The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-11

T ONDON, Nov. 26.-By a stroke of
opportunity, as rare as it was
unexpected, Miss Mamie Tout
had the privilege yesterday of appear
ing in grand opera before a London au-
dience in His Majesty's theatre, and as
a result il is once more a pleasa2t
duty to record success for Utah's
youthful singer-a success won under
trying circumstances and in an exact
ing role.
It happened this way. Once each
year the Royal College of Music, Of
which Miss Tout is a pupil with the
rank of exhibitioner. gives an opera
in one of the big London playhouSeS, in
which only members of former mem
bers of the college take part. This
year the opera selected was Beetho-
ven's ''Fidelio.'' Miss Kate Anderson,
a long time student of the college, and
an accomplished singer, was given the
leading part, Leonora. Disguised as a
boy, Leonora obtains employment in
the Spanish prison, where her husband
lies chained and treacherously con-
demned to die. and saves him.
Miss Tout's Opportunity.
A few of Miss Tout's friends have
been aware that she has been under
studying the part Unfortunately.
Miss Anderson's health is not good.
and the other day before the perform
ance it became apparent that she could
not endure the intense strain of so
trying a role. Miss Tout was sum-
mOned by wire TO the college and with
only twenty-four hours notice and
but one dress rehearsal she essayed the
part.
1t was a matinee performance. The
famous theatre was packed in every
part by an enthusiastic audience. The
opera was we'll staged and costuped,
by the kindness of Mr.. Beerbohm Tree
and the Covent Garden company, who
supplied the properties. and the Orches-
ira, under Sir Charles Villiers Stan
ford. cid grand work, all of which con-
tributed to the success that was
achieved.
Miss Tout won the audience from the
first. A slight diffidence, not unnatural
considering the circumstances of char
acter. costume and first appearance.
was traceable in the first scene. but it
was transitOry and, withal, charming,
if not highly artistic. Her Utah friends
were prepared, in a measure. for the
outcome so far as her singing was con-
cerned, for Miss Tout has the I'M
bounded confidence of all, but the Ira
matte power displayed at times in try
ing climaxes was a revelation of abii-
lly LUdl, NneH UlUTG luliy utNtiOP-Is
will give additional qualification COR
operate work. The singing of the aria
in scene six of act one was beauti%l,
and evoked generous applause. At the
end of the act Miss Tout was called
before the curtain alone.
Called For Utah Girl.
After the final scene the audience
demanded the leading singers, Miss
Tout Miss McNaughtOn, Mr.. GriswOld.
Mr. Wilde and Mr.. Hughes. who shared
the honors, three times acknowledged
the enthusiasm, and then from all
'Leonora." "Fidelio" and DIR. Stan
ford which continued until the latter
left the orchestra and led Miss Tout
onto the stage, amid the waving of
handkerchiefs and cheers and applause.
And that's our Mormon girl" said
one distinguished looking LondOner to
another in the lobby afterward. "A
very promising pupil. and so charm
ingly natural" The other assented,
and some pretty compliments passed
between the two, which, as they were
not intended for the Utah ear that
caught them, were the more i'm
Dressive.
When. half an hour later, Miss Tout,
her mother and sister came out of the
. stage door, she Hdu 10 pass DGlMGeL
lines formed by people who were de-
termined to see her. Many of them
were her college friends. and there
were numerous warm tons.
What the Papers Said.
The Daily Graphic this morning de-
votes half a page to a criticism and
illustrations of the opera. The critic
says of Miss Tout's work:
Those who attended yesterdays per-
Torrance were greeted by the an
nouncement that the young lady who
was down to play Leonora was not well
enough to sing. In her place appeared
her understudy, Miss Mamie Tout, to
whom the warmest congratulations
must be given for the remarkably in
telligent way in which she discharged
her difficult task. Handicapped as she
was. by insufficient rehearsal and by
incomplete knowledge of the text. she
yet cOntrived to give "A reading of
this most trying of roles that held the
audience captive by its sincerity,
freshness and spontaneity. To COM
pare her for moment with the great
Leonoras Of the past and present lyric
would, of course, be absurd, but we
are inclined TO think that there are