Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-31
GRAND SUCCESS OF "IOLANTHE."
Delightful Presentation of the
Opera by salt Lake Amateurs
Last Evening.

The topic overshadowing all others in
Salt Lake musical circles during the past
week has been the production OF Gilbert
and Sullivan's charming work OF
"Iolanthe" by the Salt Lake Opera Com
pany, under the direction of Prof. II. S.
Krouse; and, naturally, the interest
which our amateurs create among their
friends, combined with the assurance
that really creditable performance of
the piece would be given, was sufficient to
crowd the Theatre TO its fullest seating
capacity with fashionable and en-
thusiastic audience.
"Iolanthe" is neat satrical burlesque
upon the English House OF Peers, in
which Irregular peers, you know" and
beautiful peris come in contact and in
termingle in charming and delightful
confusion. 1t is heavy work for
amateurs, SO that its popularity and
success can never be measured with
other and lighter operas by the same
composers. 1t has been presented here
before, by professionals, but in no respect
did the amateurs presentation suffer by
comparison; indeed the stage setting,
costuming, and orchestra, outrivaled any
thing in the line OF light opera yet given
in Salt Lake.
The title role was assumed by Miss
Jennie Hawley and was carried through
in such a spirit and style as to win the
admiration and plaudits OF all. Iolanthe's
ballad, "He Loves !" excited the audience
to intense enthusiasm. Numerous re-
calls were answered by the fair young
singer, and profusion Of beautiful bou-
quets testified the appreciation OF her adj
mirers. The solo was an exquisite gem,
showing Miss Hawley's rich voice to the
best possible advantage and placing her
in an enviable position among our anna
teur singers. Much was expected
OF Mrs. j. Leviberg from what
had been seen in Patience" and her
rendering OF the Queen certainly fulfilled
expectation. ooh, Foolish Fay' was
sung with delicacy and feeling showing
the finish of true artist, and scored one
Of the most decided triumphs Of the piece.
The severe hoarseness of Strephon (Mr.
j. I. Dunbar) marred much of the best
work OF Mrs. Jos. Siegel, which, although
regretted, was entirely unavoidable. In
many of the ford passages her light
soprano did beautiful execution, and her
acting was decidedly clever. 1t was a
graceful tribute, and an act entirely
dpropos, when, from a bouquet presented
her, Mrs. Siegel handed to Prof. Krouse
beautiful Gala lily.
Miss Fannie Savage, Miss Edna Rus.
sell and Miss Katie Young acted and sang
their parts with vim and style, and in APP
pearance might have passed for the beau
tiful fairies they impersonated. The
choruses were generally strong and effec-
tive, Unto Parliament He Shall Go" and
the finale of the first act being especially
noticeable.
Mr.. James McCurdy's Lord Chancellor
met with general admiration, his singing,
acting and dancing being far above ordi-
nary amateur excellence. "Says 1 to
Myself Says l" won the first encore of the
evening, and was sung in true comedy
style. Lord Tolloller gave Mr.. Jennings
tenor voice admirable scope, and while it
is little from the head, it left most
pleasant impression. In his passages with
Lord Mount Ararat (NIr. 7. Crawford),
the dialogue and action of both gentle
men should be accelerated. Mr.. Craw-
for6's bass voice was in good form and
delighted the audience, while little
more action in the gentleman would place
him in still higher favor and interpret
the author in stronger light. Willard
Squires sang the sentry's song in good
taste. His makeup, however, is not suf-
ficiently in contradistinction to that OF the
Queen, who falls in love with him. The
Queen is lovely. but the sentry-well, he
shouldn't be half as handsome as Squires
was last night.
The orchestra was under the baton of
Leader Krause, and there was color and
an effect to it truly appreciable, accom-
paniments to some OF the numbers being
distinctive and charming features. The
brass band introduced tripped the singers
in good shape in their Introductory en-
gagement, but did much better the
second time, for Krause had his eye on
them.
The transformation scene which con-
cludes the opera is view Of Fairyland,
gorgeous in the extreme, and on scale
of magnificence seldom attempted in
provincial cities the size OF Salt Lake.
1t brought the curtain down upon the
delightful performance of an opera that
few amateur companies could compete
with, still fewer equal, and that none
could excel-and this is saying nothing
but what is due to the credit OF the Salt
Lake Opera Company.
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