The Washington herald., 1908-05-24
ACTORS WHO'S WHO?

performance OF this opera for many OF
the members OF the Aborn company. but
for George 3. rockingham, the veteran
BostOnlan comedian. il was for the 432Oth
time. Mr.. rockingham has been very ac-
curate Of late years in accounting for his
every appearance as Friar Tuck. Eight
cen years ago. at the Chicago Opera
House. he first appeared IN the role. and
has been as closely identified with il since
as has Joseph Jefferson to Rip Van
Wrinkle or Richard Mansfield to Beau
Brummel. Mr.. rockingham is seventy
two years Of age.
The stately, graceful, and comely prima
donna contralto. Greta Risley, Of the
Aborn Opera Company. stepped right
from the conservatory OF music into the
cast Of the Bostonian, without the usual
plunge into the chorus She began as an
understudy, but soon got her opportunity
as Alan-a-Dale in Robin Hood" and did
so well that she was kept IN the part, ard
from that time her success was assured.
She afterward went with Frank Daniels.
ana created the contralto roles in two OF
ms most successful productions, "The
wizard OF the Nile" and The Idols
Eye Her next engagement was with
the Savage English Grand Opera Com
pany, and later with the same manage
ment she originated the picturesque char
acter OF Queen LII IN king Dodo' with
Raymond Hitchcock, and Lady Peacock
IN woodland She has been one of the
most popular members IN both the Aboru
comic opera companies and the Aborn
English Grand Opera Company. winning
favor IN wide variety OF parts in grand.
standard and comic operas.
Washington's gift 10 the stage finds new
expression in the person Of Miss Alice
Kraft Benson. a vocal instructor Of this
city. who has won unusual distinction on
the operate stage. Mss Benson was
the soprano sOloist at st. Joseph's Church.
Second and c streets northeast. until she
decided 10 adopt the professional stage.
Several years ago she made a world tour
with Frank Perley's company. Last year
she sang in South Africa with the Nelson
Opera Company and. after returning 10
America, appeared with the Castle Square
Opera Company in Boston and with the
Van Den Berg Opera Company in New
York. She sang the prima donna role in
Lolita, comic opera. which received
its premier in Atlantic City. and early this
spring Joined the Aborn forces in New
York. Last week, in Philadelphia, Miss
Benson sang the name part in Aida
Tomorrow night at the New National
Theater, she will make her first bow 10
her home city as an opera prima donna.
appearing as Lady Harriet Durham in
Martha"
Among the most saIutary discoveries"
in grand opera circles is Bertha Shalek.
one Of the few mezzo-sopranos OF wide
range vocal power, and nexibHity that
America has given TO the lyric stage.
Her great achievement in a variety OF
roles, frUm cOntralto 10 dramatic soprano
parts, in New Yori, during the past two
seasons are the more remarkable on at
count OF her extreme youth, for Miss
Shalek is one Of the youngest prirna don
mas now singing in grand opera. During
her membership in the Aborn English
Grand Opera Company her most notable
successes have been made in such widely
varied roles as Carmen, IN Blzets splen-
dld opera OF the same name, and San
tuzza IN "Cayalleria Rusticana." covering
a range that, as any one familiar with
grand opera knows. demands a. voice OF
phenomenal fleXibility The variety OF
her vocal accomplishments is acco3a-
panied by equal versatility from a Ora
matte standpoint, according 10 musical
critics, and she Is no less gifted as an
actress than a singer. Added 10 this.
her refreshing beauty and personal mag
netism have made her, at an early age.
one Of the most prominent Of American
grand opera artists. Vanity is over
shadowed by ambition also in her case.
FOR Miss Shalek revels in such roles as
Azucena In II Trovatore," in which the
makeup and costumes hide every beauty
OF face and figure and render the singer
hideous in appearance, though delightful
in vocalism. Miss Shalek's hrst appear
ance before a Washington audience will
be at the New National Theater to-rnor-
row night. when she will be heard in the
role Of Nancy in Martha"
Comparisons are generally invidious. ac-
cording 10 an old axiom, but there must
always be an exception which proves the
rule. and when the musical critics IN New
York and Paris compared Mile. Ely
Barnato 70 the famous Tetrazzlni il was
taken as the sincerest hattery. Miss
Barnato is Of French Mexican parentage.
and second cousin Of Barney Barnato.
the South African diamond king. under
whose mlnihcence she received her earlier
musical education She studied under
Boccini in Milan. and afterward was a
pupil Of Mascagni. the famous composer
and director. who taught her interpreta-
ton After making her debut az La
Scala, she went to the Opera COmique. in
Paris. where she won favor and many
enoomiums from the critics. She later
won success at Queens Hail, London,
and was honOred by a gift from the King
and Queen Of Spain. Coming to America,
she first appeared in concert at Carnegie
Han and other temples OF music and at
private musical functions Of such men,
bers OF the Four Hundred as Mrs. ". X.
Vanderbilt, j-., Mrs. o. H. P. Belmont,
Mrs Edwin Gould, Mrs. James Speyer,
and others high in society circles Her
American debut in grand opera was made
with the Royal Italian Opera Company.
and the critics OF the New York press
received her as warmly as did those OF
Paris and London. Possessing a wonder
ful coloratura soprano Of great range.
heXibility. execution, and tonal precision,
Miss BarnatO excels in those roles which
require brilliant fights and cadenzas in
the upper register. such as Rosina In
THE Barbar Of Seville" the title role in
"Lakme" the title role in .Mignon--
Gilda in "RigOlettO," Violetta In la
Traviata." the title role In Lucia di
Lammermoor." the tri-charactered prima
donna part in Les COntes d'Hoffmann."
and other roles OF this style. Miss Barna-
to's success IN these operas was one of
the features Of the successful season OF
thirty-one weeks in New York last winter
Of the Aborn English Grand Opera Com
pany and when that organization gave
the hrst American presentation in English
OF Onenbach's masterpiece, 'Hoffmann's
Love Tales or. as IL is called in French.
Les COntes dHoffmann." her success