Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-30
ANU SEMENTS.

NEW NATIONAL THEATER-An i'm
mense audience welcomed Alice Nielsen at
the New National Theater last night. THE
Singing Girl is one of those productions
which mass SO many styles of enter
tainment into three iridescent acts as to
leave the dyspeptic playgoer no ground
upon which TO base a protest. If he does
not like one thing, there is always some
thing else. Superb scenic establishment,
ably written music, comedians who offer
everything in their line from acrobatic song
and dance to refifed repartee stockings of
all colors from f1aring red to CHASTITY white,
gowns of all styles from empire to plain
soubrette toSgery, tights which represent
all the tintings of the twilight sky and
all the curves in the geometry-indeed, the
inventory IS 100 lengthy to be given in de-
tail. The conventional comic opera is the
bargain counter of the modern theater.
Step up; look the bewildering array of
goods over, and if you do not find some
thing well worth The price, you are indeed
difficult to please. Neither of the three CO.
medIans has any complaint to offer. The
ltbretto, which is of rather severely sem
timental type. seems to depend largely on
the individual resources of the gentlemen
upon whom rests the awful responsibility
of being funny while the prima donna takes
lew minutes vacation. Each revels in
opportunities, and honors-very substantial
honors too-are divided with wonderful
tNtIlltNsS- joe law lllOIll mas one OF MS
German dialect parts. Everybody FIRE.
members Joseph's r-r-remarkable contor-r-r-
items whenever he tr-r-r-ies to expr-r-res-
sion himself He is funny as always. John
Slavin plays the part of the singing girls
brother. who has to wear his sisters clothes
while Miss Nielsen appears in boyish garb
Il Miss Nielsen were to neglect her dainty
masculine masquerade, it is very possible
that q large number of people would think
they ought to have their money back
Siavin is distinctly clever; one of the few
acrobatic funmake who have a vein of
genuine humor in their work. Mr.. Joseph
ii erbert is a comedian of more than ordi-
| narily studious mold, who strives to inter-
| pref the character in hand with some arts
| tic plausibiity we'll as to bring out its
| m;rthfulness. Yet all these attractions are
| but garden of profuse blooming where
| one small butterfly may poise and tilt and
scurry. Only, butterflies don't sing and
| Miss Alice Nielsen does. She sings not
alone with her voice. but with her entire
personality. She absorbs the spirit of d
song and lots 1t express itself in the turn
of an eyelash, or in the way the steps
| from one side of the stage to the. other
| She lifts her hand in the simplest gesture
| and the melody cascades from her finger
| tips. There Is but one fault to be found
with Miss Nielsen, and that is the tempta-
| ton which she offers TO gush. But her
| simple, unaffected girlishness makes a Joke
| of sober analysis.
| Musically speaking, the score of 1.-The
| Singing Girl is more ambitious than any
| that Victor Herbert has written. 1t Is me
| lodious, but the melodies are broken, and
are not so catchy as those In mis- other
| operas. There is nothing that will be as
| generally popular as The Gypsy Bride
song and chorus In THE Fortune Teller
| In his solos he has attempted peculiar eff
| fects, requiring better musical culture than
| the melodious themes he has heretofore
| written. Take Miss Neilsen's solo in the
second ACT, with waltz movement. If Ii
| were not for her arch and dainty acting /,
| would not, by any means, make the hit
| that 1t does. Neither of the solos of Mr.
Cowles gives him the opportunity to b,
heard at his best. His first number is as
| lugubrious a funeral Grafton. and hi,
| solo in the last act, although of a humorous
subject, seems to have been simply written
50 that ne could get in two low notes. The
song for Miss Lucille Saunders is the best.
| written solo number in the whole opera an,
| the effect of that was hindered by her ma n
her OF Singing 1t. There is a septette in tn,
| last act that is delightful in It's simplicity
OF treatment and 1t Is excellently sung
Inc choruses are all pleasing and are eiyer
Win excellent volume and effect Tn,
ltsiate OF the nrst act Is almost heavy
enough for grand opera and the Same l.
true OF the second act finale
| II - not intended to in any way decry
Mr: Herberts ability as a composer. HI
| Is musician to whom belongs high honor
IL would not surprise those who know hin
II he should write the coming America
grand opera He has great fertility of in
vention and ingenuity of construction 10
master Of orchestration, and he has n thor
ough knowledge of the capabilities of IN,
human voice. With these possessions ther,
should be no limit to the high character O
MS work. 1t seems that in this "Singins
| GirT he Is working toward a higher idea
| In his score and is putting aside the simple
| easy, flowing melodies that have hereto
fore been characteristic of his operate
compositions and which have made them $,
popular. 1t has been the ability to writ
melodies within the comprehension of tn
masses that has made Mr.. Herbert so mucl
In demand by comic opera stars and h
has not been found wanting by any VIII
have sought his services. THE Sins,n,
| GirP' gives TO Alice Nielsen the musical Cd
portunity she desires. She has valuabl
member to her company in the person o
Richie Ling
Curtain calls were profuseiy given whicl
were acknowledged by Miss Nielsen