Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-02-07

FRIDAY MORNING. FEB. 7. 1890
LOCAL.
PIIAFORE At Thu OPERA HOUSE
DIsBANDING OF THE STANTON CHORAL
soCIETY-ITs FIRST OPERATIVE CAST
OF PINAFoRE IN 1879 AND PINAFORF
IN 1Se0-REvIEw OF IT'S OPERATE
WORK WITH ALL THE CASTS.
&C., &C, &C.
We give below two casts OF the Opera OF
Pinafore, the first being when it was first
produced here:
1879, June 9Th and 6vh.
Admiral Porter K G. B.. Capt. Jno. McQuaide
Capt Corcoran. ID. Danlel
Ralph Rackstraw ......................C. l.. Cooke
Dick herbert GUN
Boatswain ......................J. j. Shirley
Marine. Philip Francisco
Midshipmite Miss Willie Bumgardner
Buttercup ................M Miss Lizzie Daniel
Hebe OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES MISS CoIa 1uIileI
Josephine ............. Mrs. w. L. Bumgardner
Musical Director Prof. e. Louis lde
Conductor .........PrO Prof. A. }. Turner
Scenic Artist Gilbert Firth
[Mr. Hugh L. Powell for Capt. Cocoran,
and Dr.. Jno. W. Harris for the Marine,
were in the original cast, but it was altered
at their solicitation and MI. Daniel OF
Washington city and MI. Francisco depu-
ty clerk of the Circuit Court substituted
1890, January 30th and 3fst
ont nn
Can't. Alfred Jatfe
Ralnh Rackstraw. ................C L. Cooke
Dick Deadeye ........................D D. E. Eurltt
Boatswain. d. ohHhsS
Buttercup. ........ Mrs. George G. Jordan
Hebe......-........-....- 'nlioo 1>ina o"i'u
Marine .D. G. Barkman
MidShipmlte. ..-..MaStef w llile CooAo
.Josenhine ........... Miss Cora Turner
Musical Director. b. meyer
Conductor ..... Prof. T. r. Webb
Scenic w. Oltlahs
The performances which were given on
THURSDAY and Friday nights of last week
were, we regret to say-and the public Will
ioin in the regret-the last that will be
given under the auspices of the Staunton
Choral Society," The members OF that
their time so great that they were unable to
meet it without neglecting other obligatlons,
and so they determined to give two final per-
formanees and disband. The performances
netted $3.50. and more than paid off all the
Indebtedness of the Society. Since those
who formed it have been organized they
have given four operas-"Plnafore,
of
Normandy and 1.-The Sorcerer," and
every one brought out at high standard
of excellence, as regarded the musical, dra-
matte, scenic and wardrobe effects. They
have given, Oh assisted at, many concerts
for charitable purposes and have made the
organization so popular with and necessary
to the music loving public that its dis
banding will be regarded as public loss.
Their closing performance on Friday night
fully maintained the high standard they
have essayed, and the audience felt as the
curtain went down on ''For he is an Eng
lishman, - that they were bidding farewell
to as good lyric singing as they are likely
ever to hear from amateur OF professional
troupes in this city.
Of the characters We may say few
words at parting. Miss Cora Turner made
lovely Josephine, and both sung and
acted beautifully. Miss Anna Baird as
'sHebe'' made all that can be made out OF
that part by sweet voice and good acting,
and Mrs. G.. G. Jordan was very fine as
Little Buttercup. Of the gentlemen,
Messrs. McQuaide and Cooke received the
same applause with which their fine render
ing of their characters was received ten years
ago, and if there was any change to be
noted, MI. McQuaide put more humor into
his than he did when he sang it then. OF
course the grippe" gag which brought
down the audience was to be credited to
him. Messrs. Jaffe, Euritt and Shirley
all sang their parts excellently, and were
rewarded by loud and frequent applause.
Mr.. D. C. Barkman and Master Willie
Cooke who were, so to speak, the long and
the short of it, elected great deal OF
laughter.
The orchestra, which was also composed
of amateur performers, deserve praise, and
it's excellent playing made one deplore all the
more that such good band OF musicians
should lack first and second violin.
Now a word for the Musical Director.
AS hangs the fate of flying train on the
man who sits unseen in the cab, so does the
fate of an opera hang on the Musical Direc-
tor. His work never ceases from the in
ception Of the training Of the singers, weeks
before hand, until the curtain falls for the
last time. Prof. Barthold Meyer, the Mu-
steal Director, deserves all the praise that
can be given HIM, for few can realize
what it is to take. for the most part, raw
material and make out of it such a chorus
as was seen on the stage of Pinafore last
week. He must not only be master must
clan himself, but he must be a master
teacher as well. That Prof. Meyer is both
of these to the highest degree, the chorus
was a living evidence. The ensemble that
closed the first act and that which closed
the second, could well be selected as the
work of a thoroughly drilled chorus, drilled
by master hand, though it would be a
fairer criticism to say that all the chorus
work was astonishingly good.
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