The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-08
SOCIETY AT THE REHEARSAL
INVITATIONS 10 THE METROPOLs
TTAN Nv GREAT DEMAND. a.


Have you been 90 dreas rshearNal ~
the Metropolitan It IL a privilege that
the elOct treasure very highly. The dis Z
Greet black and white printed cards D a
which Mr.. Heinrich Conried -begs" Tor the
pleasure of -Mr. Smith and ON" at these
KOnctions are more sought b admia-
sion to the pnrterrs boxes. ? 20" r. "
Here at these rehearsals society and q
the stage meet more closely than ON
any other footing. Prina donnas talk
with their friends from behind the scenes
as well'a from che stoclxholders' boxes:
critics and artists dwell together In tem-
pOrary harmony, and Mr. Cpnried from
his seat in the front row beams with delighe
on the singers, the critics and the stock~
holders. 60
Dress rehsarsals begin ak II o'clock
in tho forenoon. As they last invariably
until 3 at least there must. be a hiatus
for lunch. That is a part OF tho FUN. The
half o interval for food may be spens
in one OF the cafes in the peighborhood, or
the most interested may prefsr 90 send ous
for sand witches on bring them along. The
latter rule usually wins and only a few
deserters leavs the gloomy auditorium and
face. with their eyes batting in the sunlights
the Broadway midday. industrious young
men bring sand ~icbes 70 those that remain.
there is u sound Of crackling tissue paper
as pasteboard boxes are opened and there
have been seen bottles passing from hand
! 10 hand.
Fairly arrivals usually find Mr.. Conried
already in his place. Only the central
door is opened and through that pass IN
few guests that have been invited. There
are rarely more than a hundred. The AZ
sembly Is composedin equal partso Of singers,
critics. for whcss bcnent the rehearsals aro
really given. and subs5ribers who are de-
lighted'to come into this informal perform
apoe n see their fayprites without their
war paint.
Not only d0 the singers in the audience
come in street dress hut frequently tho
artists on the sage appear in the same
guise. At the dress rehearsal OF Adrian
! L~scouvreurT Lima Cayaberi wore bicycle
sdrt and q shirt wais:. The advantage OF
attendance OF rehesrsSls may be gathered
from that fact Atone. A ticket will gain
admission to see the beautiful Italian in hsr
stage clothes, hut no amount of money
would gain the sight OF her in a shirtwaist
outside Of q rehearsal. So in the dress
rehearsal OF Iris" Emma Eames did not
appear in her Japanese costume. She
wore Il snort skirt and a silk waist.
ats a superstition she said laughingly
tot friend. Il have never been photographed
in a part before sang il nor ave 1 ever
worn at a final rehearsal the costume In
which I am N sing. lam perfectly sure that
to do 81 would bring me bad luck"
SignOr Caruso Ia another sin with the
some prejudice and SiRnorS cotti never does
more Mt a dress rehearsal than take on his
COLLAR. Even that change makes him in
teres'inE to the gomcn who have only seen
hio scowli0g 80 ScIrpin or America.
The httla autienCe that comes out Of
tho rNorninc LIGHT into the opera house
finds IFS SnSts itself, 90 there are no usheraa
and only tho " hite haired Max Hirsoh to
s9e that nobody comes in without being
entitled TO me privilege. The first few
rows are roIed IN Tor the stockholders OF
the two ~corIpsuies TO whom the destinies
of opera in New York are intrusted. Some
Of the stock holders prefer to TAX their
regular seats in the parterre boxes.
There IS merely light enough to see ones
way about in the large auditorium. Much
frorRthis one q eGs the head of Signor Ferrari
above the railing and occasionally hears
his voice calling to his men before tho
rehearsal begins. '
But for this interruption the theatre Id
almost Bs quiet as IL is dark. .sr
This very air OF silence and emptiness
makes the guests swell with pride at the
thought Of being so close TO the heart OF
operate affairs. Then they strengthen
this impression by seeing the artists 90
near them. They always come to the re-
hears1ls. Mime. Ssmbrich. who says she
will have no dress rehearsal OF her own
this season md is eager to hear the new,
operas. cornCs for fear that she may not
get another opportunity. And the or
chestra. which remembers her generosity
after San Francisco. gave her a fanfare
whom she entered the theatre at the lateen
dress rehearsal.
Nine. Louise Homer made her first ap-
pearance after The birth Of the twins at a
! dress rehearsal 10 accustOm herself grad
III L. LII a.. R-~N kLAN ~ .
mother of tw ins and an opera singer. Nine.
Eames ia a regular attendant at the dress
rehearsals when she is not to sing that
night or the next day. Most of the men
| wander in for a fcw minutes. ..
Caruso, who has ceased in the last few
yenrs to conse TO the opera when he does
l not sing. appears at the dress rehearsalB
accompanied by his in~separable companion.
Richard Bartholemy. Bonci alone among
the important singers is missing. He.
takes such good care Of himself hat even
a dress rehearsal seems to ofer perils in
the way of draughts. So
act without IL hand to relieve the feelings
OF the audience. There is a rustic as the
little gathering moves in its seats h
musicians who have brought their scores
shut them up. SociabiIity reigns as fully
as IL docs in the intermissiOns on opera
nights. n groups melt n blend into p
one another. Some OF the artists who
have appeared on the stage come into tho
auditorium To see their friends. Those
who have dressed for their parts rarely
appe,r, but tho others come out 20 look
at the stage when the ffashs Zht photoR-"
rapher begins his work. This is always
an incident OF the dress rehearsals that
causes the greatest exCitGme among
the unprofessional visitors. GrOups and
figures from the opera are taken on tho
stage from a camera that stands In the
auditorium near the orchestra pit. IL
extends twenty feet into the air.
This prejudice against dressing for tho
final rehearsal interferes with the plan OF
getting the principal artists in the groups.
Geraldine Farrar wns the only principal
among the women who has dressed 90
that she might bs photo graphed. Rio +.
cardo Martin, the tenor. also appeared in
costume at the rehI sal OF "Mefistofele.S
but Theodor Chaliapine inwhOm there was
the greatest interest. would not take the
trouble To put on the complicated makaun. ~