The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-16

Topeka has seen 1.-THE Chocolate Sol
der and has decided unanimously that
he will do both individually and collec-
lively. This tuneful opera packed the
Grand opera house because 1t had the
official o. K. of the large cities. put tneat
has not been a metropolitan success tnat
has come athwart the Topeka horizon
for a long time which has been so COM
.'The Chocolate Soldier" is founded on
the George Bernard Shaw play, Arms
and Man." and it has real plot, plot
SO original and unique that it is difficult
TO understand why it was a failure as a
play. It has been invested with delight
pletes a combination that is Irresistible
even to those who might be called the
cynical tbeater goers.
inspiration comes from the Servian-Bul-
garian war-if it can be called war
of the SOS. A Servian soldier is captured
and escapes from his guard and takes
refuge in a young Bulgarian Womans BED
room. He is an arrant coward and does
not try to conceal the fact but neverthe-
less the weakness of woman Tor a uni
form oVercomeS the repugnance or the girl
for his cowardice and she cares for him
and hides him while party OF soldlerS
makes a search of the room Ihe young
woman is engaged to Bulgarian major
and this furnishes an excuse Tor the song
hit of the opera My Hero" The young
Servian says things about her nance
which would indicate that the major is
not exactly a hero but she adheres to her
determination to marry him.. The fond
ness of her guest for chocolates causes
Chocolate Soldier and that IS how the
opera gets its name.
The second act is after the croof war
is over and the wedding is about to take
place when the chocolate soldier appears
10 bring back a house jacket which he
had borrowed TO facilitate his escape.
Then complications ensue. The major
finds that his fiance has befr1ended the
Chocolate Soldier and Indignantly cans
off the wedding and then what could the
poor girl do but marry her chocolate sol
der and it is to be presumed they lived
happily ever after.
The comedy is a burlesque of the mill
tary and the satire is sharp and cutting
The costumes were those of the Bulgar-
ians and were unusual as they We're IN
The opera served to renew the ac-
quaintance of Topeka theater goers with
some old favorites. First in the list was
Forest Huff who has the part of the
Chocolate Soldier. Mr.. Huff was first
Kirwin opera company and he was here
a long time because the company couldn't
Sang Wei then but his tenor has i'm
proved and he has also become q clever
Colonel Popon who was last seen in To-
peka in The Umpire" in which he had
the leading comedy role. John Dunsmore
as Captain MassakrOff was first seen in
Topeka with the Bostonians long, long
son in 'Erminie." He has a bass voice
which fairly jars the rafters and he fit
ted admirably into the part of the swag-
gering captain.
L he llulNiQud SOlOlSlS were especially
pleasing. Aside from Huff the tenor of
Henry Coote as Major Alexius Spiridoff
was a feature. Grace Drew was the
Nadina Popoff who fell in love with the
Chocolate Soldier, and her soprano is one
of the best ever heard in light opera in
Topeka. The ensemble singing especially
at the cloce of the second act was little
short of wonderful, the chorus being rare
and well trained as well as possessing the
ability to sing. An orchestra of y pieces
assisted ably in making the Chocolate
Soldier the most pleasing offering of the
dramatic eaon in Topeka.
Miss Grace Drew, the lovelorn 'Nadina''
of 1.-The Chocolate Soldier" aired some of
her views on matrimony between the acts
of the Grand presentation last night.
why if L told all my ideas on that
subject it certainly would be sensation"
she began.
you're not a cynic, are your" was
asked.
grander nor more noble than real mar
rage but don't you know they're scarce
these days Girls rush into it without
the slightest idea of consequences: often
do il lust because their parents want
them to.
''That isn't love- That's a sham we'd
ding. It's a big proposition-too big for
most of us, but if you want me to tell
you what 1 think, I'd say: Find the man
you love, think twice, then don't do it
But it's toss up one way or the other
Most girls are happier with their work
their piano, their books and their friends
than they would be with husbands
Miss Drew is a Missourian by birth.
In her early years, her parents moved to
St. Louis from the southern part of the
state, after which she was schooled at
Monticello seminary. Her first appear
ance on the stage was in Los Angeles,
following which she was engaged for
THE Land of Nod" She was a pupil of
Jean de Reszke for a year, then with
Nine: Petit Demange, also of Paris, for