The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-09-04
BIG HOUSE PROMISED
FOR THE ROYAL CHEF
MAIL ORDERS ARRlVE-SEAT
SALE SATURDAY MORNING.

A number of mail orders for seats
at the opening event of the Norfolk
theatrical season, "The Royal Chef"
next Tuesday morning, have been re-
ceiyed and a good many out of town
people are expected.
The seat sale starts Saturday morn
ing in the office of The News at 8
o'clock. Telephone orders will be
given attention.
Norfolk vii see a rafting good
show Tuesday night The Royal
Chef is one of the best musical com
edies in the country today. The com
pany is now starting on its first trip
after having played solidly in New
York and Chicago all last winter. The
original all-star cast has been retained
and clever people will make Norfolk
laugh on Tuesday night.
The company's wardrobe is all new
and fresh for the season. All the cos
tunes are brand new.
Enroute West to Coast.
The company is enroute west to
San Francisco. Four days after the
Norfolk date, it plays in Denver. The
troupe was available for Norfolk only
because of its passing through Ne
braska.
The Chef" was originally staged in
Chicago and holds a record of over
800 nights at the Garrick theater. 1t
was given it's New York premier at
the Lyric theater and was one of the
first to win actual recognition for
a Chicago musical production, with
the supercritical press and public of
the metropolis, who have usually eX-
hibited strong antipathy to anything
theatrical not born on Broadway, and
until the Chef" entered the field and
proved itself pleasing and satisfactory
enough to compel recognition, and
consecutive run of nearly four months
to large and delighted audiences was
the result. The entire press, with
out a single dissenting voice, declared
it one of the best staged and best
played musical plays seen in that city
| for years. The music by Ben jerome
| is among the best that has been writ
en- in may a day, and the book by
George Stoddard is not only built on
original lines, but unfolds a coherent
story, laughable in its handling and
theme and interesting from curtain
to curtain. The music has had i'm
mense popularity, there being not a
dull or unattractive number in the
entire score, the sale of the latter by
the publishers having already eX-
ceeded the quarter of a million mark.
Much of the music is orchestrated
with neatness and a taste which
show Mr.. Jerome has great knowledge
of Instrumentation and it's uses. The
entire press, wherever the play has
been seen, unite in declaring that not
in years has a light opera score been
heard which contains more of musical
understanding and appreciation of
what is suitable and effective in such
work The chorus is not only large
numerically but is a telling one and
the various ensembles are uncommon
ly good and move naturally to fine eli
makes and beautiful stage pictures.
The famous ''Broiers" were first seen
with the Royal Chef" and all the or
iginal members with one or two eX-
ceptions are with the company to-
gether with nearly all the producing
cast. VIM. II. Conley as the Chef"
has a role, it is said, that fits him like
glove and possesses a much better
voice than the average opera come
dian, is magnetic, intelligent and acts
and sings with spirit and dash, Miss
Malatesta, the prima donna, is fine
soprano, acts with animation and in
appearance is a very attractive young
| woman