THE COURIER
' "'T t,rr,-'- Vi ' KgMJy
This week's attractions at tho theatres, though lacking in novelty
were of more thanorJinary importance, ranging from distinguished
orchestral music down to vivid spectacular glitter. Everybody has
heard Gilmore'a band, but most Lincoln people were unacquainted
with Victor Herbert, the new leader about whom 60 much has been
said; so that there was an added interest intho band's concert at the
Funke opera house Monday night. The "amplification"' of Branson
Howard's war play "Shenandoah'', presented at the Lansing theatre
the following evening, consists chiefly of unimportant details, The
play is substantially the same, and it has the same moving power as
of yore. "Tne Black Crook" with its tinsel and vaudevilism was
played at tho Lansing Wednesday night, and Thursday Theodore
Thomas' Chicago orchestra brought the week's entertainment to a
close at the Funke.
The week opened with Gilmore's band at the Funke. Mr. Her
bert, the new leader, who is an accomplished musician and a .good
director, has, apparently, a low opinion of the musical taste of the
people of the west, or of Lincoln. The selections given at Monday
night's performance, particularly the encores, suggestive of the,
music heard at Harrigan & Hart's or Koster & Bial's in New York
did not measure the band's capability and were not exactly what
was expected of ao organization of such merit as Gilmore's. The
worst of it was thi-t it was these pieces that were most enthusiasts
ally received. So that after all Mr. Herbert may have felt that he
was right in sounding the tom-tom and the chicken's squawk of the
"descriptive" pieces more often than he produced the genuine music
of a Wagner overture or a Verdi aria. The audience tried to make
it plain to Mr. Herbert that it preferred the Bowery music, and it
certainly got what it seemed to want. Perhaps if those persons in
the audience who appreciated Langey's "Spanish Serenade,' or the
beautiful autoharp solo, or Mr. Herbert's cello piece, Hertel's
"Serenade," or Mme. Louise Natali's expressive singing, had been a
little more demonstrative, making their presence known, and not
leaving the applause to the admirers of the other sort of music, the
musical taste of Lincoln people would have appeared to better
advantage. Mr. Herbert is a jolly sort of man, but he evidences
much musical enthusiasm and as a conductor shows care and pre
cision. Gilmore's wand does not appear to be in any danger of los
ing its prestige under the present leader.
Augustus Thomas' "Alabama" and several other more or less
meritorious war plays have in the last few years been put forth in
the hope that they might make the same effective appeal to the
public and achieve the same success that from its inception dis
tinguished Brunson Howard's "Shenandoah." But there has been
no rival of "Shenandoah." It has outlasted and will outlast them
all. It is a Btrong play. The patriotism that runs through it has
nothing in common with the cheap sentimentalism with which the
modern melodrama has made us so familiar. It is stirring but
reasonable. There is something besides the sound of drum and
tramp of 6oldiers and boom of cannon and smoke of battle. There
is a story of more than ordinary interest, and the story and the
movement both proceed easily and naturally. As presented at the
Lansing theatre Tuesday evening the play retains all of its original
strength with the addition of material accessories that heighten
the effeet of the scenic incidents. It is seldom that we see a more
effective stage picture than that of the retreat and rally in the
Shenandoah valley scene. It was particularly well done in Tues
day night's performance. And when, in response to the audience's
demand, the curtain was raised after having fallen on the advance
of men, horses and cannon, the latter were arrayed in a group filling
the entire stage, the horses pawing the earth, their riders swords
gleaming in the air, the soldiers' muskets glittering and the martial
music sounding, it is no wonder that the audience was moved to
make an unusual demonstration. The inspiration was felt not alone
in the gallery, but in all parts of the house. The company engaged
in the present production is, as a whole, fairly adequate, though a
comparison of Henry Weaver's Kerchival West with Frank Car
lisle,s portrayal of this role is decidedly to Mr. Weaver's disadvan
tage. Mr. Carlisle, ns many Lincoln theatre goers will remember,
was handsome and graceful and had a military bearing. Mr.
Weaver has evidenced his ability on previous occasions in this city,
but he has not before been seen in a part like Kerchival West, and
it is to be hoped he never will again. Mr. Riegel as General Haver
ill was a commanding figure, but given to exaggeration. And May
E. Wood who, as Jennie Buckthorn, the lively daughter of General
Buckthorn, strived so energetically to fill all of the possibilities of
this part, succeeded admirably. But Percy Harwell's Jennie of a
few years ago was so good that most people who remember her will
agree that there has never been a Jennie like hers, f he remaining
characterizations were acceptable, Louis Hendricks General Buck
thorn, MiBS Robinson's Gertrude and Mr. Brennan's Sergeant Bar
ket, notably so. Barket's fun is streaked through the play, and Mr.
Brennan brings it out with much success.
When "The Black Crook' company that exploited its coarseness
on the Lansing stage Wednesday evening, ventured to leave the
small town circuit and come to Lincoln it was guilty of unpardonable
presumption. When on its appearance here it sought to masquer
ade an aggregation of fourth rate variety performers, set off with
lack-lustre tinsel and much embattered scenery, as "The Black
Crook", its offense was almost criminal. If, when the original "Black
Crook" was produced nearly thirty years ago, the company had
kept on presenting the spectacle through all the succeeding years; if
the company had with each twelve months lost a lot of its original
merit and glf tter; if it had continued to grow steadily worse; if its
m-mbers had added thirty years to their ages; if in short the com
pany had continued "'The Black Crook" for more than a quarter of
a century growing constantly more inferior, it would have hardly
have reached the state of the company that we saw at the Landing
this week. Once in a while during the performance there was a
gleam of something not wholly bad, but the affair was generally so
altogether reprehensible that we do not feel inclined to single out
the gleams. The memory of "The Black Crook" suffered a gross
insult.
Dvorak
Weber
Wagner
Brahms
Gounod
Symphony, "From thb New World" ....
Scena and Aria, "Freyschutz" .....
Mrs. Genevra Johnstone-Bishop.
Waldweben. "Siegfried"
Siegfried's Rhine Journey from "Die Gotterdammerung."
Overture, "Academic Festival," - - - . .
Jewel Song, "Faust," ... ...
Airs, uenevra Jonnstone-iJishop.
Theme and Variations, ) n k- , , ., ,
Finalef J Op. oo, - - - Tschaikowsky
Violin Obligato Max Bendix
If Mr. Herbert, who gave us so much clap trap music Monday
night, could have heard the THomas orchestra concert at the Funke
Thursday night, he might have learned, and possibly to his surprise,
that a Lincoln audier.ee is capable, on rare occasions, of manifesting
a cordial and intelligent appreciation of such pure music as Dvorak's
symphony, "From the New World." The enthusiasm over the rendi
tion of this wonderful symphony, and other selections on the Thomas
program, was quite as intense as that which followed the perform
ance of the "rag" music Monday night. Dvorak's new work easily
led in interest. It is singularly expressive without artistic loss; as
musical as nature itself. The orchestra has never, on a western
tour, been in such a condition of excellence as now. It is as near
perfection as can be. Mrs. Genevra Johnstone-Bishop, one of the mos
.T i fcteSF
