New-York tribune., 1910-06-12
NE ERA OF ''P|NAFORE'
rse Vogue of Gilbert and suli-
van Opera in the SOS.
BY Robert Grau.

- historic worth, In 1880 that the
- oaera BY W. S. Gilbert and Sir
DE- Sullivan, entitled H NJ S. Pima
est wss prominently revealed. The
sps ,.,..,,s satire had been presented in
$3.50 form in cities OF the one-night
- class shortly before, but IL was the
- -roduction that first brought the
80, N q realization of the beauties OF
ro,re and the dry and unique hunnor Of
,y.re-to. II was, too. the first OF the
y. h.llsd series 10 find vogue in America,
-. their earlier work, The Sorcerer,
,s not produced in this country, save by
...,,rs until after the "Pinafore" craze
,,d developed
IT, Boston Museum was at this time
- .he digniaed direction OF r. n. Field,
-,snseer who distinguished himself by
.,In.sining q stock company for quarter
-Is century, and enduring much financial
y. -sfber than succumb to the plan Of
--,ze-tinE combinations, and he did not
- his policy until a survival Of the
a. organization which the Boston
-, housed had threatened the utter
StIe,srstion Of his financial resources.
a, an Illustration Of the calibre and YER
.,,li.y Of the company Field maintained Il
- onlv be stated that 20 present Pima
49, Il was not necessary TO engage
.s,cle outside player or singer. and. con-
z.Ise-sng the character Of the work. together
-s.h ,-s absolute newness. fits presentation
xv che museum stock company must be re-
-,-ses as an event OF historic importance.
rbs -,1n was q long one, and during the
,<s,sons Of 1850 and 1881 Boston had several
,o,-,nanies simultaneously presenting the
yhoIesonle operetta
Standard Theatre Production.
A. This period the Standard Theatre in
~ew York (afterward called the Manhat-
,sn. and now demolished TO make way for
.ba vast Ginbel stores) was under the d.
-s,tlon of William Henderson, and he was
--o- nrospering with the famous productions
ne had evolved. so Mr.. Henderson and
lanes c. Duff proceeded 10 Boston, and
we're so impressed with tho work that they
r. once began 10 organize for a lavish pro-
suction at the Standard Theatre. The cast
vas perhaps the most evenly balanced Of
enr accorded the famous satire, comprising
sit did Miss Mills. as Josephine; Vernona
Js-feau. who made her stage debut as
Bebe and EsteIle Mortimer. as Buttercup-
The male roles were excellently cast.
Thomas Whiffen. as the Admiral. was never
psyidee was 4 superb Dick Deadeye. while
he minor roles and the chorus could not
vel have been improved upon
The first night saw an audience Of fair
sizs but the hit was so pronounced and the
r-sise from the press so unanimous that
tie sale OF seats for future performances
was unpreoedented. This particular pro
arction ran an entire season 10 audiences
which tested the capacity of the theatre.
These were the days Of unprotected authors
and composers. and the fact that this i'm
rnsnsely successful operetta was public
r-ope-tv caused the Inauguration Of the
fP!rafo-e'' craze, and no opera, play or
sage presentation Of any period ever haG
re prolonged and plethoric vogue which
tsfen iris unprotected effort of the two
British geniuses.
II IS no exa ggeration 10 state that in the
rpring Of l6G1 five distinct presentations Of
me opera were given simultaneously in
New York, while on tour the various cir
cuts were literally stsmpeded with hastily
rathered troupes. some Of which gave the
work in such rnutilsIed form that their ea-
!s,ence was OF short duration. and IL is
also recalled that in some Of the college
cites these Transforming expeditions met
With so vigorous a reception that il caused
& scarcity Of vegetables and eggs in their
respective 1-icinities-at least, such were
te tales recorded at the tine.
Juvenile "Pinsfore" Companies.
his mania for ''Pinafore'' reached its
height in the fall OF 1881. when Juvenile
'Pinsfore'' companies came into being, and
thsse were by 10 means inferior-in fact,
some Of our best known stage favorites OF
This dav were evolved from the companies
Greeted by ! H. Haverly and Bob Miles
Julia Narlowe was conspicuous in the lat
asrs organization, as were also Pauline
Esu and sallie Cohen, while in the Haverly
company Arthur and Jenny Dunn were
prominent But II was the Church Choir
Opera Company which had the greatest
artistic success of all the various classes
q organizations that sought TO benefit from
Ee great public desire TO hear the work OF
Ihe English collaborators. J. H Haverly,
then in the height OF his spectacular man
tgsrial career, aided and abetted by VIII
/ Davis gave one Of the finest renderings
q the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, from
musical point Of view, that was heard any
shsre- This was with the Chicago Church
Choir Opera Company, ana il was in this |
Production that Jessie Bartlett (afterWard
lrs. Davis was seen and heard in her in
comparable rendition OF Buttercup, ana
soAn NcWade, the one armed barytone, The
best Of Captain Corcorans, was Arst heard
The success Of the Haverly production
vas the incentive for the organization OF
te famous Boston Ideal Opera Company
Which gave "Pinafore" with q truly ldeaI
tsst including Henry Clay Barnabee, Tom
Aarl Myron Whitney. George Frothing-
han, Charles Macdonald, Marie Stone ana
ssssie Bartlett Davis. For several years
rs remarkable cast held sway, afterwaHd
tooing ether operas, and finally emerging
MO the BostonianS, which for fifteen years
a@o prosperous vogue and was regarded
e he standard light opera equipment OF
his country
Only The fact that some Of the principals
lao reached the age limit. which dis
elnllating public so surely determines
Eoagnt the achievements Of the Bos-
.-lsas 70 an end, and il may be truth
-4y stated that nothing in the way OK
l1o OF standard opera has survived
sMch could be regarded as q perpetuetton
the Bostonians' career.
The Church Choir Companies.
me most rernarkabie. and by all manner
means the most unique, presentation OF
famous operetta Of which ! write was
ohe given by the first OF all the church
'E companies This was the Phiiadel-
n, Enterprise. organized by Thomas T.