The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-13
COMEDIAN HERBERT.
His Views on Comic Opera IS II
Exists at Present
A Few Of the Chaps That He Would
Like to See Sat On.

| the fault on the stage or in the auditor
ium-the lack of merit in the actors or
the want of taste in tine public?
MI. Joseph w. Herbert is one of the best
known comedians on the stage, who in
light mnsicai entertainments such as
"The Girl From Paris" I'm which he 10
now appearing at the Herald Square
Theater, New York, or In comic opera,
such as Rob Roy" has met with much
popular success. AS an actor, too, he is
known through several clever pieces he
has written, one OF which in New YORK is
now approaching it's one hundredth
night.
Mr.. Herbert should os we'll equipped to
answer the questions put TO him and
which he answers In the following way.
You ask me what 10 the matter with
comic opera and VINO is to blame for its
present condition. 1t is my hum BILE
opinion that there should be q dramatic
and musical censorship.
VINO is TO blame for the present state
of things theatrical? Is 1t the public? II
sor comes in. Every one is to blame
the manager, tie actor and the public
| Il popular form OF entertainment with
us now is comic opera-so called. Ii is
not the melody and mirth of Often bach
and Halevy. 1t is fungous growth on
that rugged old trunk, opera bouffe, thst
is fostered by the plaudits of an uuthink-
lag public and cherished by the low
| comedian, whose adjective reaches subtsr-
ranean depths.
Look them over carefully. Let us begin
| with the chorus. When the curtain rises
the merriest set that ever was painted
by hand assures US "It's Q holiday"
No opening chorus-at least no well regu-
lated opening cnorus-iives in any other
atmosphere. In the worId Of comic opera
there are no ordinary week dsys-even
wash dag is ignored. You will never hear
chorus singing "Hark to tho rrstle Of
the shirts on the wash board" or "Today,
today IL washing day. No. Still their
linen Is immaculate. Then that dear old
refrain,
"Hurrah hurrah, we laugh and sing.
So loudly let the welkin ring"
1 will bet anything there is not a men,
itE W tHhS SnoIub WIN Souih toii q Wci-
kin from lawn mower; and even II they
could l don't think they woulu know
how to ring 1t. Now. this Is where the
censor comes in. There ought to be
some sort OF civil service examination
wber51y these Inconsistencies could be
remedieo.
4 hen there is the tenor. l must say i
itro ha NJ all 10 te al IIxy
such o gentle little rabbit that you feel so
sorry he ever left home. II he goes into
a room he i'm media ely makes every one
uncomfortable by discovering a draught.
Mind you, there is a method in this. No
one would know he was a tenor otherwise.
RE prima donna-bl bless her! There is
one hope that she always holds out to US
she is going abroad next summer 10
study. She has been coached in this and
her adviser was willy one. she Is not
going abroad: she is going TO stay right
bere and continue her mem bership in the
band OF neiouic mada and lead the assas-
sins Of tune.
There is one thing she can DO; she can
sing n cadenza, and she sings IL every
time she gets o chance, no matter what
the situation may he. Her stage father
is being dragged of TO the guillotine,
rerhaps. Many q strong woman would
faint at the horror Of the situation. Tho
prima donna? No. Her dramatic nerve
has been sprayed with cocaine. She
thinks quickly; she Is q woman OF action
1 should say, cadenza. The music stops;
the conductor puts down the baton, a
trili. a run, note SO high that you
would have to fasten q couple Of yards OF
keys on the Harlem end of the piano to
reach 1t. ana there you are
The dramatic situation Is reversed.
Her father is saved and his prosecutors
have succumbed 30 the musical assault
ard battery of his dutiful daughter.
CAuenzs, in q good cause. Yes; put j
will wager that that prima donns has
saved more fathers and otner relatives
from premature death than would fill a
directory, and Away, with the same
cadenza, never varying tone. The poor
composer knows abe has ruined the
rhythm Of his number. He bad arranged
TO save the father without that heroic ap-
pllcation of cadeDza. Bat no, the prima
donna was opdurate.
But then the composer has his innings
sometimes. You nave heard OF those
Tooth night performances, with souvenir
attachment (Which, by the way, usually
occur on about the 5Sth night, IL you
will ONLY take he trouble TO count them
The company, OF course, rehearsed with
full orchestra half a dozen times to get
the composer iimbered up, as 1t were.
Ire composer takes his chair amid the
plaudits Of his frienos, whose physical
eforts arc aided by the hardwood hands
OF the ushers. lie bows. Is no nervous.
Not BIT OF 1t. Why not? II you will
notice. the real conductor sits at mis- left,
and the orchestra know the score by
neatt. 1hsy play II through without
mistake. utterly ignoring at times tho air
saving efforts of the composer. Well,
rho otera IL over at last. The public mas