The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-02-25
Real New York Cast.


At The Kentucky tonight will be
seen Kiaw & Erlanger's presentation
of the Sousa Opera company, in which
Joseph Cawthorn is the stellar feat
Iure in John Philip Sousa and Harry
lib. Smiths new military comic opera
entitled ''The Free Lance" which was
first produced last season and ran for
months at the New Amsterdam thea
ter, New York. THE cast and ensem-
bic is the original one, the main fac
tors being Joseph Cawthorne, Nella
Bergen, Jeanette Lowrie, Albert
Hart, George Schiller, Stanley Muir
ply, Monte Elmo, George Tallman
and other singers and comedians of
prominence. There is a singing cho-
rus of seventy voices which is said
to be the best ever heard In Klaw
AZ Erlanger production and good
enough for opera of any kind. 1.-The
Free Lance" is called genuine COM
ic opera and return to the happy
spirited and genuinely musical COM
positions of the legitimate comic
opera class, few OF which have been
heard in this country since the Gill
bert & Sullivan successes. It is
claimed that John Philip Sousa has
composed a score of musical num-
bers in 1.-THE Free Lance that for
quality would put to blush most of
the compositions that have been
evolved from native musicians for
many day, while Harry B. Smith
has contributed bfiskly moving in
teresting book, full of bright lyrics
and funny lines. Klaw e. Erlanger
have given 1.-THE Free Lance" one of
those sumptuous productions for
which their names are noted. The
scenic establishment is pictureque
and beautiful, the costumes of regal
magnificence but always IN good
taste. An idea of the story of the
opera may be CLEANED from the fol-
lowing:
The treasury of the emperor Of
Braggadocia being empty, in order to
replenish it he decided to wed his
daughter. Princess Yolande, to Prince
Florian, son of the Duke of Graftiana.
The latter is willing that his son
should enter upon this match for the
very same purpose. But Princess Yo-
lande has scrupples about finding a
husband in such a cut-and-dried man
fner On the eve OF tne dukes arrival
IshS disappegrs. and the emperor in
order scs TO disappoint the duke, in
Produces Griselda, a goose-girl and
sheperdess. as his daughter. Prince
Florian, for the same reason as the
princess, also keeps aloof, so the
duke orders his soldiers to find his
son, or at least provide substitute
whereupon they compel Siegmund
Lump (Joseph Cawthorne) to imper-
senate the prince. In the meantime
the real prince and princess, dis
guised as peasants. met and promptly
fall in love, and when Siegmund and
Griselda are introduced to one an
other they find they are already man
and wife When it is discovered that
both the emperor and the duke have
been financing their offspring for the
purpose Of replenishing the treasury
and that neither country has gained
any advantage thereby, war is de-
clared. Griselda commanding the Am
azon army of Braggadocia, while her
husband. Lump, is made commander
in-chief of that of Graftina. The
story as may be seen affords plenty
of scope for comic complications and
happy. humorous episides of which
the excellent comedians of the COM
pany take full opportunity. An aug
mented orchestra of trained music