The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-11
Routine of the s.Birds and Butterflies,
of Mr.. Savage's Aggregation mt
Brooklyn Academy.
GETTING READY FOR THE TOUR
CHORUS GIRLS COPY THEIR FAVOR
TIE PRIMA D0NNAs.
Long Months of Real Work Before
Girl Can Hope TO Accomplish
Much on Operate Stage.

Correspondence OF the Indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, Oct. elf you are pos
sessed of the idea that life in an opera
company is all one mad merry roundelay OF
lyric leisure and of gayety. explore the
cavernous and echoing interior of the
Brooklyn Academy of Music any morning
at IL and afterward talk for five minutes TO
the first breathless. perspiring prima donna
who is released from rehearsal. You will
experience an utter and immediate change
of heart The perspective through which
you gaze on the song birds that carol
blithely each night in the Montague-street
temple of art will be quite altered.
Birds and butterflies that's what the
public calls the young women who sing and
those who dance behind the footlights OF
the opera. The public is a poet, and sub
ject to giddy flights of fancy. The hardest
worked beasts of burden in the world are
the stevedore elephants OF India. and the
politicians just now in Brooklyn. The birds
and butterflies of Mr.. Savage's English
grand opera company come next. The birds
who sing have possibly shade harder
work than the butterflies who dance. Ma
rion Ivell, who is herself a very nightin-
gale. plaintively argues that the butterflies
do the same gay little dance I'm the Kir-
mess scene in Faust that they Introduce
into the gypsy revel in Bohemian Girl"
and that the same dance by the chorus
that gives touch of saltatorial lightness
to Lucia di Lammermoor" fits Just as well
into Romeo and Juliet or 'sThe Hugue-
nots''
On the other hand. pink-cheeked beau
ty from among Mr.. Savags's fiuttering
flight of butterflies, while she admits that
it requires much talent and great practice
to fit diva for lyric honors. trfumphantly
demands to know whether Gertrude Rem
nyson could sing her big "Tannhauser''
solos twirling me -rily on the toes of one
foot, while those of the other point toward
the constellation of Orion? Or whether
Mime. Norelh could take the high notes in
the Lucia mad scene, or Elsa's vision
scene in 'Lohengrin" and execute double
rows of pirouettes at the same time? To
which question Miss Rennyson and Nine
Norelli expected to shake their heads
in negation-
BUTTERFLIES AT WORK
The butterflies who sing and dance at the
same time were hard at work the other
morning, practicing the may intricacies of
the gypsy dance for Bohemian Girl" seen
and heard at the Academy the past week
'Tra-la-la-l-a-a-a," droned the chorus
master at the piano. "One-two-three-b
m-m." counted Stage Manager Evans. and
forty butterflies in rainy day costumes
twirled gaily three times and skipped CO.
quettishly TO and from forty cavaliers in
street attire, who were performing similar
pirouettes on the other side OF the stage.
''Tra-la-la-l-a-a-a!' zone two three
b-m-m,'
I nxror
reiteration, until a neat little butterfly IN
the last row Is ready to faint and cries for
rest. There is no play about IL with her.
/ She drops down a pile Of scenery and
pants for breath. In five minutes the stage
manager has them on their feet and again
/ the merry dance goes on.
"One-two-three. b-m-m"
Pirouets and curtsics, dips and whlrIs
are repeated YEARLY in dizzying routine TO
the insistent ''tra-la-la-la-l-a-a-a" of Mr..
Evans. until the prescribed three hours OF
rehearsal are at an end. With a shrilI
chorus OF protest the butterflies hear the
order ito come back at $3.50 this afternoon
and go forth muttering. But they will all
be at rehearsal and work valiantly until
O'Clock at the same tiresome steps. At
night they will do their little turn i'm the
chorus, and when the dancers bound grace
fully on to the stage i'm "Bo' Girl" young
women I'm the audience envy the graceful
little butterfly who is paid by the manage
ment for the pretty fun Of singing and
dancing gaily TO the strains OF the orchcs-
/ ira.
While the dancing chorus is rchearsins
the principals are running over their
parts i'm an upper hall. and the remaining
ensemble artists struggling nobly with
4 the lyric difficulties of the choruscs On
! ''Tannhauser, under the guidance OF
I Musical Director Schenck. There arc some
forty girls in the chorus of Mr. Savage's
'all-American" organization. and each one
is sustained and buoyed through hours OF
vocal WEAKNESS by the inspiring belief that
before the season ends her voice shall
! enchant an appreciatiye management into
assigning her a solo part Then VOLTA.
| before one knows IL she will be a prima
/ donna.
SEEM TO BE SISTERS.
The thing that strikes one who listen.
/ distraught for the first time TO chorus re-
hearsals, is that an amazing number OF tile
| girls seem 10 be sisters. There are group.
of twos and threes and skies vino wear the
same style of hats. do their hair exactly
alike, and bear other outward and visible
| signs of twinship.
Mr.. Savage laughs when you ask him Why
! he doesn't feature his great family
( chorus and then lets you into the secret.
The chorus girl who has aspirations care
fully copies her favorite prima donna. Miss
well, Miss Rennyson, Miss Brooks Miss
NeIma. Mime. Norelu. each has her faithful
admirer in the chorus. There is the girl
with Spanish coloring and a dramatic voice.
who faithfully copies Miss Wells coiffures
and hats and the little coquetries OF speech
and action the statuesque prima donna
uses so effectively I'm Carmen" There is
the willowy soprano. who initiates Gertrude
Rennyson with a faithfulness that would
drive Cissy LOTUS TO despair. There is the
temperamental girl. with tangle of fiuf-
| fy auburn hair and deep soulful eyes. who
tries desperately TO look like Mabel Nelnla.
ard there arc accurate brunette limitations
OF Miss Brooks and Miss Newman and
blondes like Nine Noreil all ever the place
during "A rehearsal of the chorus.
And how that chorus girl does sing!
There Is a surging enthusiasm in the MAIL
ner in which they attack and fairly eat the