The Washington herald., 1911-01-17
THE BELASCO.
1.-THE Chocolate Soldier"

The Chocolate Soldier is quite a
reversion to the best days Of comic
opera-the days of Ofenbach and Won
Suppe-and as an entertainment. consid-
cred in all its elements music. comedy,
and spectacle, is so infinitely superior to
the usual run of musical comedy as to
cause one TO wonder at the persistence
of producers in offering the baser form
when the real thing seems to be procur-
able. At least one thing is certain: No
one after witnessing this production will
wonder at its success. There is plenty
OF music, sweet and tuneful plenty of
comedy. crisp and wholesome: plenty of
color. gay and f1eeting; plenty Of plot.
ur. at least, enough to afford excuse for
the other things. In fact, everything
fits in. and it is not a mere tumble of
reminiscent songs and vaudeville special
ties.
The Chocolate Soldier is young
Swiss. serving as a subaltern officer in
the Servian army when that country is
at war with Bulgaria, who, being cap
tured, escapes and takes refuge in the
| room of Nadina Popor. daughter OF a
leading Bulgarian officer. is firted with
cousin Mascha Portraits of all three
are placed in the pockets of a coat be-
longing to the girls father, and loaned
to the refugee, who, after the war is over,
returns the coat without having removed
the photographs. and terror reignS in the
hearts of the guilty ones until they are
recovered. Amusing complications en-
sue, during which Nadina discovers that
the professional hero. Maj. Alexius Spr-
1nf -bnv Sta II ~
much of a fraud, and that she really
loves Lieut.. Bumerli. the Chocolate Sol
der All ends happily with a mar
riage between them, and with the dis
carded lover consoling himself with Mas
cha. the pretty cousin. The comedy is
exceedingly entertaining throughout, and
the songs, rather than being mere inter-
polations, are framed to fit the Incidents
for the most part lively and humorous
but with tinges of sentiment now and
then. There is absolutely nothing discov-
cradle in the production that could be
used as an argument against placing it in
a perfectly legitimate clasS-true comic
opera, and Oscar Straus, who wrote the
music, with Messrs. Bernaur and Jacob
son, who furnished the libretto. are en-
titled to commendation for passing be-
yond the limitations which have lately
been placed upon musical productions.
The music is Of that character which
earns the distinction of becoming ''popu-
lar before the appearance of the vehicle
of which it forms part. and to hear it in
conjunction with the elements adds to its
beauty. There are number of fine songs
notably My Hero" sympathy" ''The
Chocolate Soldier THE Tale of a
Coat Failing In Love- and THE Let
ter Song" The latter is a particularly
clever bit of work, both in composition
and comedy effect, and was rendered so
effectively by Miss Vivienne and Mr..
Fairleigh as to cause numerous recalls.
The strains OF My Hero are worked
through the score, and are very beautiful.
being somehow reminiscent of the OPEN
ing music of the Venetian scene in THE
Tales of Hoffman," 1t was we'll rendered
in the first act by Miss Vivienne.
The cast is in all respects first class;
in fact, not for some time has a light
musical vehicle been offered in which all
of the members Of the cast could really
sing, as in this instance. The singing
and acting of Harry Fairleigh, as Bu
merli, the Chocolate Soldier is es-
pecially pleasing. He has a good voice,
and seems to get just the right spirit into
the thing. Another spirited bit of work
is furnished by Gene Guneska. She has
rare combination Of face, figure. and
voice, and she dances-well. beautifully.
Rena Vivienne is attractive as the hero