The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-17
AmuSemCHtS.



The difference between Kirke La
Shelle and other managers is that
Kirke LaShelle has written an opera.
| That Is the principal difference. too,
/ between Kirke LaShelle and most IL
1 brettists. For all librettists do not
write operas-nOt such operas. at least.
/ as the one witnessed by Salt Lake last
night under the title of THE Princess
| Chic which is the peer Of THE For
/ tune Teller" and THE Singing Girl"
| and second only to that masterpiece,
l Robin Hood" Julian Edwards. the
composer, excelled himself in this work,
and Its greatness is due as much 10
/ him as to LaShelle But then people
expected something of Edwards where
/ they didn't look for anything quite so
able from the noisy precinct of a
| Broadway managerial office.
| Reference having been made to Alice
! Neilsens operas. it may as well be stat
ed that the whole of Princess Chic"
| from the vocal score to the properties,
and including the principals. chorus
and scenery. is the nearest approach to
the feast spread by that fair little ar
tiste we have had since.
Miss Maude Lillian Bern sung the
title role. This young woman is the
successor of Marguerite Sylvia, who
withdrew from the cast a few even
ings ago in Denver. sylvia is undOubt-
eddy an artistic. but il she gave a more
satisfactory performance than her sue
! cessOr, she was uncommon good.
The manager says the role was never
| sung so well by either of Miss Berri's
predecessors-the having been two
and il is easy to so believe. The young
! woman has a pure, high soprano, es-
pecially fine and even in the upper
register. She has, too, a splendid
stage appearance and considering that
last night was only her fourth appear
anee in the part. she .chronicled an
achievement of which any prima DON
ma of longer experience might boast.
In her solo on the Wood Nymph in the
second act, which has so many delicate
strains in its composition. Miss Berri
eXcelled as a student Of the art. This
number is as fine an example of Nj.
LaShelle's lyrics as the opera affords.
AT the end of the act. Miss Berri
was compelled to take three or four
curtain calls.
AS the Duke of Burgundy, Hubert
Wilkie made a gallant appearance and
his voice was a second admirable fea-
ture of his performance. Mr.. Law
renee. one of the tattered soldiers OF
fortune. rejOices in a deep, impressive
bassO. and was heard to good advant-
age in the opening of the third act. his
solo, War is a Bountiful Jade" and
the male chorus accompanying. being
one Of the delightful five minutes OF
the evening. The prison quartette just
following is another beautiful number
The climax of the second act on the
appearance of King Louis is an APP
proach to grand opera. Then there is
the solo, mo More We Part" in the
first act. and so many others. in fact
that ii is impossible 10 point out al
! the fine points of the opera.
The bulk of the comedy, which is in
a clean. efferyescent vein. is carried
by the inmitable Thomas c. Leary
impersonating a bibulOus old steward
and ne has capable assistants. The
soubrette. Miss Floyd, as Estelle, made
; as cunning a picture as one could wish
and with her opposite. Mr.. Knights, the
tenor. drew one of the heartiest en-
cores of the night.
The chorus is a large one and hs:
been admirably trained The ensemble
work but sustains the reputation of the
production. Finally. the costuming i:
/ gorgeous.
) The Princess Chic" will run unit
, Saturday night at the Theatre. A
every performance that building should
find out its. capacity, from carpet t
kalsomine.
! Down at the Grand business grows
every night. Murray and Mack were
greeted by the largest outpOuring ye
last evening, though it hardly seemi
possible, and the ssle for the remainder
of fhe r-aal- has hann UOo6