The San Francisco call., 1905-03-01
SAVAGE OPERA
MAKES A HIT
Miss Ivell Proves Strong
in Rich Presentation of
BizeI's Great Carmen"
PROMISE OF. GOOD WORK
If the Company Continues
to Improve the Tivoli
Must See to Its LaurelS

NGr. Savage's methods Of business
avoid showing the best goods first
Last nights Carmen was as different
in lift, swing, spirit from Mondays
"OthelIo" as can be imagined. It is
true that "Othello" was an unfortunate
opera for a debut performance; that
for its Interpretation is required in
tensity, subuety and distinction Of the
highest degree; but in its rendering
there was lacking wholly what was so
abundantly in evidence last night
among its chief interpreters-tempera
ment, individuality. If this evenings
''Lohengrin@ increases IN value at the
same ratio, the Tivon folk viii have to
look 10 their laurels.
Marion Iveu was the Carmen. One
has heard among other things that
few weeks ago New Orleans would not
have Miss Wells Carmen. Possibly the
passionate press agents label of Miss
well as the American Calve" had
sonnet hing 10 do with it Possibly the
fact that Miss well and the Savage
people came from New York, that
would have none OF n. Charles and his
New Orleans French opera company,
had. something TO 90 with it.
One has 10 seek reasons for a musi-
cal folk not liking the Savage produc-
ton Of Carmen" as one got il last
uight at the Columbia, from Miss Wells
Carmen down to the smokeless-I
mean noiseless-waterfaIl Of the third
act.
Zelie de Lussan's Carmen it has
been the fashion 70 call "sultry''-
though TO some Of us il was Of a mild
end amiable tepidity. But if Miss de
-r-fe -
Wells is sulphurous. Carmens in their
scores have come and gone here; for
chief, Calves and Collamarini's. With
these any other Carmen is inevitably
compared. Much more, then, know
ing both. one would class Miss well
Is the American Collamarini. She is
not. most probably, so old a Carmen
rs Callamarini: she lacks something
Of the insolent, animal repose-as of
the tiger sure OF his prey-that Cola
marini's Carmen possessed; she has
not the fascinating vocal beauty-nor
the vocal tricks-of Collamarini; but
the conception is in identically the
same key. Il is even more Sinuous
and more Ugerish, even more the vain,
passionate, liberty loving gypsy of
Merimee.
Miss wells looks go a long way.
Fine, long. brilliant eyes, a full sensu-
Gus mouth, shining black hair clev-
erly smoothed over the brow, and a
supple, handsome figure make her
Carmen one Of admirable physical IL
fusion. She is further graceful to a
degree and costumed in excellently
picturesque and characteristic fash
ion. Nor is there anything the matter
with Miss Wells voice-only much
with where she keeps il.
It is placed much too far back, get
ting even nasal in its fiber occasionally.
But 4 the voice is eminently sufficient,
round, large and warmly contralto in
quality and the singer uses it
otherwise with exceptional intelligence
and sympathy. She has yet to learn
70 sacrifice some detail for the sake Of
climax in the matter OF acting, a not
able instance Of anti-climax being at
the end Of the third act-the Don Jose
being equal criminal with her-the
second attack by Don Jose losing its
force by the too much accent laid by
both singers on the first. But the per-
f0rmance as q whole is one of distin-
guished intelligence and close tenn
peramental sympathy, and should not
be missed.
In the Don Jose one was very pleased
10 welcome again the clever Cassie of
the evening before, Mr.. Reginald
Roberts. "Awfully" we'll Mr.. Roberts
sings, in a bright, robust, manly and
sympathetic fashion. I didn't like his
magenta trews. but with the careful
correctness Of the other detail they
were probably all right, but Mr. Rob
erts' Don Jose stands honorably with
al but the best that I have heard
Particularly on the pathetic side the
conception rings true; and it was i'm
passioned though falling a little in
power in the last act; but as to the
originality Of the torn and soiled shirt
the Embraced garb Of Orlando-of that
act there is no question Of brilliant
novelty
Good again was the Escamillo.
Arthur Deane, robust in voice and act
ing and with an admirable measure Of
the braggadOciO bearing Of the torea-
dor. Bis 'Toreador Song" was artisti-
cal.y and picturesquely sung and
ELECTED a hearty encore. A charming
Nicaela was Miss Jean Lane Brooks.
q near neighbor Of ours as neighbors
20 mere. a Denver girl. Miss Brooks
has an eEcellently trained soprano and
sings with sympathy and taste. A
Zuniga that counted was done by
Francis J. Boyle. and A. H. Busby and
Stephen Jungman were good as the
snugglers. Frasquita and Mercedes
were done b. Kate Sherwood and Rita
Observation-Disclosures in both cases,
except as to the clearness of their work
IN the quintet that went delightfully."-.
And again the chorus. with its young
i've, alert voices. Won distinction. It
is a pleasure 10 hear anything they do
and 10 see them 90 ii. AS to the con-
ducting, the opera conducted itself
mostly. When it didn't Mr. Schenck
Tss not TO bar or so in difference
with the singers. he is a quite decora-
tive but rather uncertain. leader. To
conclude Ii is ungrateful not to men
tion the handsome settings.
Tonight "Lohengrin, with the oper-
attic debut Of Miss Rita Newman. a
San Francisco girl, who IS TO appear as
Ortrud