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“The Princess Chic,” New Comic Opera.01 IIWise Guy”—“Zaza”— “A Hark Secret.”‘Sag Harbor” Souvenirs-Rogers Brothers.“Becky Sharp”—“W ith Flying Colors”—Other Bills.COLUMBIA THEATER—“The Princess Chic, comic opera in three acts; book by Kirke La Shelle, music by Julian Edwards. First time in this city. The cast: ,Charles tho Bold...........Mr Wlnfleld BlakeLouis XI..............Mr Walter A LuwreuceMr Edgar Tempi* ntbertln ...............Mr Richard Golden..Mr Will ManderiUe Mr Hurry Brown,,1,1 LjjiiValmond ....................Mr F HuiJerome .......................Mr James Daly.Mr 3 1 lendilelti Enrightl'icquet ...................Miss EmlUe Knapp, .Miss 3_ ....... Miss Kate rrDenise ..........Miss Toni :Lorraine ..............MUs MuthlUlcEstelle...................Miss Louise HepnerPrincess Chic ...........Miss Minnie MethotIt was to a large, appreciative and distinctly fashionable audience at theColumbia theatre lust evening that the first performance in this city of Kirke La Shelle’s and Julian Edwards’ new comic opera, ‘‘Princess Chic,’’ was given. That the opera scored a decided success was attested by the close attention given the performance, the hearty applause for the many goodsongs and sayings, and tho spontaneous laughter provoked by the c'J '' Piec.edy side of the pie--.Applause came also for the staging and costuming alone, and was well deserved, for both are magnificently done. Judged by last evening’s standard, there Is no reason why the opera should not have a successful run. It Is certainly entitled to such a run for many good reasons.Mr Edwards' attempt in the score Is decidedly a pretentious one and the r~suit is more of a comic opera, along genuine comic opera lines, than has been heard in Boston for some time. Mr La Shelle has given a book to match, with a good plot—for comic opera—and no particular straining for humor. The lyrics are his betcesses, though, and they are pathetic funny as the scene demands, andalways good. Mr Edwards’ best workados rather than for the c rted numbers, although there t. of the latter that are excel-The opera, as a whole, is tunend pleasing, and most of its songs . ing. — ----------nd choruses fully deserve the appreciation shown by repeated demands for encores. It Is well worth both seeing and hearing.The costuming deserves speciaJ praise, fsuch a combination or gold taste and sumpiuousness is rarely seen. The brilliant scarlet of the guards of Princess Chic was well matched by the blue and steel of her men-at-arms, and the bllie and silver of the king’s retainers, while good looks and shapeliness were not wanting in the feminine portion of The two stage settings, theexterior and interior of the duke'( elaborate and impressivein effect.As for the plot, the Princess Chic is ruler lt;( Normandy, several centuries ago. She Is about to marry Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, but beforedoing so visits him as a bravo captain, an envoy. She lights a couple of duels, disarms a pair of villains, and then indisarms a pair of villains, and then in the guise of a peasant girt wins the love of Charles the Bold. Ultimately she r appears as the Princess Chic, and t house of Normandy and Burgundy a united by a happy marriage—the coi bination, from a military point of vie being strong enough to overthnsigns upon the two duchies harbored by, .... . Kir -- ----- —-Louis XI, king of Franco. The slight pleasantry with history and King Louis, however, doesn’t interfere with the opera, which sings itself to a happy end-all good operas should.Miss Minnie Methot as the Princess Chic made a charming figure in her various masquerades, and sang sweetly and with intelligence. Miss Louise Hepner scored a decided success in the role of the lively and coquettish daughter of the duke’s steward, and also sung agreeably. Miss Hepner has Improved wonderfully in life and vivaciousness since her first appearance In this cityh If lllC aS She W0r0 th° prln' As the duke and his friend, Messrs Winfield fclake and Edgar Temple make romantic figures and sing well, but a large share of tho vocal honors go to Mr J. C. Mir.m and Miss Mathilda PrevlH?. Mr Miron was thoroughly ;in the rolo of a rollicking, swaggering soldier of fortune, und his powerful baas voice, clear and well trained, was heard with pleasure in both solos find choruses. Miss Prevllle was a very dainty figure as a page to the princess, while her deep contralto voice gave charming interpretation of the numbers assigned to h**r.The comedyhandled by Messrs Richard Golden and Harry Blown, stewards respectively to the duke and the prii lt;’ss. Mr Golden’s reception was especially cordial, and his quaint methods of wholesome fun mak-of the best numbers of the opera i Mr Miron’s song at the opening ofth third act, War give given with male chorus nnu anvu accompaniment. Capital also was Miss Hepner's first solo, I’ll love you allyour Ilf.*, my bn lt;■, and special;, g iMiss Prevllle’s song, The love light in your eyes. Merry songs worth an on- I core were Soldiers of Fortune. bv ! Messrs Miron and Mandeville and Miss Hepner: The Days of Magic,” by the two soldiers of fortune, and All in a Story Book. by Miss Hepner and Mr Temple. The funniest nuievening was undoubtedly , ,,How are We to Know? sung by Messrs Golden. Mandeville, Miron and Brown. It was funny without resortinglocalisms or hits on the presentThe audience was the most fashionable that has ever attended a performance in this theater. Among the many prominent people who occupied the boxes were: Mrs John L. Gardner and friends. Mrs Quincy A. Shaw Jr and Mrs Eliza Apthorp, Mrs J. Montgomery Sears and Mrs Win. Appleton, Mrs Eugene Lynch with Mr and Mrs Clark of Baltimore, Dr and Mrs Percy Goots-chius. Dr and Mrs Thomas F Dows-ley, Mr and Mrs Janies J. Grace, Mr and Mrs Charles A. King. Mayor Hart and friends and Robert F. Clark, chairman of the beard of police, accompanied bv friends. In the orchestra were Mr and Mrs A. Shuman, Mr and Mrs Thomas J. Gargan. Robert Treat Paine, Mr and Mrs Alexander StHnerf. Mr and Mrs J. Mitchel Galvin, Mr Henry D ’ ” d Mrs A. C. Katchesky,Mr and_Mrs Sam Shuman, Mr and Mrs jH. O’Neill, Mr and Mrs Arthu. , mte, Gen and Mrs A. P. Martin and I my prominent numbers of Boston’s I leading clubs, as well as a large numberof representative members of the state | andt municipal governments.r the promenade do iu;presented all the ith flowers, and irettes for their | smoke in the
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Boston Daily Globe
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Tue, Jan 16, 1900
Page 9
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