The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-15

take the audience into their confidence
Said one over the ootlights Now,
these are just the very words I thought
! should forget The gas man called as
| was learning them Another on com
ing to one Of these awkward full stops
said: Pardon me, please; was think
ing whether there was enough of that
coio chop TO DO Tor supper and quite
forgot my words These things sound
poor enough to relate, but at the same
time they go well enough.
one, singer who broke down said:
Look here. We'll get over that difficulty
by dropping the verse altogether You'll
stul get your moneys worth. for ri sing
the last verse twice 1'nere is one little
trick that usually goes, down well. The
singer has failed and has had to anpeal
to the prompter. When he finishes his
song he darts. off and drags on the
prompter- probably in his shirtsleeves-
10 share III the applause, which is USUALLY
quite enthusiastic, An actress on one
occasion broke down when the prompter
was not at his post. To her surprise a
lady sitting in the front row Of the stalls
leaned forward and gave the desired cue.
amateur
Well, as most players keep their mem
cries in hand, as may say, some pc
GUITAR things have happened In one
play an actor doubled, two parts. He
was an old man in the prologue and q
young one later on, and in each he had
aIongish speech to make These speecbes
ne was always attempting to transpose.
and one night he got out some four or
nVe lines OF the wrong speech ere he
realized what he was doing. Another
man played in piece having a darkened
scene Stepping on to the gloom-shroud-
ed stage he, to no ones surprise more
than his own, commenced portion of a
part that he had played in another drama
having similar lights low episode
1here are some vocalists who cannot
trust themselves to sing a single note in
public without the printed or written
words, This Is awkward if they obtain
engagements most seek them-on
the variety STAGE for there, as you know.
II IS not the custom to hold music in
the hands. Some ballad singers and others
write the words very small on a card and
mold this in the palm of the hand 1
heard one man who, singing three new
and rather difficult songs, adopted this
little device. He got so used to having
the words there that he was afraid to do
without them. When he changed to other
songs he attempted to dispense with the
paper, but he found that he had become
so used to having it to look at now
and again that he was i'll at ease and
awkward before his audience without it.
In opera breakdows are not [ think,
frequent. You see, opera is special work;
the opera season is an event that excites
great interest and all renderings ara in
evitably contrasted with those of other
great singers. This puts the players Oh
their mettle and keeps them excited about
their work. They have no chance of
playing and singing mechanically, and so
their memory does not often fail them.
Any slips that do occur are usually caus-
ed by nervousness. I heard OF one prlma
donna who in new opera had a partic-
uiarly fine song to sing. So eager was
she to get to this that by mistake she
started it instead Of one that should have
preceded it. The conductor luckily saw
the slip Instantly, and rousing his men,
he cleverly went with the singer She
faltered a little as the truth flashed upon
her. but. having the music all correct,
she sang the song out and earned gre at
applause.
"As have said. however, while YOU re-
main thoroughly interested in your work
you are not likely to experience a break
down. On long run the opposite is the
case, and it is when you are so familiar
with the words that you don't both
about them that you suddenly discover
you have for the time being lost them
altogether