The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-10-27
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.


Countess Hilda Won Drsga. Red
Feather" "...................L Lillian Sefton
Mile Fihne. ne......................El Elsie de We're
Anita. ta.........................O G.. Moore
............... Margaret Hubbard Aver
yictorine. a French girl. Floyd Redledge
A baroness s................ Louise HOLSTER
A duchess. s.,................ Dean II. Dulany
A marquise Observation-Disclosures. Cora Tracey
A countess. ........,....,., DAISY ~. fuset
Cara Mona Desmond
Rita. Nina huooipi,,
Mana. Grace kimbali
Maria Dorothy Maynard
Capt. Trayors. George y. iaIlman
Crown prince. .......,...... Stanley HAWKINS
Baron Bulyerstrauss James r.. sullivan
Col Macpatrick. ....,...,., LOUIS tdsaNant
Bagstock Bowler...,..,,,.F' stuart hvatt
AT the Providence opera house for the
week with "A matinee on saturday only.
Florence Ziegfeld. Jr.s. production. ned
Feather" and opera comigue presenting
Grace Van studdiford az the star. The
music Is by Reginald de Koven, lyrics by
Charles Emerson Cook ana the oook py
II was not Miss studdiford however
but Lillian Seton that was presented as
the star AZ last nights opening. Hers
was an emergency call.
The production began it's fourth weak
last evening The occasion was made
interesting from the fact that the au-
dience was afforded something OF an OPP
portunity 20 see for themselves little
OF the character OF the big job required
20 set UP one OF these imposing musical
shows.
The side light demonstration was oc-
casioned by the circumstance OF a case
OF tonsililies. While II has probably not
knocked the star out for the whole en-
gagement, Miss Van Studdiford was taxi
ing the count last evening. She is ex-
pected 10 resume the part tomorrow
night.
OF course. big and thoroughly equip
rcd organization like Red Feather" has
en- ample supply OF understudies. But 10
have the principal part Knocked out be-
fore the production IL under way a month
and, I'm tho case OF these huge musical
compounds a production may be said. In
that length OF time. To be only rounding
into a finished state, Is evidently call
cuated To find the most conscientious
under study hardly up TO her job. what
With whipping her own part into shape
So Miss Van Studdifords tonsilitis put
tho Red Feather solks i'm deep rut
They confessed II in manly fashion. n
representative OF the company making
little speech before the curtain went mp
and cheerfully offered your money back.
Nobody cared to go and Il s safe 10 say
that nobody was sorry for staying
The much heraded star was absent and
her part under the circumstances could
not have been adequately supplied But
what delighted the audience was as brave
q struggle 10 All a mighty difficult bill
as could we'll be imagined
Miss Seton is not very big girl but
che evidently has the courage OF female
lion tanner.
She was pretty well mp in the music
and. in the course OF the brief tour Of
RED Feather" had absorbed most Of
the business. usually finding herself
in the right place I'm the scene and carry
ing out the pantomime successfully. 90
haf he of has faiIs
was not seriously embarrassed. She did
not know many OF the spoken lines and
as these arc chiefly OF the character Of
airy persifage. that distinguishes the
book Of the average musical production.
they were big sight harder TO catch
and carry from the prompter's reading
than would have been the measured
verse OF Shakespeare or the strident
lines " melodrama. And for the me
rea son that Miss Seton "a an under
study. had not acquired the star part
the other principals who paved with her
were quite unable to help her as they
would have been had tho show been out
longer
Miss Seton had everybody i'm the house
With her. however and that sustained
heT when II seemed as though she
couldn't stand up for another line under
tho strain Her voice sank to n whisper
M times and her nervousness was ply
ricaliy plain To her audience. The songs
ggvc her q hancc 10 recover herself and
her audience applauded the lyrics with
double enthusiasm The tribute was not
mercy compliment. either, for Miss
Seton sang the star numbers In good
voCc and as accertably as could be de-
sired.
Every woman az least. In the audience
realized TO the full what Miss Seton was
UP against when II was made clear that
the star costumes which che wore were
built for considerably bigger woman
NOTABLY. ia the second act the part calls
for two. at least, OF tho weightiest and
longest trained. as well as most gorgeous
gowns that this era Of gorgeous stage
gowning has yet produced Now, consider
if YOU please what with sustaining what
may called the psychological strain Of
holding the centre of the stage and hav-
ing the lime light follow YOU around when
YOU arc conscious that YOU ought TO be In
q nuns cell with your head In brown
paper and vinegar coming your lines
just consider The extremity OF agony in
.Nolved in being forced 10 lug about gor-
geous gowns that arc about two sizes too
bic FOR YOU
Talk about the straw and the camel's
back Miss Sefton not only had TO handle
and steer the trains of those ample Van
Studdford gowns but 90 reef and furl the
fronts, beside. How she ever got down
one Of the longest Nights of operate
stairs that ever figured ~ stage specta-
Gle without chutng the chute, or how she
over got about the stage without ineNtri-
cahly swaddiine herself is marvel. No
wonder she was able go give only the
smallest hit % her attention TO tho
promptcr WithSIt a promptcr 90 handle
those ovcr-big gowns as well as call the
lines. II was simply tho impossible that
thc was called upon to perform.
~ she wasn't physical and mental
WRECK hk tho last aftar 40 prnIuCti
was concluded. n would he strange We
know what an able bodied man would
have done under the same circumstances
He would have zone off--and. we'll likelv
had tonsilitis himself before the night
vas fsr spent As. Cor Misc SETON,
though. It's dollars TO. doIRhnuis. that
she will be pretty near letter perfect IN
her part tonight she is q stunning. brave
slrl
II waa r-hcn the rnrtnlr .insea he ,,rn.