Grand Duchess

“The ‘Grand Duchess of Gerolstein’ was done in English for the first time in this city at this theatre last evening, with the Worrell Sisters sustaining the principle rôles. The English version of the sparkling opera bouffe is the work of Mr. R. A. Baker, the present stage manager at this establishment, and reflects much credit upon its adapter, for the admirable manner in which he has preserved in the translation all the fine points and vivaciousness of the original. The piece has been excellently mounted and appointed, but has lost much of its force and piquancy in the English version. The house was well filled with a very enthusiastic audience, who bestowed their applause ungrudgingly and indiscriminately upon everything and every body in the piece that presented them with an opportunity of doing so, and if such marks of approval are any criterion to judge by, then ‘The Grand Duchess’ in English most undoubtedly proved a success. Upon the whole, however, we doubt if the piece can be kept upon the boards for any considerable length of time in its present form. The cast is not so good as it might have been, the acting last evening was often at fault and overdone, and the singing throughout was, as a general thing, bad. Miss Sophie Worrell as the Grand Duchess and Miss Irene Worrell as Wanda, the betrothed of Fritz have seldom appeared to poorer advantage, and Miss Jennie Worrell as Prince Paul was just a little better than either of her charming sisters. General Boum, as personated by Mr. Welch Edwards, was passable. Fritz was done by Mr. J. C. Dunn, but how we will leave our readers to imagine. In short, we predict for the English ‘Grand Duchess’ a short but probably brilliant run.”

The Worrell sisters, at the New York theatre, are creating quite a furore in their English adaptation of the ‘Grand Duchess.’ The burlesque follows the original very closely in translation, and has been placed upon the stage in a very creditable manner. The three sisters sustain the principal rôles, and are nightly the recipients of floral offerings and vociferous applause. The costumes were evidently gotten up without consulting the cost, and are the most attractive features in the piece. Miss Jennie Worrell as ‘Prince Paul’ is exceedingly clever and does the character full justice.”

“The English version of ‘La Grande Duchesse’ is not much more cheerful than the English version of ‘La Belle Hélène,’ and may, therefore, enjoy an almost equal renown. It serves as a vehicle for introducing some of the melodies of OFFENBACH’S work, and particularly of showing off three versatile and pretty girls in the characters of the Grande Duchesse, Wanda andPrince Paul—characters sustained respectively by SOPHIE, IRENE and JENNIE. The chorus is good, and the orchestra, although small, does its work thoroughly. The opera was introduced drearily on Wednesday evening, and so far has hardly attracted attention.”

“The Worrell Sisters, on the 17th inst., produced an English version of Offenbach’s opera bouffe of the ‘Grand Duchess,’ in four acts, by Mr. Ben Baker, the stage manager of their theatre. It has been placed upon the stage in a hurried and careless manner. With the exception of the three sisters’ wardrobe the dresses are seedy in appearance, and the general mounting of the piece is by no means what it should be. Sophie Worrell was fair as the Duchess, but the balance of the cast was execrable. Sophie gave the ‘Dites Lui’ amid great applause, but the rest of the singing—excepting the chorus, which was good—was very bad indeed, particularly the ‘Piff-Paff-Pouff,’ in which        Welch Edwards was so bad that the audience guyed him. He had not the slightest idea of the character of General Boum, for he blustered through the entire performance in the same spirit as he did Calchas in the burlesque of ‘Paris and Helen.’ Jennie Worrell looked charming in her male costume of satin, but did not have the least idea of the character. The piece is not a success and its number of representations is limited.”