The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-21
NEWS Uf THE DAY
 IN SOCIETY WORLD Mrs. Tardy and Miss Tardy Hostesses at Afternoon Tea NOTES AND PERSONALS
 
 Audience at the Metropolitan Opera Compared to fhe Famous Erst- while Monday Evenings in
 Number of NotabIes 
NOTES AND PERSONALS
BY MYRTLE MILES

Local music lovers longed for the privilege of being in the audience at the first production of Puccinis "Girl of the Golden Vest recently in New York, Reports of its wonderful success have made hearing it even a more coveted experience. for it has since been pro- bounced eminenty satisfying from ev- cry standpoint and the story of spon- teneous and vociferous applause. cur tain calls to which Puccini, Belasco. Caruso and Emmy Destinn responded repeatedly hand-in-hand and then each alone tells of a prodigious triumph and makes one wish again to have been among those present. The personnel of the audience at the opera is always interesting. Tn this one were many idols of the Birmingham opera and theatre lover. There were Sembrch, whose rec ent folk-song recitals at Carnegie hall have been heard with amazement and delight; Eleanor Robson, once a brilliant star among lesser luminaries in the theatrical Armament, now the wife of money king and member of New York's exclusive set; Humperdinck. who is known to several local musicians; Louise Homer. who sang here this winter, and was admired alike for her beauty and her voice; Walter Damrosch and his in- teresting wife; Reginald de Koven, Mme Mariska Aldrich and any number of others.
 Commenting in chatty vein upon the personnel of the audience Town and Country this week notes the fact that in every box in the parierre circle dis tinguished people were sitting and con- pares the scene to the brilliant Monday nights in the days when the late Mrs. Astor gave her annual ball and when the guests attended the opera before going on to the Astor residence. Continuing 1t says:
 Mrs. O. IT. P Belmont, who now so often allows herself to be monopolized by the serious business of equal suffrage, seemed to enjoy the gala scene with quite her former interest in the lighter side of life. She had the third seat in the Goelet box-the place established by GUS tom as that of the hostess. Mrs. r'Wil- liam Jay, in whose silver gray hair there was just little band of diamonds, placed above her forehead in the soft pompa- dour, was also in this box, and between the two sat Mrs. James w. Gerard, whose gown was orange coored. Miss Char lotte Warren, with her hair close to her head and quaint in costume, sat between the stately Mrs. Edmund l.. Bayies and Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish. And in back one of the men seen in the shadow of the crimson lighted box was Colonel As tor. CT. M ,..., -... .,-,4.. .l
 With Mrs. James A. Burden, Jr. (Adele sioane), was Miss Katherine L. Ellxins three large mauve orchids worn in the corsage giving color to her simple white gown. Contrasts In type were Mrs. Harry Lehr, whose diadem and earrings were in keeping with costume of great dig nifty, and little Miss Kittie>s Hamersly whose face is framed by fluffy blonde hair worn in a loose full pompadour. Mrs. William Douglas Sloane had Mme Sembrich one of her guests and be- tween the acts they had much vivacious conversation together, the prima donna often raising her white gloved hands in the gestures that supplemented many of her remarks.
 Even during the first act, before the curtain fell, it was very easy to rec ognize Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt in her box at the right. where the soft light from the stage shows her profile, her white hair and the graceful line of her shoulder. With her was her sister, Mrs. Frederick Havemeyer. who some times turned to talk with Mrs. August Belmont, the hostess in the next box, the second at the right. Mrs. Bel mont, who Eleanor Robson knew how sweet are applause and success was never willing that the clapping should cease. She would turn to make laughing comment to Mrs. Havemeyer then again her little hands would be raised to add to the applause when Belasco and Puccini returned still an- other time in response to the ovation.
 At the reception for Puccini follow Ing the opera, fashion no longer was