The Great Comic Opera Success

" A trip to África," after its distinct New York success with a company that contained such a grand qnartet as Laura Bellini, Hubert Wilke.Agnes Stone and Harry Brown, would have made certain of a large welcoining audience in "A Trip to África," as it was put on the feUige, such waa the fact with the Duif Opera Company. It was very handsomely mounted and costumed. The Oriental dresses of the chorus were rich in harmonious color; a troop oí real mulatto spear-bearers in the ballet, choruses of charming dance music sung in good time and tune, and scenery upon which both artistic taste and mechanical ingenuity had been expended, all contributed to charm the senses with surprise and nleasure and to please all tastes. In the second act the scène is laid in the región known as the "Banks of the Nile." The audience looks due south up that interesting river as far as the Albert Nyanza, over which a full moon is rising Presently, upon the order of Titania Fanfani, who is most amply personated by Miss Laura Bellini, the water begins to rise. Gradualiy the stream swells into its banks, and by the time the chorus turns to inspect its work it has become the brimming river indeed. It is really a very nice piece of stage effect, and it took by surprise as keen an old stager in theatrical management last evening as ever deserved the thanks of a Brooklyn audience "Bless my soul," said he, as he had recourse to theglasses he consents to wear only in private, '"that river seems to be widening." And so it certainly was. The piece is full of life, because Harry Brown is in it; of beauty and melodv because Laura Bellini, in spite of all attempts to make herself look sweet seyenteen, is all there; of chic and comedy the talented Miss Agnes Stone has a scène and a song all to herself in the second act. Mr. Hubert Wilke looks and sings magnificent as we know all people on the "Banks of the Nile" usually do when they are not playing tragedy, and dresses gorgeously. The Duff Opera company will be at the Grand Opara House on Thursday night Jan. 31. Sale of seats will open on Mondav morning.