[Illustration: "Pity a Poo' Bar-itone!"]
Had Sir ARTHUR written the music for _The Mountebanks_, and Sir BRIAN
DE BOIS GILBERT the book of _Haddon Hall_, both might have been big
successes So, however, it was not to be, and Sir ARTHUR chose this
book by Mr. GRUNDY, which labours under the disadvantages of being
original, and of not owing almost everything to a French source. It
isn't every day of the week that Mr. GRUNDY tumbles upon _A Pair of
Spectacles_ in a volume of French plays. The period to which the very
slight and uninteresting story of _Haddon Hall_ belongs is just before
the Restoration, but the dialogue of "the book" is spiced with modern
slang, both "up to date" (the date being this present year of Grace,
not sixteen hundred and sixty) and out of date. The "out-of-date"
slang, which is, "_I've got 'em on"_--alluding to the Scotchman's
trousers--has by far the best of it, as it comes at the end of the
piece, and enjoys the honour of having been set to music by the
variously-gifted Composer: so that "_I've got 'em on_," with its
enthusiastically treble-encored whiskey fling, capitally danced by
Miss NITA COLE as _Nance_, with Mr. DENNY as _The McCrankie_, may be
considered as the real hit of the evening, having in itself about
as much to do with whatever there is of the plot as would have the
entrance of Mr. JOEY GRIMALDI, in full Clown's costume, with "Here
we are again!" Of the music, as there was very little to catch and
take away, one had to leave it. Of course this seriously comic or
comically serious Opera is drawing--["_Music_," observes Mr. WAGG,
parenthetically, "cannot be _drawing_"]--and will continue to do
so for some little time, long enough at all events to reimburse
Mr. D'OYLY CARTE for his more than usually lavish outlay on the
_mise-en-scène._
[Illustration:"Christmas is comin'!"
The McClown of McClown dancing.
The Reel Hit of the Opera.
In the Second Act, the mechanical change from the exterior of Haddon
Hall to the interior, must be reckoned as among the most effective
transformations ever seen on any stage. It would be still more so if
the time occupied in making it were reduced one-half, and the storm
in the orchestra, and the lightning seen through black gauze on stage
were omitted. The lightning frightens nobody, only amuses a few,
and in itself is no very great attraction. Even if these flashes
were a very striking performance; no danger to the audience need
be apprehended from it, seeing that Mr. CELLIER is in front as
"Conductor." Perhaps Mr. D'OYLY CARTE, noticing that Mr. GRUNDY calls
his piece "a light Opera," thought that, as it wasn't quite up to this
description, it would be as well if the required "light'ning" were
brought in somewhere, and so he introduced it here. If this be so, it
is about the only flash of genius in the performance.
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[Illustration: POST-PRANDIAL PESSIMISTS.