The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-28
MADAME ARRAL
LIKES HONOLULU
Will Return Here Next Year to
Spend Some Weeks on
a Vacation.


prima donna, is enchanted with Homo
lulu and has expressed an intention OF
returning to the islands next summer
to spend some time here. This an
nouncement and the accompanying
| praise of the natural beauties of Ho-
nolulu were made yesterday afternoon
| to a representative of the Advertiser,
to whom the French singer talked
about herself and her plans, the inter-
view taking place in her mushroom.
| Evidences of travel We're everywhere,
curios from China and Java, Samoa
and the Fiji Islands, and on the table
a huge press-book from Australia con-
/, tanning faithful account of Madana's
| tour in that country.
A petite woman, vivacious, like all
| Frenchwomen, black hair and eyes.
with peculiar habit of fitting her
| head on one side like a bird when in
terested, Madame Arral in her prettily-
accented English gave an interesting
account of her life and travels.
You know, Monsieur, I believe that
artistes must be born, like poets When
I am very, very little, / have my lit
tie theater of paper with a little piano
and all the fittings of a theater. My
brother made it for ME and I was al
ways much more interested in that
than in my dolls. l used them only
for the audience. l have sung all my
! life. As child too young to study, I
would initiate my brothers and sisters,
who were taking their music lessons,
for the benefit of my doll audience
and in my little theater AS 1 had
sixteen brothers and sisters you can
see 1 had many to copy.
"Allors, when l have six years I can
play the piano and went with my sis
ter. to the conservatoire at Liege, al
though too young to be admitted to a
class. / gained the first prize for sing
ing and piano when l have ten years.
The next five years I study, study,
nothing but study, six, seven, ten
hours day, until 1 finish my course
at the Conservatoire, Paris, where 1
won the grand prix for singing,
presence en- scene and acting.
when l make my debut as Mignon
I have still my dresses short and my
bonnie always treat me like a child. |
remember one time I receive a big doll
of chocolate dressed like Mignon and
as large as myself. Three years I sing
at Opera Rationale and then at nearly
every theater in Paris for two years
more, creating many roles. See, [ have
the original scores here" and Madame
showed three trunks filed with music,
many of them showing her name in
the title role.
''Allors, after 1 became DESTROYS of
travelling and you know they not pay
much in Paris for the artistic. There
are no grand salaries, so l went TO
Russia with Raoul Gunsberg, who now
is the proprietor of the Opera at
Monte Carlo. In St. Petersburg l sang
Mignon, Romeo and Juliet, Carmen,
Manon and Lakme and was fortunate
enough to receive the decoration of the
Order d'Oldenbourg from the Czas
after I had sung by special engage
ment in the private theater of the
Imperial family at the Krasnoe SeIo
Palace. 1t is, as you see, properly
numbered with my name, and al
though it is No 102, there are only 81
living who hold this coveted honor.
AT the end of three years 1 re-
turned to Europe and then took my
own opera company to San Jose, Costa
Rica. Oh, Costa Rica, the most beau
tiful theater 1 have ever seen! The
opera house is an exact replica of the
opera at Paris-marble and gold dec
orations and magnificently furnished.
The people great lovers of music and
very hospitable. At the close of the
season | returned to Europe via Amer
lea, singing with Miss Puguo, Girardy
and Ysaye during short tour. While
in Paris met Mr.. Maurice Grau, who
induced me to come to America again,
but the climate disagreed with me and
/ returned to Europe, after trying Cal
ifornia and New Orleans, then to
Cairo, where 1 had my own company.
The plague broke out and every one
who could get away did so. and | re-
turned to Paris. The French Govern
ment had a big. exhibition in Hanoi
and Haiphong and l accepted an en-
gagement for my entire company,
lightweight artistes and twenty-five
musicians, which was a record one.
There was a sad ending to our season,
however, as the opera house was COM
pletely destroyed by a typhoon and