The Theatres.

THE THEATRES .

ADELPHI . THAT kind hearted democrat Bro . Georgo K . Sims—whoso " How the Poor Live" lately startled the world west of Aldgate Pnmp—has once again gone forth and achieved a victory . His melodramas first enabled Mr . Wilson Barrett to drag tho Princess's Theatre out of the slough of neglect and despondency ifc had fallen into ; his Merrv Duchess brought snnshine to tho -lagging fortunes

of the Royalty ; his In the Ranks for some fifteen months crowded tho Adelphi with delighted audiences , to bo withdrawn in full vigour ; and ifc is succeeded by " His Lasfc Chance . " By three o ' clock on Saturday afternoon , the 4 th instant , the pit entrance was besieged by claimants for seats , and when the curtain drew up on tho new drama nofc a corner from which fche administration could allow a

glimpse of the stage was unoccnpied . "His Last Chance 'is a play of the good old fashioned sort , with plenty of situations , each one rising in intensity till the curtain falls on tho last act . There are fourteen sot scenes , some of them as complicated and ingenious as any this era of the stage carpenter has yefc seen . Solid walls and ceiling

darken ; then revolve , changing as mysteriously as a card in the hands of M . Verbeck . There are thirty-two speaking parts , and each one filled by a fitting exponent . The dramatis persouce constitute a curious congerie . There is a French adventuress ( Miss Louise Moodie ) , her son ( Mr . Glenney ) , formerly a burglar , the avenger

Karasof ( Mr . D . Beveridge ) , escaped from Siberia , Squire Darryll a landed proprietor ( Mr . G . Warde ) , Barton ( Mr . Fernandez ) , a nefarious schemer , who has loved the adventuress whom the landed proprietor married , who devotes his energies to the ruin of his former rival . His daughter has secretly wedded young Darryll ( Mr . Charles

Warner ) . Tho French woman has been supposed dead for years , when Barton brings her from South America , to confront her husband , now married a second time . We need nofc follow the story . Miss Moodie gained a distinct triumph in the leading part ; painstaking indeed must have been her study , for not once did tho accent or

gesture fail to mark the assumed nationality . As the plot thickens , and her scheming involves her in crime , she rose to tragic intensity of passion , and carried the house completely with her . Mr . Glenney surprised many of his friends by his portrait of tho cunning , relentless , soft-voiced villain . The honours of the nighfc were , however ,

divided by Mr . Fernandez , who has perhaps never produced a finer bit of character than this Barbon , cruel and reckless until he finds his villainy has involved his daughter in the ruin be planned for the Darrylls . Mr . Charles Warner of course plays the hero , yonng Darryll , with manliness and feeling , but the part does nofc give much

scope for gradation of tone . Mr . Garden gave a comic lover , in humble life , with excellent effect , avoiding over accentuation . Mr . Beveridge was earnest aud picturesque as Karasof . Miss Mary Rorke as Mary Barton was graceful and sympathetic , as she always is . It would be but jnst to particularise nearly all fche characters , but lack

of space stays the pen ; however , we must draw attention to the delicious vignf tte of tho Irish landlady , given by Mrs . Carter . Loud applause summoned fche scenic artists at every act , bnt the chief trinniphs were , perhaps , fche lovely " Garden and view of Haddon Hall , " the realistic " Dock gates , " and the wonderful interior of the Docks , with its

multitudinous shipping , warehouses and working cranes . Bruce Smith , Hann and Telbin have evidently received cartes blanche , and have excelled themselves . Ifc was nearly midnight before the green

curtain fell , but no one had left , tlio crowded theatre when , in answer fco the triumphant thunder of applause , Mr . G . 11 . Sims appeared to bow and smile , —the most triumphant man in London that Saturday nighfc .

St. James's.

ST . JAMES'S .

LONDON playgoers may well feel grateful for the happy inspiration which suggested to the managers of St . James ' s the revival of" The Queen's Shilling . " Ifc is far from a now play , but with each return to the footlights it seems to gain on our affections . The story is honest and wholesome . There is nofc a line in ifc thafc seems

superfluous , while the interest rises through tears and laughter to fche brilliant close , where yonth and love take fche prize of victory bnt share the glory with fche generous foe , fche gallant old Colonel , a character which , in the hands of Mr . Hare , gains such

distinction and dignity . In fact , ib may be described as one of the finest of this gentleman ' s fine creations . Mrs . Kendal , as the winsome , generons-hearted English girl , is at her best ; indeed , where could we find a better ? Mr . Kendal

as Frank Maitland has a part that exactly suits him ; one that makes his limitations seem excellences . Mr . Waring , as Jack Gambler , played brightly and well ; while Mr . Hendric was excellent as the nnsophisticated Sam , who does nofc hesitate at an honest lie iu furtherance of a good canse , bnt will not let his sweetheart indulge in such

luxuries . Miss Cowel as Jenny was thoroughly natural , but we regret that the one discordant note should be imposed on this little lad y . In the original tho peasant girl is foster sister to tho young chatelaine , and when she imperils her reputation to save the lady ' s lover the motive is perhaps sufficient , bat in the English version her

declaration tbat tho young soldier passed the night at tho inn seems Somewhat reckless . But who wonld cavil at a detail amid snc . i excellences ? Admirably as the chief exponents acqm ' t themselves the minor characters are most carefully portrayed . Especially good 3 . t e the rollicking , dashing group of Lancers , with thoir sergeant lr

. * . H . Vernon ) . The scenery is new and very beautiful ; there is an especially lovely renaissance drawing room—white , with foliation -n relief and brocade panels—an exquisite architectural study , Perhaps not qnite in harmony with the fallen fortunes of the bouse of Seville . "A Quiet Rubber" opened the evening , and Mr . Hare gave his wonderful study of the poor , prond Irish nobleman , Lor .

St. James's.

Kildare . The houso was crammed from floor to coiling ou the firsfc night of the revival , the Duchess of Edinburgh being among the visitors present .

Standard.

STANDARD .

WE have often regretted thafc an actress with such emotional powers as Miss Amy Steinberg should so rarely givo the publio occasion to enjoy them . In Mr . Rose ' s new romantic play , "Two Women , " produce 1 on Easter Monday , at tho Standard , this lady has excellent opportunity to display her mastery of dramatic passion . Tho story is an adaptation of Victor Hugo ' s " Mary Tudor . "

In its present form it is , perhaps , somewhat diffuse and episodical ; but doubtless the author has exercised tho experience gained by the first night to touch up certain roughnesses left here and there . There is a singularly fine scene , in the Fourth Act , where the duchess ( Miss Steinberg ) with her rival Agatha ( Miss Jordan ) awaifc

tho news of an execution , neither knowing whether her or her enemy ' s lover is the victim . The tension of terror was finely indicated by Miss Steinberg , aud the audience ( 5000 persons ) acknowledged her efforts by enthusiastic plaudits . Mr . Daore seemed ill afc

ease as the romantic lover , Bernardo—perhaps his undoubted ability was marred by firsfc night nervousness . Tho costumes are iu excellent keeping , and some beautiful new scenery has been painted by Mr . Richard Douglass . The spirited management of the Standard assuredly deserves success in this its latest production .

St. James's Hall.

ST . JAMES'S HALL .

ON our more pensive public holidays , Londoners who neither rejoice in the comforts of a club nor the social consolations of drawing rooms may well be grateful to the kindly entrepreneur who offers refuge from the blank dullness of the streets . Like fche shadow of a rock in a thirsty land , St . James ' s Hall welcomed the Good Friday pilgrim , giving him in exchange for his meek

thankoffering two hours and a half of delightful music , ably interpreted . The careful drill through which the Moore and Burgess Minstrels pass was well exemplified by fche smoothness and finish with which both band and vocalists gave their selections , from Mendelssohn , Haydn , Meyerbeer , and other great composers , witb whom in their

dark days they have so little to do . Mr . E . Wilson sang " Oh , live , or let me die , " by the composer of the Huguenots , in splendid style . Mr . C . A . Wilson gained an enthusiastic encore with " Angels ever

bright . " Blamphin ' s "Dreaming of Angels" was very gracefully interpreted by the choir and band , fche harp obligate being given with exquisite sweetness . An overflowing houso proved how well these Good Friday Concerts are appreciated .

Mohawk Minstrels.

MOHAWK MINSTRELS .

rpiIE sweet discourse of music was liberally bestowed on the -L dwellers in " Merrie Islington " on Good Friday . The Mohawk Minstrels provided their annual sacred concert , and some four thousand persons assembled within their commodious hall to enjoy it . Mr . Francis , the impresario , has gathered au exceptionally good orchestra around him . His Harpist , Mr . G . Miles , would alone repav

a visit to tho Hall ; the brilliancy and tenderness of hia touch ia supreme . Mr . Kottaun ( cornet ) interpreted Rossini ' s " Cujus Animam " with great dramatic power , aud was no less applauded for Handel ' s " The trumpet shall sound . " Master Vernon Douglas charmed his hearers with Rossini's " Inflammatus" —the sweet , brin . hfc tones of

his young voice went directly to the heart . Ono of the chief successes of tho night was the "Ave Maria" of G . T . Miles . The Latin words of the touching appeal needed no translation but thafc given by tho emotional faculty of the singer , Mr . Ernest Gordon . "The Lost Chord" was very well sung by Mr . Kavanagh . The programme throughout was a moat interesting one .

The Crystal Palace.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE .

WE have before us the programme of amusements just issued for the Great Handel Festival which is to take place at the abovo resort in June next , iu commemoration of the bi-centeuary of Handel ' s birth—an event which will be looked forward to with moro than ordinary interest . As our readers well know , these Festivals aro anticipated with peculiar pleasure on each occasion of their triennial

recurrence by the musical world , both professional and amateur , who will have certainly no objection to this auxiliary to the ordinary routine ; and we opine that the Palace , on the four days appointed , in the last week in June , will attract to itself vast numbers of those who have learnt , both in London and the provinces , to love and

admire tho magnificent compositions of this great master , whoso jubilee will thus be celebrated . In the programme there is an interesting sketch of tho life and writings of the eminent composer , his inexhaustible energy , unwearying industry , and marvellous conception . The pre-eminence of the Crystal Palace as the only suitable

locale for the commemoration of such gigantic creations as those of Handel has remained unchallenged from tho ontset , and is now more impregnable than ever . It was chosen aa Ihe birth-place , it proved itself the nursery and training-school , and is now by common consent

the home , of Handel Festivals . Therefore wc anticipate that the attendance on the forthcoming occasion will be more numerous than ever before , and jndging from tho programme it is doubtful whether the great oratorios of Handel will ever have been heard to such advantage .

Ad01107

BRO . J . A . COLLINGS , Organist 1 f . 93 , Chapter 1050 , would be pleased to undertake the Musical Arrangements atCoiisccnitijiis , Instillation Meetings , &< _ ., _ . c . Terms , with Testimonial- - and mines of Artistes , furnished on application . Address J . A .. COLLINGS , 21 Landseer Road , Upper Holloway , "N . Orchestral Bands for Masonic Balls , Soirees , & c .