The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-28
AGREEMENTS !;
The sRostoplans IL 11lx 1aa<f 2 at the
81 MetropolitAn.

! cessful play Sor- story, Is a; well rounded;
I symmetrical work Of art, fcomplete in it.
self and satisfying to the artistic sense
| When the author, yielding to the clamor
OF the public and the publisher or the
manager as the case may be, sets about
constructing sequel, he finds himself
struggling in a sea Of troubles. If the
original success had been foreseen and
the cycle of plays or stories had beer
| planned so as to have the various parts
articulate perfectly, that would have beer
one thing. But to take the characters GU,
or the masterpiece and fit them into q
new story is to court almost certain fail.
| ure.
Maid Marian, the sequel to- Robin
Hood, !" is no exception to this rule, de-
spite the ingenious endeavors Of Harry B
Smith the librettist, and the tunefu
"reminiscences of Reginald de Koven, the
| composer. The fatal defect is in the
story itself. After having, baffled the
Sheriff OF Nottingham and brought to-
gether the true lovers in Robin Hood .
ME-. Smith now tears them asunder hus-
| Ties Robin off to- the crusades so fastiI,
that there isn't even time for a wed ding
| and leaves Maid Marian to the machina-
tions Of the sheriff. Then just as there
IS promise of interesting complication
Mr.. smith whisks every last one OF them
| OIL to the crusades. Romance fails to
| bear the strain thus put upon it: the
Robin and Marian. whom we had sup
| posed united for good and all. excite mo
| interest The plot maunders on through
| many absurdities until" at last in the an
| cestral halls of the Huntingtons there is
a reunion which it lis earnestly to be
hoped will prove, the final one. If Friar
Tuck would only marry the twain before
| the curtain goes down., one would feel
! safer about it. = - :
the pity OF it is that there is material
mere for really good romantic opera. if
us architects could but draw their plans
| Wlthout any reference to robin Hood. .
! No rlcher or more effective background
| could be asked than the crusades in the
DAYS of Richard the .Lon-Hearted.
Ihe efforts to make Maid Marian en-
| terta1nlng are not. however. quite futile.
| Inc comedy, to which much attention is
paid. is amusing and the music, while by
no means up to the robin Hood stand
ara Is tuneful and full of color Mr.. De-
:. hoVen has frankly gone back to Sherwood
forest for the inspiration of many of his
| numbers, While Others have the martial
mayor OF the crusades or the oriental lii
that beseems Palestine
| Inc. Bostonians do not appear to SO
good advantage as in the more familiar
roles. Mr.. Barnabee finds the sheriff he
come a far too frisky fellow, with songs
that tax his voice and "doings' not at
all In character. Under the broad license
OF the operate comedian he gags the
part numerically, causing more or less
regretful merriment. w. H. Mcdonald
fares better, his Little John having de-
veloped INTO a role of importance, per-
hitting him to swagger about and make
love IN quite his old style, besides dem
| onstra ting that his voice is still vigorous
and musical. George rockingham finds
Fr1ar Tuck indulging in horseplay esca;-
pades Of which even that broad
gage cleric would have been ashamed
In his outlaw days, while Josephine Bart
| lett has to deal with a Dame burden
gone clean daft on the idea of marrying
the Sheriff. Harold Gordon. who succeeds
to the role Of Robin. has a pleasant tenor
but lacks. poise. His small stature is
rather against him. but if he would wear
a wig cut in the mode Of the time II
would help the illusion. Harold Cham
bers as Will Scarlet has just one oppor-
tunity in the 'Cellarer's Song" of which
he takes full advantage, The role of Alan
a-Dale, has also lost in importance. and
Maud Leekley, who sings it, has but one
solo. This. however, she sings with fine
feeling in rich and expressive voice.
| Campbell :Donald's Guy Of Osborne de-
generatesF into "a mere xbuffoon, albeit at
times a, funny one. 4
The name part, Of course, falls to Grace
Van Studdiford, who repeats her musical
| and histrionic success. AS before, she is
less pleasing III the for1d passages than
elsewhere f. Annabel disappears as a
| character in the new opera; and in her
place is Lady Vivian, in love with Little
John. role we'll suited to the dainty and
| coquettish Alice Judson; in spite of vocal
! requirements,s which quite overtask her
light voice * = - 49, 80,
The chorus, dazzlingly CARRIED, is re-
sponsible for some stirring and effective
climaxes. Z The production is gorgeously
put on and the. stage pictures are strik-
| ingIy beautiful. -: .:,.-- : =