... . MR. MAPLESON has this season set a good example to operatic managers in general by faithfully keeping the promises con tained in his prospectus, so far as fidelity was practicable. Gluck's Orfeo would have been given, had not the Euridice on whom he relied proved false to her troth. Of Leila we have already spoken, and have now to congratulate Mr. Mapleson on his successful revival of ...

... . WHEN a husband attempts to keep from his wife and from his mother-in-law such a secret as that in which the hero of A Tragedy involves himself, he ought to know pretty well how heavy will be the penalty of failure. This, however, is what Mr. Gregory Grayson never seems to realise until he is in the thick of the troubles resulting from the discovery of his theatrical freak. He writes a ...

... . IT is a pity that Mr. Mortimer did not see his way to giving more dramatic interest to his last adaptation from the French. A Parisian audience is satisfied with much less of story and situation than is demanded by English playgoers, and it would allow the cleverness of MM. Barriére and Capendu's character- isation and the wit of their dialogue to compensate for many deficiencies. The merit ...

... . Signor Lago returned last week from a long tour through Russia, Poland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France, in quest of first-class operatic artists. The opening of his grand season at the Royal Italian Opera; originally fixed for Tuesday, May 17, is postponed, owirg to the dirty state of the theatre, which will require at least a fortnight's hard work to rendei1 it fit for its de-tined ...

... OUR CAPTIOUS CRITIC. THE RED LAMP AT THE COMEDY. THERE is an old gossipy tradition that used to be put forward to account for the success of The Times newspaper. This was alleged to be mainly due to a clergyman engaged on the staff. He never wrote a line, but he had a wonderful knack of divin ing the drift of popular opinion. He used, it was said, to pass the day in going to and fro amongst ...

... REVIEWS. Charles Reade Dramatist, Novelist, Journalist. A Memoir. Compiled chiefly from his Literary Remains. By Charles L. Reade and the Rev. Compton Reade. London Chap man and Hall (Limited). 1887. IMPARTIAL biography is almost unknown. As a rule memoirs are written by friends or relatives of the personage under dis- cussion, and their views are powerfully biassed. The man has been a great ...

... . UNDER the joint management of MM. Carl Rosa and Augustus Harris, Drury Lane Theatre reopened last Saturday, when the English opera season commenced with a performance of Carmen, conducted by Mr. Rosa, who was enthusiastically applauded when he entered the orchestra, and at the close of the opera. The fine quality and numerical strength of the chorus were evidenced in the National Anthem, ...