New-York tribune., 1910-12-11
.PUCC|N|S LATEST
OPERA SUNG HERE
"GirI of the Golden West" Heard
at Metropolitan for First
Time Anywhere.
COMPOSER IN THE AUDIENCE
Great Confusion as Result of
Effort to Bar SPECTATORS
Ticket Brokers Sacrifice
Holdings.

The Girl of the Golden West" Gia-
The drama which won great success here
as a production of David Belasco, was
night at the Metropolitan Opera House
before a large and brilliant audience
that had paid double prices for its seats.
The occasion was one without exact
parallel here. and much was made OF
the fact that the latest opera of one of
the most popular of modern operatic
composers was to be heard for the first
time by an American audience.
Signor Puccini and David Belasco, au-
thor of the play, were both in the audi
ence. Enrico Caruso, Emmy Destinn,
Pasquale Amato, Dinh Gilly and Adamo
Didur We're the interpreters of the lead
ing parts and Arturo Toscanini was the
conductor
Entirely apart from the opera was an
other entertainment. This last was the
first and it was free. The night was
twice notable because for the first time
in many, many years there was put in
operation plan to make sidewalk specu-
| lators first weep and then starve to
| death The sins of the spectators were
| borne by the opera loving populace, anx-
| ious to pay double rates for seats.
Spectators Fare Badly.
The SPECTATORS We're an unhappy lot
They wished that all the elaborate pre-
cautions taken had been successful
| They had plenty of pasteboards before
| the opera began-and they still had
them when It was over They simply
| couldn't sell them. Long before the cur
tain went up box office prices prevailed
on the sidewalk, and soon cut rates were
quoted Ten dollar seats went for 30
and even less, and there was no balm
| in Gilead for the adventures.
! Seats for THE Girl of the Golden
Vest wers, reserved since last Wednes-
| dav in the names OF applicants who were
not subscribers and who deposited Slo
for each reservation in the orchestra and
! IN proportion for other parts of the
house The applicant was competed tt
| leave the cash along with his name and
address. No receipt was issued by the
mana cement After standing in line
| couple of hours earlier in the week tc
| accounlish these details the next duty
| Of the purchaser was to Apply al 'le
window for them last night, and trust
that the man at the window would mol
| forget his name.
| TT all went we'll the lucky man was a
prisoner He must go within the walls
The sidewalk was infested with bad
spirits ready to buy all seats offered.
These things led to complications. The
dispositions of some operagO Will
have further TO be moulded.
Otto II. Kahn Held Up.
otto n. Kahn director of the Metro
politan Opera Company, was stopped al
the brass gate by servant in evening
| dress.
You can't come in without ticket
said the gateman.
But | am Mr.. Kahn" said Mr. Kahn
making a move forward He was de-
| tanned.
II say ] am hr. Otto II. Kahn" re
heated that widely known gentleman
unknown, however, to the man in his
| way.
l. Il can't help il If your name is. Kahn
sir" explained the gateman. You ain
got tickes and YOU can't go through
| here without YOU got one
And the eateman at the time mean
what he said. but relented when one o
! MIR. Kahns frien6s interceded in his be
| half.
By 80 p. m a line formed In Broad
way, starting at the So admission win
dow. Soon thereafter another stool
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