The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-16
AIDES OPERA.
Chicago Reeord-HeraldJ

} Chicago Record Herald)
The details OF the Ade- McCutcheon-
Natnail opera, called 'Ki-Ram, or the
suitan OF Sun, have been jealousy
guarded, although the date OF its pro-
auction at the Studebaker is rapidly
approaching, but some of the essential
Iacts leaked out yesterday and are now
presented exclusively and for the flrst
time
The story of The Sultan of Sulu, -
which brings upon our stage for the
'ifst time the Filipino citizen in all his
free and equal glory of quasi United
states citizenship. was suggested to
az: Ade during visit he paid TO the
IhiApplnes a couple of years ago. Mr..
MctutcheOn, in his capacity of war
artist and correspondent. had just re-
turned 10 Manila from the island Of
ouiu or Jal0 when Mr.. AIDE reached
Inc spot of the Dewey victory. The
stories told by Mr.. McCutcheon and
Ms brother correspondents of Ki-Ram,
the sultan of that picturesque and Sc
questeTed isle, inspired the author OF
RABIES IN Slang with the idea Of
transferring that merry monarch. his
coJerie of Filipino wives, his court of
semi-barbaTous subjects to the comic
opera stage.
4. Z. &:
Without any dramatization whatever
hl-Ram and the IOllicking freebOoters
VINO surrounded him were picturesque
I SUBJECTS for operate treatment. The
scenery of SUlu suggests the brilliant
act drops which always form the back
ground for light opera, the daily rou-
tine of his unwashed court sets itself
naturally To jingling Filipino music
and only the introduction of Uncle
Sans subjects into this peaceful Phil
lppine paradise was necessary TO give
cash and materia. color to situations
that were those of the up-to-date mu-
steal comedy.
The happy idea suggested itself TO
Mr.. AIDE of bringing 10 Sulu shiplOad
or marines and commercial travellers,
headed by a typical and sordid Ar
kanSaW politician named Colonel
Budd. The essential element of fem
ininity was added by the presence
among Uncle Sans forces of a bevy of
Boston school ma ans chapePoned by
severe spinSter, who had been ap-
pointed judge advocate of the island.
The introduction by the newcomers Of
the American cocktail and the Ameri-
can divorce laws promptly ties the
court the cabinet and the household
Inspired by too frequent cocktails,
the sultan proposes TO the judge advo-
cate, who spurns as a deadly insult
MS offer to join his numerous retinue
OF wives. BY way of revenge the spin
ster inspires eight wives of the sultan
to apply for divorce which, in her Of
fetal capacity as judge advocate, she
promptly grants, allotting to each one
one-haif the sultan's income by way of
aiimcny. OF course, the Wretched hus-
band is unable to pay and is promptly
cast into jail. His release is effected
in the last act as usually happens in
comic opera, and he is reunited to his
numerous spouses, with whom he pre-
Sumabiy lives happy under the protect
ing aegis Of the United States flag, ever
after
The lyrics which MIR. AIDE has strung
along this slender plot are GilbertiSn
aud unhackneyed The Filipino at
the stage an environment absolutely
new for the complications and conf
calities deftIy woven about the destin-
les of HIRAM and his court. Two
dozen ditties. which are likely TO be
sung and whistled from one end of Chi
cago to the other before long. jewel
the libretto. For these Alfred G.. Wat
hall, who occupies the chair of music
in the Northwestern university, has
written airs that jingle meTrily. Mr..
McCutcheon is responsible for the
scenic investiture of the piece The
are constructed from sketches made on
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