Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-29
NE OPERA [GYP1A'
PLEASE& AUDIENCE
Heavy Musical Production Hand
led Successfully by Cast Of
Local Singers
PRINCIPALS SCORED A HIT
Initial Presentation of Biblical Story
in Song of Life of Moses, Is Most
creditabls - Mrs. F. L. Meeker and
Mr.. Ross Salisbury Especially Prom
inent Among the soIoists.

inent Among the Soloists.
The first of three performances OF
the sacred opera "1Igypta,' given under
the auspices Of the Ladies Auxiliary OF
the Railroad Y. M. c. A., by cast
Of local singers, numbering about 3Oo,
was given at the Cdeon, Manday night,
and scored a success. The rendition
Of the opera pleased a large audience,
which did not, however. fill the seating
capacity of the house. In some re-
spects "Egypta" was most excellent
and some of the characters were very
we'll taken.
The story Of "Egypta' Is the Biblical
story Of Moses, and it carries him from
the time OF the finding of the babe In
the bullrushes by Pharaoh's daughter
to the time that he leads the children
Of Israel from Egypt to the Promised
Land. Much Of the music and words
have been culled from both sacred and
secular operas and songs. The produce
ton is suitably costumed and staged.
but neither the wardrobe nor the seem
cry Is what miglt in professional
sense, be termed elaborate. Some of
the scenic effects, however, gave an
appropriate setting to the stage action.
1t would be lnanifestly unfair to
criticise the personnel Of the cast by
the same standard Of excellence by
which professional performers are
measured Some OF the leading parts
were excellently taken, and some were
not nearly so good. Choruses as whole
were good, altho The smaller ones We're
as a rule better than those in which
more persons took part. The drills,
both of the young ladies and young
men and boys, were among the best
features of the entire performance. The
chief criticism against the vast major
ity of the soloists was the lack OF vol
ume. The theater was too large for
their voices to fill.
Standing easily first among the prirl-
cipal members OF the cast was Mrs.
Carrie Sipher Meeker, who took the
difficult part Of 'rhermutis, Pharoahs
daughter, and Mr.. Ross Salisbury, who
was cast as the Moses of the third and
fourth acts Others who took a prom
inent part among the principals were
Miss Jessie E. Hall. as Jachebed, the
mother of Moses; Mrs. Eva Ferguson
Hurlbut, as Miriam. the sister Of Mo-
ses; II. b. Miller, as Pharoah; Miss
Mae Smith, as the messenger angel,
and Miss Wanda Wood as Zipporah,
the wife of Moses.
Mrs. Meeker and Miss Hall had es-
pecially hard characters to interpret.
but both were most creditable. Mrs.
Meeker's solos were the features OF
the first two acts in which she ap-
peared. and she sang them excellent
ly.
Mr.. Ross Salisbury even surprised
those who are we'll acquainted with his
voice. by his very excellent rendition
of his solos. The solos Of Miss Hall,
Mrs. Hurlbut. Miss Smith, Miss Wood
and Mr.. Miller were good. Besides
the grown people who figured promi
nently among the principals of the cast
there were a number of children who
added to the opera. The babe Moses.
Lyle Mclaughlin, aged months, of
lIlC AL 81 <1Cl, Sl1S ivy U4OSCSd x40lO1A
Howig, of the second act; in fact, all
the Moses, made a hit. Baby Nc
Laughlin stood the gaze Of the several
hundred people of the audience and
the unaccustomed scene without a
murmur. Miss Marjorie Bingaman,
who was cast as Miriam, the sister Of
Moses, during the first two acts, was
another Of the children, who did we'll,
likewise Master James Swingley, who
took the part OF Pharoah's first-born
son. Other children who figured In the
cast We're p. Cad Morehouse and Maui
rice Bernstein.
The action Of the play starts with the
hiding of the babe Moses in the rushes
by his mother, and the finding of the
child by the daughter of Pharaoh. The
child Moses grows, and in the second
act the movement of the play centers
about his adoption by Pharoah's daugh
ter. The third act, which is divided in
to four scenes, tells the story of the
bondage of the Children of Israel.
Moses kills Pharoah's overseer and es-
capes. He receives the command
Egypt, and set the Israelites free. The
fourth act tells of the story of the
death of Pharoah's first born son, who
dies with others Of the first born of the
Pharoah refuses to release God because
Paraoh refuses to release the Israel
ties. Pharaoh consents to allow the chill
dren of Israel to go free, and the act
closes with Moses leading them thru
the wilderness. Intermingled with the
action Of the play itself there are a
number of choruses and drills. The
childrens' chorus of the second act, as
a part of the festival incidental to the
adoption of Moses, is made up of about
200 little girls gowned in white.
The cast of the principal characters
of the opera is as follows:
Meneph-Ta Pharaoh OF Egypt 49,.
Observation-Disclosures. Hamlin B. Miller
The Prince, Pharoah's First Born