The San Francisco call., 1904-06-12

And even then" she said. laughing.
chronic prudence restrained me from
interviewing a manager. Just wait
whispered Prudence, and when you are
fit to appear in opera the proposal will
come to you Prudence was right. as
usual Henry W. Savage, the impre-
sario. heard me sing in the choir and
the next day he sent for me. NV first
role was that of Siebel in Faust and
Mr.. Savage Immediately booked me for
three years with his New York Castle
Square Company"
She sang various roles with the Castle
Square organization, and with the con-
clusiOn Of her engagement came offers
galore. While they were under consid-
GRAFTON Mr.. Savage made his memor-
able-and cOstly-move to the Metro
politan Opera-house by arrangement
with Maurice Grau, and Miss Condor
was chosen from many applicants to
sing Siebel, her first role, in the open
ing performance of Faust"
AT that time" she continued, "im-
presarii were beginning to corral
grand opera singers into the lighter
works of musical comedy and comic
opera and they offered better salaries
than the grand opera managers could
or would pay. For a while 1 resisted
all overtures to abandon the grand
opera field, because 1 had not advanced
as far in it as 1 desired. but finally L
yielded tc the terms proposed by
Messrs. Fisher & Riley, whose 'Floro-
dora was then in its first ecstacy of
success at the New York Casino. 1
al Of in he
tion and so satisfying were the results
that 1 bade adieu to the 'heavies' and
decided to remain in light opera"
Her next important engagement was
with Jefferson de Angels in Sir Arthur
Sullivan's final opera, THE Emerald
Isle" and all the New York critics
said that to her work as the coquettish
Molly was due mostly the success of
the production.
Then l joined the Bostonians, she
said, and sang the leading contralto
roles of their repertoire. 1t is no envi-
able ordeal, I tell you. to step into a
part that has already been created by
a popular favorite. Comparisons are
inevitable, and usually unfair, for no
matter how successful is the artist who
succeeds the creator the first impress
sions of the public are as lasting as
they are prejudiced. Understanding
this. you may realize how much 1 value
these criticisms of my first appearance
as Alan-a-Dale in Robin Hood at the
New York Academy Of Music last Aug
ust."
The notices certainly were worthy of
their foremost place in the Condor
scrap book. All of them pronounced
the new Alan-a-Dale equal in every
detail of attractiveness to the-''crea-
ton" of Jessie Bartlett-D Davis, and
some of them said that Kate Condor
was the only legitimate successor, vo-
cally, dramatically and physically. of
the original leading contralto of the
Bostonians.
That was my most gratifying tri-
umph," said Miss Condor, because it
was the first actual comparative test
Of my ability. My preceding roles had
either been created by me or sang by
many artists before assumed them,
and it certainly was pleasant to be re-
leased from the trepidation accompa-
nying my debut in the part where Jes-
sic BartlettD Davis made her greatest
success. When the Bostonians pro-
duced The Serenade' in Chicago 1 sang
DoIoreS/and the critics again gave me
primal honors-but the fact that I was
a Chicago girl may have had something
to DO with that"
Which reminded her to ask the ques-
tion that all newcomers of her profess
sion ask concerning San Francisco
audiences Contradictory reports of
their treatment Of strange stage artists
had reached her in the East. She would
like TO get the truth Of It.
When you make your first entrance