandria.
The Man from Home" invades san
! Diego tonight,
NJ Meyerfeld, jr., president, and j.
Abrahmson, attorney Of the Orpheum
circuit, paid Los Angeles a visit last
week looking over a few business de-
I leo. In, Ia. Of No. 1,,,