The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-04
THE TWO SOPRANOS,
BERTRAM AND BERRl.

Mauue Lillian is ever smiling.
She plays when she works. and It IS sad
moment indeed when there Is a wrinkle IN
her brow.
She can rehearse all day, sing until Ii p.
m and sup until n. m, with never
shock to her nerves or furrow to show
for 1t.
She dresses with a tendency to gaudlness-
great. fluffy heliotrope gown the other
night Tor example. topped off with grove
of beautiful black feathers.
But Maude Lillian wore these things well
"a feat that could not be accomplished by
two women in a thousand
She ought to be more carefully coached
In her stage dressing
Take the red heels.
Miss Berri is a trifie too tall for her COM
pany. And these red-heeled slippers are the
cause.
And that Patience costume on Sunday
night What a marvel mixture of unyield-
ing opposites!
Yet when Maud Lillian sang. all Of these
things were forgotten. And, after all. We
see orima donnas in order that we may
hear the music they make. rather than to
quarrel about their red-heeled slippers and
their gowns.
Ihrough many performance ] have
watched with real delight the growth Of
this marvellous young woman's talents. Her
great, healthy manner, Astounding good ma
ture and sllvery voice are in extraordinary
combination You can't say that Miss
Berri is pretty, or even handsome; but she
is wholesome
One of these days, when she knows more
about acting. she Is likely to be great.
You may be asked to fork over g to S. to
hear her sing in the Metropolitan on Broad
way. and may be-who knows?-Covent
Garden regions may some day know what
1t means to bask in Maude Lllian's smile
and dream Of fairyland under the spell OF
voice that grows with the months!
Helen Bertram acts we'll.
Since the days when she sang in a choir
In Paris. ILL.,. and Indianapolis. Ind. she
has learned a few things
Her voice has not been normal more than
one week this season, but l have hopes that
her present Illness will be Of benefit in
resting the throat.
The fair Helen is tho busiest prima DON
ma have known. She has residence at
Larchmont, N. Y. where tho mother and
father live. She has French governess
and an English maid-the governess for
the sweet Rosina, whose age is something
like Q. There are plans for the Larchmont
home. management for the maid and gov
erness, education for the baby-music, and
the three RS each day.
woman. you'll say. but it's not the begin
| ming. for the prima donna business means
long hours Of study and play-play that's
work.
Miss Bertram has made good reputation
for her art in the years that have gone by
since she wrote from London TO Paris. ILL.,:
Here am. little ne: away Off here in this
great placer!
She has sung with success in every Amer
lean city London liked her rather we'll and
may hear her again.
She commands and gets big salary-one
Of the biggest paid to a pr!ma donna not
in the paid-by-performance lists She Is yet
young.
If che continues to study ard broadens
her repertoire her fame will grow. Miss
Bertram's personality is fine and magnetic
on and Off the stage. and in the matter of
operate boys, she Is the best OF decade.
And 1t Is related that she has lost Ill of her
fifteen pounds Of awful fat in the summer
THAT Is Tow about Is.
"Romeo and Juliet" with the thermometer
at 20 Is the rather unusual offering at koer
ners Garden, where Romeo Hanley, Juliet
Kemble and Mercutio Ravold nightly speak
the beautiful English of the poet to the
clink OF the ice in the glasses carried by the
walters out in front.
1t Is too warm to wonder why the man
agement CHANGED to serve Shakespeare as a
Fourth of July menu, but the decree went
forth. and the company Is working hard
to "mnke good" The principals seem to be
succeeding very nicely The play has been
closely pruned. and the five acts cut and
slashed until the al fresco revival comes
out just about strong enough to stand up
under the heat and summer garden atmos-
pherc.
Some Of the business Is most ingenious.
When. in the balcony scene, Romeo starts
IN n t6n 1ay, Y,1t4t y III.
by gazing into his moonlit face. She doesn't
speak-the line is missing-but her express
sion tells wondrous story. It is little
touch that tells.
And in the duel between Mercutio and
| Tybalt when Romeo interferes and causes
Mercutto to be mortally wounded, Mercu-
tfo's friendly expression of forgiveness APP
peals to you as having been delicately
worked out by Mr.. Ravold. Mr.. Hanley
does we'll for the summer season in the
grand tragedy situations that seem almost
| funny under the circumstances. Well for
give Larry If he keeps Hamlet back until
September.
1t is generous Of little Miss Elsie Esmond
to cause the audience to forget her beauty
by playing Juliet's aged nurse This Is her
first attempt In character acting. and she
Is not without promise in that line.
The strict prohibition of fireworks at
foreSt Parx Highlands Will be a welcome
announcement to the nervous, and to
mothers and children, who seek an outing
on the Fourth at the various summer
gardens. This is Grace Van Studdiford's
last week at the Highlands, and 1t will be
quite a while, before she will be heard here
again in vaudeville. Nat Wills will also
take his departure at the close of the
week. The attractions for next week are
Of the strong mans" kind. Lydia Yea
mans. Titus, Moreland. Thompson and
Amber, Brothers Rio and Kelly and Vio-
lette are good names In vaudeville, and
their acts are entertaining.
The entertainment at Mannion Park this
week Is eyidencing drawing powers. An
other excellent bill Is announced for next
week, with Allen and Delmain, late of
Hoyt's Black Sheep company, the head
liners. A special Fourth of July matinee
will be given to-day at o'clock.
"Said Pasha'' and not 1.-THE IDOLS Eye
is to be the attraction at Delmar Garden
next week. Miss Vain. Helen Bertram's I'M
derstudy, Is doing Phoebe quite successfully
in "Billee Taylor this week, and the other
members Of the cast are undaunted, not
wtthstanding the ultra hot weather.
The Maude Lillian Berri Opera Company
will offer Fra Diavolo' at Uhrig's Cave for
one week, beginning next Sunday night.
There are five vaudeville acts. Instead Of
the Usual fo-r. at the Suburban this week,
end the ballet counts for an additional