St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-04-17
"The Pirates of PenZance."

The Stanley Opera House was wei
filed both Friday and Saturday evenings
with appreciative audiences who hac
come to hear Gilbert & Sullivans popu
lar opera presented by the Academy
chorus under the leadership of Edward
A. Kingsley. The opera was one of the
best ever given in town and reflects
great credit on the hard work of the
leader the sOloists and the chorus. The
stage was under the direction of Mr.
Pyke, OF Boston, and the elaborate
scenery and beautiful costumes were also
from Boston. The graceful dances of the
chorus girls were arranged by Miss
Elsinore Brock, and music was furnished
by Young's Orchestra with Hugh Mac
kinnon at the piano. The full cast of the
opera is as follows:
Richard, Pirate Chief Harold 0. French
Samuel, his Lieutenant, w. B. Atwood
Frederic an Apprentice,
Mr.. Schurman of Boston
Major General Stanley, Frederic M. Wiley
Sergeant of Police, Frank o. French
Mabel, Gen. Stanley's youngest daughter
Mrs. H. c. Jackson Jr., of Boston
Edith, Ruth Morse
Isabel, Madeline Randall
Kate, Hazel Richards
Gen Stanley's daughters
Ruth, Practical Maid of all Work
Mrs Don c. Stiles
Chorus-General Stanley's daughters, Misses
Hortense Peters, Ethel NJ. Goss, Elsie S.
Sargent, Florence Bean, Beatrice Potts,
Alice E. Anderson, Helen r. Newell, Emma
Frost, Bertha s. Aiken, Mildred Stanley,
Winifred Merrill, Katherine M Andersen,
TS1 81 Il IIaI, al
Gaskell, Jean L: Stanley A. Madge Kellogg,
Caddie Hamblett, Emma Hallett, Bessie
Wright, Florence Andersen.
Pirates and observation-disclosures. William
Walker, Louis Beck, Fred Stone, Edward
Brown, Burleigh Pratt, Tracy Boswell Dana
Clark, William Boynton, Harold A. Pond,
Dale Atwood, Neal Barrett Harlan N Wood,
Walter High, Will S. Boynton Eleazer Dole.
Mr.. Schurman, of Boston, and Mrs.
Jackson, of Medford, Mass, were the
only soloists from out of town and have
taken similar parts where the opera has
recently been given in Massachusetts
cities.
Harold O. French as the pirate chief
carried his part well, his deep bass voice
being richly suited to his role. He had
the dignity of a chief and his solos were
given with excellent power and finish.
William B. Atwood was an able and YER
satile lieutenant, not lacking in the spirit
OF the performance and always in evi-
dence in the humorous situations. Mr..
Schurman contributed largely to the
perfection of the opera and was general
favorite both among the audience and
the players. He was at perfect ease on
the stage and quite unconscious of the
pleasure he was giving his audiences by
MS histrionic ability. This was Mr.. |
Willey's first public appearance and he is
to be congratulated upon his success. |
He had one of the most difficult parts of
he entire cast and sustained it with
ability and great promise of future sue
,ess in this line. Frank O. French was
light in his element and, as usual, in
comedy work was ''the whole thing"
.hough his brave policemen received mer-
ted applause and at each performance
he song Of the policemen chorus elected
IN encore. Mr.. French's local hits
brought down the house and he was re-
allied several times.
Mrs. Jackson was another of the star
performers and one of the strong SUD-
,orts of the cast She took her high
totes with wonderful ease, was heartily
pplauded and conspicuously favorite.
1rs. Stiles as another prime favorite
md her costume and Interpretation of
Ter part was excellent She put a zest
nto her actions that strongly upheld her
art, and always appeared with grace
nd spirit rarely seen by local talent.
he Major-General's daughters were
rettily taken by three Academy stu
ents, and the young ladies executed
ieir dances with grace that delighted
Il. Their singing was good and they
ade very pretty picture on the stage
their handsome costumes. The pi-
ties were fierce enough to suit every
0dy and entered into the spirit of the
erformance with great effectiveness.
Great credit is due Mr. Kingsley for his
icellent work as leader, and while the
pera was not financial success, as all
oped it would be, the Academy chorus
ave the satisfaction of having given one
the best operas ever seen in st. Johus- {
ury