_Monday._--Crowded house: all charmed with everything and everybody in
_Fra Diavolo_. Somebody in grand tier so ecstatically pleased, that,
unable any longer to control impulsive movement, he (or she) hurls
into the air leather lorgnette case, which, descending at an angle,
clears the Prince of WALES'S elbow by a few inches, and startles
musical enthusiast who, seated at corner of third row of stalls, is at
that moment wrapped up in the opera, and thus protected against most
external dangers. A thrill went through the house! is it a "B-o-m-b"
bomb? BEVIGNANI, pausing, _bâton_ in air, gives the horrorstruck
singers and concealed orchestra (to whom pause is inexplicable) a
few notes rest. Then corner (stall) man picks up lorgnette case,
fortunately empty; whereupon the Bold BEVIGNANI'S _bâton_ is once more
in motion, and everyone is "as they were." ARIMONDI and PINI-CORSI
earn a big encore for duet and dance. Mr. DAVID BISPHAM with Madame
AMADI, as _Milor'_ and _Miladi_, speaking English and queer Italian,
do good service. _Fra Diavolo-Lucia_ excellent, and Miss MARIE ENGLE
(who naturally quite understood _Milor'_ and _Miladi_ when speaking
Engelish) a charming, sprightly _Zerlina_. Revival decided hit.
[Illustration]
_Wednesday._--VERDI'S opera, _Falstaff_. Some charming music in it;
otherwise dull opera. Impossible to put _Falstaff_ himself, singing
or speaking, on any stage. Actor or singer invariably over-weighted.
ZELIE DE LUSSAN, looking like _Jessica_, sings _Anne Page's_ music
charmingly. SHAKSPEARE created "sweet ANNE PAGE" the daughter of _Mrs.
Page_. Why then, in the opera, is she put into the FORD family? I
refer to the "Characters" in the book of the opera, where I find
"_Mistress Ford_," and "_Anne, her daughter_." GIULIA RAVOGLI a
sprightly _Dame Quickly_; PAULINE JORAN a lively _Mistress Ford_; and
Signor DE LUCIA an amiable _Fenton_, "with a song."
_Friday._--House not absolutely crowded to hear _Carmen_. Is _Carmen_
a bit "off"? Yet nothing better than performance of ZELIE DE LUSSAN
as gay and wicked heroine. Little _Don José de Lucia_ first-rate, and
ANCONA winning encore for old friend _Toréador_. MARIE ENGLE
excellent goody-goody contrast to bold, bad _Carmen_. Police-constable
BEVIGNANI, _bâton_ in hand, severe when on the beat. In honour of
QUEEN'S Birthday, Sir DRURIOLANUS troupe-ing _Il Trovatore's_ operatic
colours at Windsor Castle. It ought to have been, appropriately,
_Falstaff_.
_Saturday._--_Faust._ "House full." _The_ Princess and Princesses
present. MELBA'S "Jewel song" a gem. M. PLANÇON, whose name, Britishly
pronounced, suggests "Mr. PLAIN-SONG," rather ecclesiastical
than diabolical, a highly-coloured but generally effective
_Mephistopheles_. Mdlle. BRAZZI appears to-night as "the new woman"
in the part of _Siebel_. "She rouses enthusiasm," quoth WAGSTAFF, "no
Siebil-lation." _Exeunt omnes._
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