The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-07
Eugene COwles the Real Singer
of "The Fortune Teller"
A Magnificent Voice Suitable
For Grand Opera.
LITTLE MISS NIELSEN
Very Pretty, But a Little Bit
OVerrated.
Splendid ChOruses, Scenery and
Costumes.

Twelve hundred people saw 1.-The For
tune Teller at the Crawford theater
last night. Their eyes were delighted
with a harmonious blending of color,
they heard some of the best music that
Victor Herbert has written and that
has ever been placed in a light opera,
they were inspired by stirring choruses
and brilliant finales, and they found
Alice Nielsen, the so-called successor of
Lillian Russell and Camille d'Arville, an
innovation but not a wonder
The little woman who sang before the
immense audience at the theater last
night has acknowledgedly the cleverest
operate manager in the United States.
1t is sometimes well to beware of stars
with exceptionally clever managers, be-
cause it is often found that they are
overestimated- 1t is a question if a
large portion of the audience last night
did not think Mr.. Frank Perley guilty
in this regard in making Miss Nielsen
the best advertised light opera prima
donna in the country. Miss Nielsen rep
Tesents something new on the operate
stage-she is original if nothing else
but it is more probable that she will
prove a shooting star than a perma-
uent stellar fixture.
The charm about Miss Nielsen seems
TO be her absolute childishness and her
extreme prettiness. 1t is possible that
this feature is at once her charm and
her fault. If there can be such a thing,
she carries naturalness too far. 1t serves
TO 1nJure the finish of her work. Her
accent is rural. She pronounceS cher
hurr'' and says ''doo-un'' for doing
The simplicity and innocence in her por-
trayal are certainly taking" but at
times the requirements of the opera de-
mand something stronger. 1t can hard
ly be said that Miss Nielsen takes ad-
vantage of these opportunities.
10.
much so. She is one of the dolls of the
stage Her smile is contagious and
her eyes expressive That which she
most depends upon-her VOICES a
sweet soprano. 1t is not a wonderful
soprano, but one that can be listened to
with pleasure. 1t is not one of those
voices which can hold an audience
Spelbound. In fact, there is nothing in
Miss Neilsen's personality which exerts
hypnotic effect upon an audience. She
Is simply a rare bit of femininity de-
handing kind and amiable regard, and
because she possesses none of the
stronger characteristics which serve to
hold public favor after it is once
achieved, her success may not be pre-
dicted as lasting.
Manager Perley has surrounded Miss
Nielsen with a company capable of
making THE Fortune Teller enjoyable
during the three hours necessary to
carry out the performances Eugene
Cowles' magnificent voice is greatly in
evidence, more so in fact than that of
any of the other singers. Indeed, Miss
Ne1lsen is not given proper opportunity
IN the opera for a display of her voice
alone, or if she is, she cut out the OPP
portunities last night. But two solos
may be placed to her credit, while to
Mr.. Cowles' credit may be placed twice
this number.
Victor Herbert did not give 1.-The For
tune Teller the catchy airs he gave
The Wizard of the Nile,'' but the for
mer opera lacked in a musical way a
great deal that the later opera posses
seS. At times, nOticeably the seXtette
against the full chorus just preceding
the finale of the first act the music
approached that of grand opera From
this to the cake walk in the second
act might be appropriately termed a
transition from the sublime to the ri
diculous.
All of the chorus numbers of 1.-THE
Fortune Teller are excellent. The male
chorus in the first act was an admirabl
blending of voices. The stirring music
of the opera reaches it's climax in the
finale of the second act, when the au-
dlence is given something probably as
inspiring as is ever found in light opera.
In one feature The Fortune Teller
Us particularly strong. This is in the
comedy work. With such an array of
comedians as Richard Golden, Joe Cav
thorn, Joseph Herbert and Paul Mich
olson, the latter a discovery of Mana
ger Perley, this feature could scarcely
prove to be anything but strong. Col
den, CawthOrn and Herbert have all
distinguished themselves as comedians
and their combined efforts leave moth
ing lacking in this regard. 1t is a ques-
ton which is the most amusing the
-FrescO" Of Golden or the Boris of
Cawthorn, and Herbert proves that his
casting in the part of the Polish count
was particularly appropriate. One of
the best bits in the entire opera was
Cawthorn's Influenza" story and the
manner in which he rolled his rs was
q source of constant amusement during
the time he was on the stage, as it has
been for years.
THE Fortune Teller possesses an
exceptional chorus. 1t is said that
Manager Perley pays his chorus people
more than any other light opera mana
ger in the country, and the audience of
last night is not prepared to question
the statement The young ladies of the
chorus are much better looking in gen
Era1 than is usually the fortune of the
alter gOerS to see.
The costuming of 1.-THE Fortune Tel
Ter" is richly done, and the scenery
forms an admirable background in each
of the three acts.