The Saint Paul globe., 1904-02-19
AT St. Paul Theaters

The best thing Reginald De Koven
has done since Robin Hood is Red
Feather" which was made known to
st. Paul last night at the Metropolitan.
The most accomplished prima donna
that the comic opera stage has re-
vealed in these parts for the past de-
cade is Grace Van Studdiford, who
was welcomed by an appreciative,
and, it is pleasure to add, large
audience. The two so seldom CO.
exist.
Miss Van Studdiford is not new to ST.
Paul. Those who attended the per-
formances of robin Hood" and Maid
Marian" by the Bostonians a year ago.
heard her splendid voice and admired
her vocal method.
But the opera is new, and as a
stranger it is doubly welcome, for Mr..
De Koven has done better than was ex-
pected, in view Of his musical ven-
lures since Robin Hood" He has
been ABLY assisted" as the press
agent loves to put it, by Charles Emer-
son Cook, who has penned some ryth-
mic lyrics to which the music is hap
PLY welded. 1t is also true that
Charles Klein has supplied a fair in
stalIment of breezy dialogue to bridge
over the chasms between songs.
Without question the musical mas
terpiece of the opera is 1.-The Humor-
Gus Ghost sung by the basso (Mr.
Cassayant) and chorus in the second
act. The rhythm of this number is
fully as captivating as Will Scarlet's
croSS-bow song in robin Hood" the
melody is in perfect sympathy with
the subject, the harmonies are rich and
the effect, by reason of the manipula-
ton of the lights, is a combination of
the ludicrOus and the uncanny that
proVokes encore after encore 1t is
the musical and literary gem of the
opera, worthy of Gilbert and Sullivan.
Many other numbers deserve special
mention, among them the conspira-
tors trio, comic conceit early in the
first act; Lessons in Verse;" an eccen-
tric quartette that exhibited amusing
originality; the duet between Miss
Van Studdiford and Mr.. Tallman. and
the finale of the act. The second act
is not so prolific of music, but contains
beside THE Humorous Ghost" song a
melodious contralto solo, "The Rose
and the Breeze" sung by Miss Tracy,
and brilliant solo, Garden Of
Dreams" sung by Miss Van Studdi-
ford.
1t is so seldom that the local theat-
rical stage vouchsafes a prima donna
that one is fairly amazed. Not a sin
gle woman with a cultivated voice has
sung over any local footlights this
season with the exception of Miss Van
| Studdiford and the two vocalists who
appeared with the Bostonians. The
| Bostonians never would be without a
prima donna.
AS for Miss Van Studdiford, she is
easily a star entitled to the distinc-
ton. 1t is a question which is the
more Opulent, her voice or her beauty
| Every tone of her symmetrical So
prano voice is true and warm. 1t vi
| brates with expression. She sang a
high D last night with the utmost
| ease and executed cadenzas and triIls
with a facility that fairly placed the
| flute at disadvantage. 1t is an un-
| alloyed pleasure to hear a voice of this
! quality utterly free from a strident
| note, at perfect liberty to perform any
! vocal gymnastic and emanating the
/ while from woman whom nature has
| favored with rare beauty Of face and
| figure.
! Miss Van Studdiford's most effective
| achievement was the song the countess
sings to signalize her entrance. It's
| most appropriate title would be Red
| Feather" The vocal accomplishments
| Of Miss Van Studdiford were mani
| tested in the most convincing fashion
| in this solo, which was Of an exacting
character from the comic opera stand
| ard.
1 MuS1Cdlly MISS v I'LL Cluuul1OIQ WIS
well supported by Cora Tracy, whose
| mezZo contralto is of a beautiful mel
| low quality, and by Louis Cassavant,
| whose resonant basso contante height
| ened the effect Of the ensembles as well
| as exploited the masterpiece of the
| composer.
/ George ]. Tallman, who played the
| distracted, love-lorn captain, eXhib-
| tied a, lyric tenor of pure quality but
| might have impaired more action to
| the role. So, too, A. B. MacGahen,
who invested the character of the
| brown prince with becoming dignity
| and displayed an acceptable baritone,
| was just a little bit too stiff and for
NAL to impart that needed touch of
| humanity to the role.
! The burden of making the fun de-
| wolves upon James E. Sullivan, who
! adopts a TeutOnic dialect for this
| purpose. Mr.. Sullivan was quite sue
! cessful during the greater part of the
! first act, but he gave promise of be-
! coming monotonOus before the act
| ended, which promise he fulfilled
| completely in the second act. Some
| of his speeches could we'll be omitted.
| w. G. Mccarthy, the third of the
| trio Of conspirators, was the funniest
| man in the show.
F. G. Fl.
''Winsome Winnie" the new comic
| opera which enjoyed a run Of five
months at the New York Casino dur
ing the mid season and which Is now