The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-05


! he won the honors of the evening with
his rich baritone. Stevens is not new to
Topekans who religiously attend the
heavier operas. Stevens has been heard
/ here twice before the present engage
ment as the baritone of the Andrews
| Opera company. Stevens is the pest
/ DE Luna" and the best "EScam1llo'
that has sung in Topeka in the last ten
years. Both he and Albert have sung
the ''Toreador' song in Carmen IN
Topeka with other organizations and
before the GordOn-Shay rendition of
Carmen" Manager J. S. Gordon was
asked to cast Stevens as the tOreador
but Gordon pays Alberu $40 week,
Albert is imported and Albert is sun
posed to be the best. Perhaps the fac
ulty of a musical college would give AL
berti first place but a committee from
the audiences which have heard both
would give the palm to Stevens. His
voice is more pleasing and the richer OF
the two and his enunciation has much
to do with the pleasing effect of his
songs
Nine Helen Noldi. who is Sig. AL
berti's wife, was the 'Leonora" and she
sang the part perfectly. Nine. Noldi
alternates with Miss Shay in taking
the leading feminine roles. 1t is hard
to choose between the two. Nine. Mol
dis voice is distinctly OF the grand
4 opera style Nine Noldi possesses no
little ability to act and she made much
of her role in III Trovatore." The other
members of the company have been
heard in roles that gave them every OPP
! portunity and further comment is I'M
| necessary.
The Gordon-S Shay Grand Opera COM
pany is being fostered by the father of
Rose Cecilia Shay, who is Col. Shay, a
prominent lawyer of Cincinnati, o. 1t
is understood that grand opera IN the
west has not been a paying venture and
that Col Shay. the angel of the COM
pany, has been out few triftes in the
way of postage, telegraph tolls, meal
| tickets and fares. But he has not been
out very much. He has enough left at
/ this rate to keep the company going for
! some time and before long the Organiza-
/ ton may be on paying basis 1t costs
I the management about S2,400 week to
i keep the organization going and only
$500 was made in Topeka in three days.
or half week, the loss being $500 on the
/ Topeka engagement.
/ The press notices announce that j.
H Saunders Gordon, the renowned young
/ impresario, is the head of the Gordon
1 Shay company. the most renowned or
! ganization of its kind in America The
/ assertion can not be disputed. Gordon
/ is a hale fellow we'll met. He belongs to
so many lodges and societies that he
/ can't keep the pass words and grips
4 properly assorted and he gives the high
I sign of the Knights of the Gilded Tea
/ Cup to the wearers of EIks' teeth.
4 Gordon is westerner. His home is
4 in Texas, but this is not held against
him. Gordon was first heard of in the
/ amusement world half a dozen years or
/ more ago when he assembled a few
vocalists, secured some costumes and
j toured the west giving scenes from
grand operas. To this day Gordon will
! not make affidavit that his singers were
of the kind that studied with Vannuc-
chi or Tetedoux.s but he and his wan
! dering minstrefs got out alive from
every town they visited and Gordon
/ made money.
Last season Gordon had the Topeka
bill boards well pasted with Autographs
4 announcing the coming of The Schu-
4 mann Grand Concert company" In
fact the bills said that j. Saunders
4 Gordon presents" said company The
II company, numbering four or five people,
appeared at the Grand before a rather
small clientele" What was said of the
singers need not be repeated but six
weeks ago when Gordon revisited To-
peka he admitted that the Topeka con-
cert by the Schumann Grand Concert
company was the second that had been
given. He did not deny that there were
a few rough spots.
But again Gordon made money on the
town hall circuit He made enough to
give him the idea that he might eni-
ploy few flrst-class artists and give
frst-class performances He heard that
Sig. Alberti and his WIFE Nine. Noldi
were disengaged and he signed them for
d season. Gordon had the money which
caused AIberti and his wife to sign with
alacrity. Then Gordon went to Cincin-
hftNl ~ "a LIS -tA-'SAf Tic II OACsa-
sional way OF speaking Of the bills and
Autographs. made. While he was talk
ing with the printing company he was
told that if he wished to dip into real
grand opera there was a chance open
for l.s-r-
Gordon had always had the grand
opera bee in his bonnet. He asked ques-
tons. He found that Miss Shay was de-
sirous of being the orima donna of
company Miss St.ay owned the cos
tunes necessary for grand opera rep
ertoire- Gordon owned some scenery. A
contract was made. and Gordon bough:
more scenery. enough to make his con-
tribution equal TO that of Miss Shay
Then more singers were engaged, and
grand frara wa tho roSr41f