The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-22
-. ~ x 2 4 ~ & Il sssfi
AMIISEME
Metropolitan Joseph Cawthorn 1
Ii The Free Lance

Go The Free Lance
The impecunious mbnareh is asschar-
sacter beloved of all writers Of somic
opera from that time to which the mem
Dry Of man goeth not 81 back. {ss: His
troubles, illustrated in song and Nance
and Jest, have made countless thou
sands laugh; His efforts, to rehabilitate
his frenzied finances. or lack of them,
have formed the pivot Of comic opera,
the dead-broke king would thus. seem to
have been quite exhausted. But there
IS the versatile Harry B. Smith, veter-
an llbrettist, to be reckoned with. He
has now come to the front in "The
free Lance, with a decidedly original
variant on the ancient theme. Not con-
tent with one hard-up ruler, he has
evolved tWo-each with crafty designs
on the others supposedly well-flled ex-
cheauer. The monarchs, in order to
further these designs upon each other,
arrange ar n a marriage of their. heirs. But
che two, never having seen each other
and preferring to wed for love, alone,
disappear. Whereupon the librettist,
far from disdaining that other time.
honored device, the substitute at the
wedding, produces two substitutes for
the proxy marriage.
Working thus along old lines but in
highly original ways, Mr.. Smith has
produced a cleverly involved and suf-
tilclently absurd plot. so rapidly is it
developed, however, that it's logical end
is reached in the middle of the second
act, when the various subterfuges Of
the principals are exposed. The re-
sourceful Mr.. Smith thereupon declares
wal between the monarchs and thus
strings the fun along until the clock de-
crees the fall Of the curtain. Were it
not for Joseph Cawthorn, he Of the pa
latlal trill and the mangled English,
this plot prolongation mi ght prove dis
astrous. But Cawthorn is whole show:
IN himself and rescues the librettist
from impending difficulties by concen-
own inimitable' fun His patter. com
pounded equally Of jest and blunder,
flows as merrily and as spontaneously
as brook, while the undeniably comic
situations provided for him are illumi-
mated with grotesquery all his own. His
role, happily, Is not one Of the sinan-
elaliy embarrassed rulers, but thefproxy
bridegroom who was once Samsonian
bandit, but who has been redueed byy
the loss Of his hair to goat-tending.
rms furnishes the occasion for his best
| :. For the Score none other than John
Philip Sousa is responsible, and,@while
1t Is not enriched by any great and
i striking march chorus, such as those
that have made: Sousa famous, it's Smelo-
dies are charming and it's harmonies
satisfying. While two or three of
the musical numbers give promise Of
attaining popularity, there is none that
seems to have the distinctive sousa
! make q tune almost maddening in ITS
7 pertinacious recurrence to the memory.
There is little of the freshness and
vigor with which he illuminated GEL
Capitan,'', for instance. But Sousa
gould not do anything badly, and, banal
tho his themes may often be, they are
| handled in his own matchless STYLE
The production is notable for the
singing and acting strength Of: the
ness Of its habiliments.. Cawthorn IS
Ieutenants, in the fun campaign are
| Albert Hall, who sis. agile. 1.-the and
reminiscent Of De Wolf Hopper, and
George Schilling, who plays the indi-
gent emperor with panied expression
|sof :countenance quite appropriate. The
three, indulge among other antics in a
t tn burlesquing the male quartet in
! premely funny. Then there is the cher.
ubic Jeanette Lowrie as the masquer:
aiding goosegirl, who last night, was
sadly handicapped by hparseness, but
! who gave evidence, that In better vocal
Z condition she would prove piquantly
lentertaining. Nella, Bergen as the prin-
cess is personable and ii the two num-.
bers. allotted to her exhibits. a clear,
[ site role Of The prince is sang charms
| ingly by George Tallman, in spite of
1lack' Of much vocal opportunity. ,.-,.
+, w. B. Chamberlain.