The Washington times., 1902-05-11
A GIRLS EXPERIENCE
IN OPERATIC CHORUS

creepy sort of feeling and mads her wisl
to be a man.
"All ready" said the stage manager a.
he clapped his hands. and The girls fel
! into position. They had been rehearsin,
for week. and the Girl and two other!
were the only new ones.
Entrance chorus, please" and in theJ
| came.
''Tra-la-la -la-la" they sang. as the,
! skipped around in real '.merry-mcrry'
! feshion. The Girl '.tra-la-la-ed'' a few
but confined her skipping to a dignificd
walk, content to view the performance
at least once before trying.
i say. Sally Smith, back there. look
/ what you're doing the stage manager
! fairly howled. and the Girl turned white
convinced Tor the moment that her name
was Sally Smith. and that he was talking
to her. But he was looking the other way
AMI she felt relieved
Miss Jones, your shoes are too tight
to dance in. Get another pair"
The Girls shoes pinched. but again he
looked another way.
Now, everybody on for the "Sunaower
chorus.
Everybody came on, and there was
real trouble. The chorus was one ac-
complished by an intricate little glide
dance in which the front row danced
back as the next row came forward. and
If the music had been written in rag
time they couldn't have done it better.
Stage Manager Angry.
Watch me-" howled the stage man
aser- 'one, two; one. two; one. two; one.
two: left. right; left, right: quick turn;
left right
Il can't get the left. right" said pip
ing voice from the rear.
well, IL you DON'T" said the stage
director. you'll get left, right enough.
Now. ready. Front row forward, second
row back. Da-di-da da -da; back, sec
oad row. Back-back-back. See here.
Miss Burne- Jones' Christy, back means
just the same here as it does any old
place. and you will oblige ne by going
back. and not wandering out here to the
footlights."
The Girl listened to 1t all in n sort of
daze. Fearful OF doing the wrong thing,
she was afraid to attempt the right and
when the stage manager announced that
the business" would be dispensed with
and that the musical director would take
the chorus through the score. the girl
gave sigh of relief and breathed freely
for the first time since leaving home
The members of the chorus we're pro-
vided with music and ranged themselves
in rows. The chords and Introductory
runs were played BY the same queer little
man, and just on the dot the singers
began:
Roses here, so bright and gay,
Niolets 50 sweet;
Buy. o, buy, posicS rare,
Free are without a care;
Have our iow'rs sweet.
The musical director was guilty OF sew
eral wrong notes, thing unprecedented
since he Joined the company. and the
stage manager stopped in the middle of
some directions which he was giving to
the property man.
Voice of Marvellous Beauty.
Above the somewhat worn voices of the
chorus rang one of marvellous beauty,
stole side-long glances in the
direction from which the voice came. and |
for once the Girl was unconscious She |
sang with her whole mind and her heart |
in every note. Even though the line was |
Roses here bright and gay.
Niolets SO sweet,
they we're the brightest, gayest roses of |
the year. and the sweetest violets that
ever sent their delicious fragrance to
heaven.
The rehearsal proceeded and at its con-
clusion the stage manager sent for the
Girl.
What's your name?" he said again.
This time in a tone which suggested that
II she would be good enough to enli ghten
him he would feel grateful
She told him. Her name no longer stuck
in her threat.
WELL he said. 81 just want to say
hat you might as well understudy the
prima donna role-that is. IL you have
line Just sort of look 1t over. you know.
'or we never know what will happen and
he prima donna has no unierstudy.'