Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-04-29
An UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS.
MIDSHIPMEN'S MUSICALE IS
WELL-RECEIvED.
The Poor Acoustics of The New Audi
forum a Drawback Embryo Admir-.
ais With Musical Talent.
MON0L0G BY MID'N KITTEL
MAKES A HIT.

The midshipmen' musicale given
Saturday evening for the benefit of
the Athletic Association was, from
every point Of view, an unqualified
success. The big auditorium, with
its gallery, was SO packed with the
midshipmen and their friends that
late-comers had difnoulty i'm getting
standing room.
To most of the audience It was
the first time they had been inside
the new auditorium, and il must be
confessed that the general verdict was
wish that the architect had paid
as much attention TO acoustic princi-
pies as he had TO ornament, for in
the back of tho house il was very
dimoult TO hear. The delightful fea-
ture of the audience, however, was
that, whether they heard or not, all
joined in with a will in laughter and
applause. The enthusiasm was CON
tagious, .and in this account there will
be no effort 10 keep up with the indi-
vidual eneores, since almost every
feature was eneored at least twice.
The program opened with excellent
glee club work by a quartet composed
of Midshipmen lie Bourgeois, West.
Ashley and Burdick. This quartet
was especially good in the point whore
most quartets are weak, namely in the
first tenor. A voice as high, clear
and true rs Mr.. Burdicll' IS is n rarity.
The quartet was followed by Profess
sor Cusaehs, who is n favorite with
Annapolis audiences, and who sang
| most aeceptably. Professor Cusachs.
after his encore, had TO how his ac-
wledgment of second call.
Professor Zimmerman, in his string
quintette Midshipman Nordyke's skill
full performance on his mandolin and
return of the quartet were all re
ceived with well-deserved enthusiasm.
/ But the artistic feature OF the evening
was the singing of Midshipman Pier
SOL who, in spite OF the acoustic
| draw backs OF the hall, has probably
never been heard TO better advantages.
| Mr.. Piersol has magnificent bass
voice to begin with, but he is 10 be
congratulated especially on the thor
| oughly artistic manner of his singing.
/ All four of his selections were very
| dramatic in character, "Die Beiden
/ Grenadiere, - ''Don Juan's Serenade,
the two encores, Danny Deem, and
| the Toreador's song from Carmen -
and Mr.. Piersol was finely dramatic
| without being melodramatic. IL might
be added that the feat OF singing in
| succession four such tremendously en-
ergetic songs is in itself tribute to
/ the power OF his voice. Indeed, we
have never heard better singing from
an amateur.
The second half of the program in
troduced itself under the pleasing
alliteration of "Miles Merry Maniac
| Minstrels, which black-faced gentle
men appeared, dressed in shuddering
hues of red and green, and dispensed
n succession of jokes, songs and spec
ialties in professional style. Midship-
men Miles, Mcclure, Donavin and
Magruder got off song hits, and there
was good trick playing on banjo and
mandolins, and Messrs. Mcclure and
Donavin made first class end-men, but
the piece de resistance of this part of
the entertainment was the monolog by
Midshipman Kittel. This monolog
bore the poetic title Dreams, Dreams,
Dreams but Mr.. Kittel went TO
work very practically to twirl lemons
at the Naval Academy in general and
at the Department of English, Navi-
CATION and Steam in particular. Tho
skit was very clever and each hit
was welcomed with howls Of joy.
The finale by the minstrel troupe
wound up a program that was thor
oughly enjoyable, and most creditable
to all concerned, especially to Mid
shipman Miles, who had the enter
tainmenf in charge.