Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-09
"The Merry Dairymaids' Is
Greeted With a Cap
acity. House
Opera Was Unqualified Sue.
cess and Delighted All
Who Heard II

luc ulSL pSIlOIuduCS VI Inc
Merry DairyAaids was a brilliant
musical and artistic success.
It was an all-star performance, and
those present at the Atheneum Fri
day night expressed themselves as i'm
mansely pleasd. In fact it was much
better musical treat than many that
have been given by professionals in
this city, and there is little left to say
in praise, beyond a sketch of the
production and the individual mem
bers of the cast
Like all light operas, there was lit
tie to the plot beyond a skeleton to
carry through the music and give OPP
portunity for the choruses, solos, du-
cts, trios and quartets, which abound
through the llibretto. The costumes
were effective and pleasing in their
simplicity, and the youth and beauty
of the maids lent brightness to their
excellent singing.
The opera opens with the maids,
armed with pals and stools, singing
up in the early morning" and this
was SO effectively done that a good
taste was left in the mouth for the
next choice morsel, which was "Now
our way we are merrily taking" by
Mrs. French. The farmer boys come
in at this juncture and do some
marching. and fine singing, and relate
in chorus Forth to the fields we are
marching" Thereupen Miss Mae Han
! lon sings the "Honors,' and the farm
ers 60 to work. George Humphreys,
as the Judge, expounds what love is
| to a bevy of inquiring maidens in a
most acceptable, though rather i'm
personal, way, when there is COM
motion among the maids, and two
| jolly dudes in the persons of Henry
Halyerson and DR.. Chambers chance
that way and fascinate the merry
dairymaids, incidentally singing sew
! eral catchy local hits and having to
come back several times. They were
simply immense.
HI. E. Winslow opens the second
scene of the first act as tramp, but
i quickly changes into "the commo
dore" and makes love to Dorothy, the
coquet, who is Miss Winifred Hutch.
inson. The brass buttons are toe
!, much for her and she accepts his love
= song as the real thing, wherein some
very pleasing solos and duets arr
} sung. G.. II. Russ as the Dutch doc
. tor, and later as the Jew peddler, wa:
: one of the best on the stage. He
sizes up the commodore's scheme anl
some very interesting singing and act
ing is done to the vast credit of boil
: gentlemen.
, Miss Stavely as the stately queer
: of the dairymands is told of Doro
( thy's love affair in very fetchin!
! solo and duet. which is interrupted b.
l the entrance of the dairymaids will
their full pals on their heads and 81
/ happy over j. that they break int
Y cheerful song about the flowing pals
9 After they are gone the queen warn
i Dorothy in a fine solo to beware O
: the commodore, when that individual
enters disguised as tramp and beg
from his love, but she knows him NO
and spurns him after he has told hi
story in very well rendered sons
: Farmer Jim, in the person of Mr.. Wi
|. son, enters and makes love to Dor,
thy, but is informed he is too lat,
and here comes one of the best trio
of the opera. Mr.. Wilson has stron
and we'll cultivated voice and pleasin
manner, and as with all the leadin
| solos and combined songs several 81
cores were demanded and given.
The maids enter and go throug
] their work of polishing their pan
when the Jew peddler enters and M
e Russ sings the ''The Vender of Laces
most acceptably. Ruth (Mrs. E. I
: Bulb then tells about the love seer
she witnessed between Dorothy an
n the commodore, and sings the laug
ing song with grace and exceeding
s. future. Monica, the Indian woms
(Mrs. A. D. Anderson) happens alor
II and Dorothy pegs her to tell her fo
l, tune. Mrs. Anderson then sings Il
r fortune song most acceptably al
e made an excellent representation
an Indian woman in her handson
n squaw dress. The farmer boys r
turn and are joyously received by Il
dairymaids, and the act ends with
fine chorus.
III Between the acts Mr. Wilson ga
several fine dialect readings whit
kept the house in a roar, he being e
2! ceedingly good In this line.
The second act of the opera opel
}: on very pretty scene showing tt
ic maids churning and working the br
kt ter and singing a charming CHOIR
II about it.
ie Alma (Mrs. John Larson) is b
o. sought to tell her life story, and sim
~ the gem of the opera, the lullal
le song, which had to be sung ov
~ again. The solo and chorus in this
- simply charming, and the way 1t w
= handled by the singer and the Choir
was most pleasing.
Farmer Jim is in bad way ov
his love affair and is comforted
is Joe (Mr. Quirk) and the Judge, vi
Esang Some people always Wear
of scowl.' They are not succeeding We
A we'll when Monica, the Indian woma
I'D comes in and assures Jim he will
IT. happy; all sing Joy shall be thine,
very effective solo and quartet. T
farmers come along at this time a
re- cheer Jim some more by singing t
70 ''jolly gentlemen chorus. The co
N modore then meets up with t
ID Dutch doctor, who exposes him, a
| ! ~