The Washington herald., 1908-05-17
ACTORS WHO'S WHO?

.Ridy scarboro." the leading male char
acts-' in ISIS Hopkins In which Miss
Rose Melville Is appearing again this
season. Is type OF young country law
yer not uncommon in the West. He Is
clean and has high ideals. slngle-handed
and in spite Of opposition. he fights the
/ fight of decency and honesty and wins
BY sheer force Of Characteristic character
which made Lincoln and Garaeld-and
he appeals 70 the audience as httIne
Ma" Hopkins words OF praise: He's
Jest like Abe Lincoln
George B. rockingham. the veteran
Bostonian comedian. especially engaged
for Robin Hood" this weeks opera at
the New National will. on Thursday
night Of this week. make his I.50sth 12-
pearance as the jolly osd Friar Tuck
Mr. rockingham has spent over forty
years behind the footiights, during which
time ha has been closely identified with
but three roles-0omez, the tailor, IN
The serenade;" the title role il The
Mikado" and the role be viii enact here
this week-FTiar Tuck, IN robin Hood"
Mr.. A. j. Spencer, actor. stage manager.
ana producer, Is associated with the
Aoorns IN the managerial capacity OF
general representative at the New Ma
tional Theater for the summer opera
season. Mr.. Spencer, N partnership with
Mr.. Sargent AboFn. owns and directs
more than eleven attractions on the road
during the winter season. Last year ne
was the producer of Anita. the Singing
/ 7
other attractions that are considered the
biggest money-makers playing the meIo-
drama houses. Mr.. Spencer viii remain
IN Washington until late In July.
The greater part of the numerous cen
quests Of charming and vivacious Jessie
Bradbury have been made IN that style
OF roles. seemingly Indispensable in
| comic opera, known as boy parts" in
/ which q feminine artist appears In the
bifGrcated garments of the opposite sex.
/ With an excellent contTaIto voice. at
traetive face and figure, as vel as tho
required dramatic ability, Miss Bradbury
seems destined by nature to assume this
style Of roles. However, her successes In
the past have not been confined entirely
to boy parts. and she has won favor In
great variety Of characters. For three
years she appeared with the Auglstin
| Daily Company in such varied assign
ments as the Oriental Princess In "A
Country Girl" the name part in The
Cingaiee," Carmenita in "A Runaway
Girl" and as both Lucille and the title
role Ia THE Circus Girl" She also added
more laurels as Dolores in the Fisher and
| Ryley production Of 'Florodora." During
her long engagement with the AbOrn
| Opera Company, Miss Bradbury has met
with the heartiest approval in the boy
| parts in Robin Hood. THE Wizard OF
the Nile" Wang" THE Serenade," and
many other operas.
Individuality Is one Of the most COM
mendable qualities IN a comic opera
comedian and Of this faculty, Phil. Bran
son. one of the most prominent members
OF the Aborn Opera Company's compile
ment. has all tAat could be desired. for
Mr.. BransOn has a style Of humOr Pc
culiar 10 himself. and all the more en-
4 tertaining because OF its originality.
Thoss who see him IN the cast OF the
/ Aborn organization would not suspect
/ that this clever comedian began his
/
eral years occupied the front rank OF
singers in comic opera. Il happened by
one OF those emergencies that arise so
/ eften on the stage. The comedian was
/ taken suddenly III. and Mr. Branson was
/ the only one who could 60 on and take
/ lis place His success as a laugh-pro-
] ducer was so pronounced that he remain
/ ed in that line, afterward making q de-
cided hit in the original cast OF The
/ Pearl Of Pekin," which had a long run
| in New York some years ago. Mr.. Bran
son has been prominent in many OF the
/ leading operatie organizations Of Amer
! lea, beginning with John Stetson's famous
/ opera company. and was a member OF the
/ original American casts OF nearly ali Of
the Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
Henri Barron is a young tenor whose
rapid rise in grand opera would indi-
| cate that he is destined to become one
/ OF the foremost, If not the greatest,
American tenor. Ha studied for both
voice and piano under the best American
teachers, and finished his vocal eduea-
ton less than two years ago in Berlin
and Paris His first professional expert
ence was gained with the Savage English
Grand Opera Company, after which Nil
ton and Sargent AboTn secured him for
| their various operate organizations. The
individual hit he scored in the tenor role
OF 'Hofmann's Love Tales" which part
he created in it's first English presenta-
ton in this country last winter in New
York, proved nothing less than a per-
sonal triumph, and brought Mr.. Barrons
| splendid voice and histriOnic ability 20
the notice of the critics, who were pro-
fuse In their praise OF this young artist.
His remarkable musical talent, aside
from his vocal accomplishments, was
further displayed in the almost unheard-
of record for menaOrizing which he estsb-
lished during the New York season OF
the Aborn English Grand Opera Com
pany. for Dir. Barron added 10 his roper
toire seven leading tenor roles in as many
difficult grand operas. all Of which ne
mastered and sang inside of a period of
eight weeks. His voice is a clear. smooth
robusto but with a lyric color. and is
pleasantly even in volume throughout its
entire range Among music lovers OF
Greater New York, Henri Barron's fame
as singer is almost equaled by his
popularity as a matinee idol, for his
handsome physique and grace OF manner
have placed him in high favor with the
fair sex.
There is hardly a more popular idol
among male comic opera stars to-day
than Eugene Cowles- Mr.. Cowles began
as very young man with that long IA
nous and now disbaRded organization
when it was the leading repertoire opera
combination in this country. The first
big hit that started the Bostonians on q
long career Of prosperity was the de Ko-
ven and Smith work. Robin Hood.
which has since become classic among
American comic operas. When this opera
had its first hearing at the Chicago
Opera House. IN 1896. and at the Stand