The Washington herald., 1906-11-18

seasoning in Baltimore and Boston Its
reception here on Monday night was sig
nailv nattering. The interest in this new
work by the composer Of la Boheme'
and la T0sca" was so great that the
house was sold out two days before, and
with the demand for seats that followed
the management could have filed the
theater again. The Garden, IN theatrical
conscience. belongs to the category Of
hoOdoos People Of some intelligence viii
tell you that it is an unlucky theater.
Yet. no sooner did the management an
nounce Madame Butterfly" than the
hoodoo took wing and left success in
its wake. II only goes TO prove that the
public will go to see a good thing in a
tent provided only that it is a good
thing.
Mime. Eliza Szamosy sang the title role.
She sang il In Budapest, and the legend
Is that Puccini was so entranced with
her Interpretation of the role that he said
she was the best Of all the Madame But
terfiies.
She sustained the reputation that pre-
ceded her. Her style caught the fancy Of
the large audience quickly. She easily
dominated the interest by her mobility of
method and delightful art. She also sang
lhe part In an agreeable voice, and with
splendid command Of her powers. It was
Undeniably a hit, which contributed to
the sympathetic reception accorded the
whole work
Col. Savage finally comes in for some
l0ng-deferred praise from the CRITICS for
his enterprise In giving the public grand
opera IN English at prices within the
reach OF the masses
The lbretto is simply an elaboration Of
the original dramatic treatment OF the lit
tie story OF John Luther Long. by Beias-
co, and ,he dramatic values. which made
Il available for the stage. when Blanche
Bates first appeared in it, nave not been
improved upon by the libretlist II is now
in three acts, instead of two scenes The
stay of the opera is indefinite.
With the Metropolitan Opera Company
opening Thanksgiving week. and with Mr.
Hammerstein's new opera house almost
ready 90 open its doors, there is likely to
be an abundance Of musical entertain
ment in New York this season. One
hears enthusiastic reports Of the beauty
Of The new Hammerstein house. and also
Of the fine corps Of singers he Is TO i'm
port, or has imported The chorus has
been rehearsing for some time.
The first night Of the Metropolitan is
20 be distinguished by a performance Of
Romeo ct Julietta," with Mr.. Conried's
newly-acquired stars in the principal
roles. The first week may also include a
performance OF ''Hansel and GreteI' at
popular prices, with Nine. Fieischer-E -Edel,
Of Dresden and Hamburg In the cast.
She IS one Of his new acquisitions.
Marta IS also mentioned as among the
attractions for the first week.
The hrst performance OF "Pippa Pass
es.' by Robert Browning. as adapted 70
the stage by Henry Miller. was given
at the Majestic Theater az q matinee last
Monday. Mrs. lie Moyne appeared as
Ottima and the Monsignor Mabel TaIia-
ferTo was Pippa.
Some of the papers supposed that il (
was musical comedy and sent their
humorous writer's there. They said il
was gloomy" AS a matter OF fact. il
was Browning. and that tells the tale
Unless you are a BrOwningite and ap-
proacA his work in a spirit Of reverence
and with humble and submissive mind. il
is all very amazing.
This IS a consistent effort TO give the
Browning worshipers what they. are look
ing for; It is hardly popular amuse-
meat, and is not intended 70 be Il IS
mostly recitation, with very little action
Pippa' part in the plan is indirect and
negative, dancing sunbeam amid the
storm clouds. There is no dramatic unity
nor more than some fragments OF plot.
But why not use the stage to make
known the wealth Of Browning's wonder
tul fancy, since he is one of the great
English Qoets2 The dramatic treatment
is as good as it could be The acting
was admirable and one Of the distinct
charms Of the performance was the gor-
geUus musical setting which the work re-
ceiVed at the hands OF William Furst the
composer. Miss Taliaferro came in for
a good deal Of praise for her airy and
graceful work as Pippa. The play is in
tended for series Of special matinees.
The Shaw worship is undiminished. At
ter lying dormant for venturesorne read
ers 20 enjoy at their leisure. George Ber-
Hard has suddenly taken complete pos
session Of the stage. and with Forbes
robertson playing his Caesar and Cleo /
patra. Robert Lorraine starring in Man
and Superman,' he has even been made /
popular on the variety stage where Ar
mold DAILY, that madCap. is appearing /
twice day in a Man of Destiny
And now it is announced that Lorraine l
is getting Shaws other daring play "The /
Philanderers," ready for production.
When this is mounted. every one. except I
'Widowers' Houses Of the Plays Pleas
ant and Unpleasant will have been .pro-
duced IN English Yet managers 4 few
years ago said Shaw was impossible.
There was nothing really bad in Mrs
Warren's Profession" save that Il sug-
geStcd a condition which everybody sane
ly intelligent knows to exist. II is nard-
ly good acting play. II is only daring
in point of novelty and excellent in cnar-
acterlzation. But moral New York had
a moral convulsion about the time that
II was scheduled for production. and it
was condemned unheard, or practically
so. The public evidently likes Shaw, or
one may be sure that the madness would
long ere this have run its course Mr..
Lorraine has not yet announced when
The Philanderers" will be presented.
Kyrle Bellew closed his gagement IN
'Brigadier Gerard" at the Savoy this
evening, and the play viii be taken on
tour. where it IS expected to meet with
better fortune than here. The play is
not half bad. The real secret of its fail
ing to supplant "Raffies" in popular fa-
vOr is that theatergoers are growing
weary Of romantic costume plays. and par
ticularly of plays in which Napoleon is
characterized. The type Of "Ie bon sa-
Der" moreover, is too conventional to in
spire the vigorous interest that is the life
of the theateT. Bellew Is elegant and
finished in every detail OF his art but
he is not q character actor Of the sort
that shines in a role like this. Before
the season is over he will probably be
seen IN q new play