Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-10-07
PRESENT THE
IDOLS EYE
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA COMPANY
ATlTs BEST
MONTH HAS BROUGHT MANY AND
IMPORTANT CHANGES
Organization Is Very Different from
the One Which Opened the Los
Angeles Theater Five
Weeks Ago

The San Francisco Opera company,
which presented 1.-THE Idols Eye at the
Los Angeles theater last night, iss quite
a different organization from the san
Francisco Opera company which opened
that house month ago. To begin with
there have been numerous changes in the
ranks of the principals. Likewise the
chorus mas been augmented and improved,
both in singing ability and in good looks.
This chorus, by the way, both men and
women, merits more than passing men
ton. 1t is symmetrical chorus, fitting its
clothes neatly, and 1t can sing.
Carl Haydn, who has been wooing that
Irish girl whose profile adorns the ma
tional coinage, in the concert field of late,
returned to his own last night in the role
of Ned Winner, Haydn, several years ago,
was well known in Los Angeles musical
circles and many of his old friends were
In the audience to give him welcome. He
has a pleasing tenor voice, of excellent
quality in the lower register If a trife
uncertain on the higher notes. AS an
actor he is somewhat stiff, but that is
quite in keeping with comic opera tradi-
ton. A tenor who can act is rare bird
indeed.
BY Smith and Herbert
The book of the Idols Eye is by
Harry b. Smith, who has written several
scores of librettos few Of them, however,
as amusing as this one. The music Is by
Victor Herbert, and it includes one or
two numbers that are in Herberts best
vein, notably Fairy Tales" II Just
Dropped In" and two of the choruses
For some reason or other 1.-THE Tatooed
Man." which Frank Daniels used in this
opera, is omitted in the present revival.
In the Fairy Tales song, sung by Miss
Hemmi, Daphne Pollard, Arthur Cum
bingham, Carl Haydn and William Blais-
dell. one of the verses, written for the
occasion, hits of the recent activity Of TIE
attendance officers of the Los Angeles
theater and this verse was sung by the
iiminutive Daphne in way that set the
house in roar of approval. Other verses
have to do with the San Francisco graft
scandal, the young women who peroxides
her hair and similar foibles of femininity.
This number was encored SO many times
that everybody in the house lost count.
AS is the San Francisco habit, several
songs were interpolated where the man
agement drought they would do the
most good. Miss Hemmi had one of them
Mr.. Haydn another and Mr.. Blaisdell a
third. These interpretations have been
features of every production the company
made here, not even excepting "Bohe-
milan Girl Last week. for instance, Ar
Want When l Want It," was one Of the
best liked numbers on the program, and
probably only a few persons who heard
it knew that it didn't belong in 1.-THE
Strolers" at all, but was taken from
Mile. Modiste."
A Lavish Production
Taking 1t all in all, 1.-THE IDOLS Eye
probably is the best thing the company
has yet done 1t has been given a lavish
production so far as the costumes are
concerned and one of the two scenes
shown is new and effective. The opera
is in three acts, the scene of the first
and third being the same.
Barring frequent hesitation in his lines
Billy Blaisdell was pronounced sue
cess in Frank Daniels old role. Later
in the week, when he masters his dia-
logue and becomes more familiar with
the mechanism of that skirt which
wouldn't fall off last night when 1T was
expected to, he will be still better.
Blaisdell Is naturally funny. He is funny
from his feet up, and it's all good, clean,
wholesome fun, something which could
not always be said of his predecessor in
the role The way he kisses all those
chorus girls in the second act is an oscu-
latory treat in which every man in the
audience has a share.
Daphne Pollard Makes Hit
Little Daphne Pollard had her first role
of any prominence last night and she
handled it excellently There was some
thing deliciously amusing in her delivery
of the terrifying speeches allotted to
Damayanti favorite Nautch girl of the
rajah Of Jabalpur. There was a spice OF
her warm, oriental nature" in her love
making; a droll roguery in her flirting
and very real charm in her delivery
of the song, "rhe Lady and the Kick, ;"
in which the chorus did the singing and
Daphne did the kicking, nothing being
left to the audience but to applaud.
George Kunke as jamie McSnuffey
.hoot, mon, does the best character
work of his local engagement. His dia-
lect has more burrs to it thanga life
sized chestnut tree in the autumn Ar
thur Cunningham, too, as the Cuban
planter contributes largely to the general
merriment.
Musical numbers which were well re-
ceived, in addition to those already men
toned, were Miss Hemmis tbs All L
Ask" Mr.. Haydn's Il Love You, Dear,
and Only YOU their duet, True Love" "