The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-11
OPERA OUT OF TUNE.
The Chimes of Normandy
are Regular Alarm Bells
in the Jersey City
Athletic Club.


the Jersey City Athletic Club beside the
new dues rule which was mentioned in
The JERSEY CITY NEWS of yesterday.
This other element is one which concerns
the general public far more than the
other. in as much az it threatens to put
an end for this season at least to the ex-
cellent amateur opera performances
which this club has been in the habit of
giving. The members of the organiza-
tion and the Amusement Committee and
all others who would naturally be sup
posed to have any knowledge upon the
subject are exceedingly reticent and it is
an extremely difficult matter to obtain
any information upon the subject.
1t seems, however, after the highly
successful run of "The Mikadon last win
ter the club Immediately set about to
prepare another opera for this coming
season. The opera "The Chimes of Nor
mandy" was selected and a committee
consisting of Musical Director Dressler,
Frand Motion, William Vidalan George
Young were appointed to manage the
affair.
Previous to the appointment of this
committee Frank Motion resigned from
the club. He gave as his reason that he
had not the time to devote to his duty as
member of the organization and
rather rather rasan tGsn ssight sda tids them .tas he
the 'AIikado'' had been produced the
club gave minstrel show In their cozy
little theatre in the club house. When
the Committee of Arrangements were
preparing for this entertainment Frank
Motion was asked to take part. This he
promised to do, it is said, but when the
evening of the show arrived he did not
appear nor did he take any part in the
entertainment.
ME-. MOTIONS NoN-APPEARANoE.
Various reasons were given for this by
various persons. Some said that it was
because Mr.. Motion conceived the idea
that the entertainment was not going to
be success and he did not want TO be
identified with any fzzle. Others, on the
contrary, say that such an imputation
against Frank Motion, who always
worked hard for and contributed
| almost every entertainment the
club ever gave, is actuated only
through jealousy and that he had good
and sufficient reason for not taking part
in the minstrel entertainment which any
fair minded man would appreciate. At
any rate the discussion Went on and soon
| there were dlsSentionS in the Revenue
| Committee which it is said eliminated in
| the resignation of Mr.. A. g. Evans, chair
man.
| Next the committee appointed to man
| age The opera began to show signs of in
ternal performances, and finally Mr..
Young and Mr.. Vidal, 1t is said, washed
their hands of the whole affair and de-
| clared that they would have nothing TO
| do with it. Neither Mr. Young
or Mr.. Vidal will corroborate or deny this
nor will they say anything at all upon
the subject.
| EVERYONE DECLINES
| The rest Qf the f.rfn rs,itfap WAC Saf5
went on to complete the arrangements
| for the production OF the "Chimes." !"
! When they came to distribute the cast
| ''Doc" johnson, one of the best anna
teur comedians in the country, was of
| ferred a part, but under the circum-
stances he declined to participate at all in
/ the entertainment Several of the other
actors and singers, whose individual efforts
4 taken collectively have done more than
anything else to assure the success of the
! clubs entertainments, also declined to
! have anything to do with the opera
/ Nevertheless, the committee went ahead
with the preliminaries and distributed
| the parts, with the result that there is
not single member of the club in the
cast. doc" johnson is out. "Billie"
| Vidal, who is more than two-thirds OF the
1 life of these entertainments has taken no
| part and Mrs. Smith, who, though strictly
| speaking, is not a member of the club,
4 has so Unidentified herself with its inter-
| ests that she is almost considered one of
the organization, will not appear upon the
| programme either.
! These facts have raised the question as
! to whether the opera this year will be as
successful as those given heretofore.
Every one undoubtedly hopes so, but
when it is remembered that the Chimes
! of Normandy is q more serious, though q
| bright.and tuneful opera, than those essay
| ed by the club heretofore, and that there
are no comedy parts ia it for those who
have so materially contributed to the sue
cess of previous operas. grave doubts
arise. 1t is to be seriously hoped that
| the matter will be am1cably settled for
| the delightful entertainments which this
| club has given each winter have come to
| be regarded as among the events of the
| season, and are looked forward to with
pleasurable anticipation by the public.