The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-07
GALLANT 1GOND0LIERT'
Jersey City Athletic Club
Opera Company in an
0ld-Time Success.
SSGREENR AND MISS SCREEN
W. D. Preston a Lover Again
Good Work Of q Praclised
Chorus.

Amateur opera without stage waits ana
n general reaching out for cues is so FAR
removed from the average that IL really
does not seem natural. These features
were happily absent from the production
of 1.-The Gondoliers" by the Jersey City
Athletic Club Opera Company last night.
a fact which gave it IN unasnateurish
tone. This was not the only thing about
the production tina had a professional
air.
The plot OF 1.-THE Gondoliers, or the
King of Barataria' is as beautifully
tangled as all the Giibertian plots. AS
usual, there is a nurse who has mixed
those children up" and for variety. two
gondoliers. one of whom is supposed to be
King of Barataria and husband of Casllda,
daughter of the Duke Of Piaza-Toro. In
this case one of them must De a bigamlst,
for they are both married TO contauine,
and one wife must pc siugle. III fact, as
Gilbert puts it, two husbands have ac-
CURED three wives, so each wife must own
two-thirds of a husband. This pleasing
arithmetical solution is upset by the eX-
~planation of the Nurse, who declares the
heir to be LniZ, with whom Casilda has
been violently in love all along. 1t is a
great plot, just the way things wonld go
in real life If they only went exactly diff
ferent.
OF the ladies of the cast, Miss Ella
Griffith Greene. rs Casilda, gave not only
the best Interpretation of the part. but
the best vocal numbers. 1t was quite
impossible TO divert the attention from
this trim little person with the piquant
manner and shining eyes. whether she
were singing or dancing, or Just standing
around and waving Il Ian. Her voice Is a
high, rather light, soprano. highly flexible
aud accurate in pitch, and excellent IN
solo or ensemble work. Her scene with
Luiz, in the first ACT. with the duo,
..There Was a Time,n and her dramatic
recitative, But Bless nv Heart" were
her most important numbers.
A CLEVER PAIR.
Mr.. and Mrs. j.. Williams Macy, as
always. captured the audience, the for
mer by his c'eyer acting as the Duke OF
Plaza Toro; the latter. as the Duchess, by
her sons in the second act, o the Day
When l Was Welded" Miss Katrina
Green retains the part of Tessa, and sings
"When n Merry Maide Marries' with as
much effect as ever. and a little more.
Mrs. Emma Henry Thomas is a dainty
Gianetta, her best song being kind Sir,
You Cannot Have the Heart" The peas-
ant girls WHO come into prominence
among their companions are Mrs. +. Is.
Van Saun, whose voice, always pleasing.
has gained materially of late. Miss Lulu
Hitler and Miss Helen Green.
As usual, Mr.. George R. Herrick is an
eccentric old man, with exaggerated no.
lions of behavior. His songs. Il Stole the
Prince'i and There Lived a King" gain
ed by his clever acting. Mr.. j. r.
Cooper's voice shows well as Lug, and he
seemed 10 be enjoying himself immense
IL. Mr.. NJ. j. Eackert took the place of
Mr.. r. J. Webb, and won loud applause
for his spirited song as Antonio. Messrs.
S. Hanford Ayers, Z. g. SOule and Oscar
chmia also appeared as boatmen. Mics
Eleanor f.. buchanan, who took Miss
Angelo McEvoy's part of Inez, the foster
mother, showed In the climax Of the play
an unusual talent for spirited recitaEiVe.
ARC AND GIUSEPPE.
The two gondoliers, Giuseppe, (Mr. w
D.. Prsstou] and Marco, (Mr. William Al
bert Prince gamboled through the play
with the gr ace of sea serpents. Mr..
Prestou's lovemaking was as feryent and
unremitting as usual, and MIR. Primes
voice won him an enthusiastic recall
after Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes"
The chorus shows the balance that
comes from experience. 1t needs no re-
freshing the emo TO prove that Tn
Gondoiiers" Is not a first attempt. The
rapidity of the Giibertain Lines makes it
difficult for any but a long-trained body
of professionals To pay any attention to
eHuDcldLlOu. 6Hu III bf1icSs 0OldOL4 OuLAuE
the opening chorus, there was q slight
blur. yet since the main thing in comic
opera Is the spirit and dash with which
the chorns goes through. there Is no
reason to find fault SO long as they keep
together. The chorus with the Spanish
dance, in the second act, was of course
the great feature, aud received two re-
calls. Miss Katrina Green's graceful
dancing hal a great deal to do with those
recalls. Speaking of dancing, the gayoJte
in the last act was as pretty as possible.
II the tenors had refrained from shout
ing, it would have improved the opening
chorus of the second act. The chorus
comprises
Misses Lizzie Kaiser. Grace Bowly, A.
Name Bauer, Bessie Aldrldge, Ella
Welsh, Lulu Bldwell, Lulu HITLER, Mary
E. Bahr, L. F. Bahr, Marie C. Maxou.
Helen Green. Lillian A. Harrison,
Emilne Simmouds and Lillian Phillips.
Messrs. Chas. Bowly. E. Allen Smith.
Chas. Decker. e. w. Dennison, w. Doug
lass, w. |. McIirey, A. n. Perlee, w. A.
Rosenbaum, s. H. Ayers. F. G. SouIe.
VIM. ii. Harrison. Oscar Schmidt, VI. T.
Fackert, Winfield Vreeland- Robert j.
Webb, Z. A. DIN and p. A. Brock.
The audience was smaller than had
been expected; in fact, every person pres
ent might nave had a choice of some five
seats. The opera will be on tonight and
tomorrow night.