The Washington times., 1912-10-22
ABORN|S''. REVIVAL
OF COMIC OPERA
proves A SUCCESS
Chimes Of Normandy Is
as Tuneful as in Days
of First Triumph.

A considerable number Of Washington
theatsrsoers wandered last evening "
some one had not turned back the
hands Of the clock. For II was twenty
seven years since part Of the audience
at the Boiasco had heard the original
Chimes Of Normandy" company. Rec
objections OF the first performances Of
the tuneful old opera comiQue" were
made vivid for these same auditors and
spectators by the reappearance OF Will
liam woln as Gaspard the Miser. Mr..
wolff, IL now moro nearly Of an age
with the old wretch than then, but his
powerful bass voice Is just as good as
II ever was and his acting has not SUI
fered by o respite from the stage.
When % The Aborns had os,. dstsrminsd %Tn DC 20
sought to tempt Mr.. Woln. retired from
the stage and q successful business
man. back into his old part by. the Of
fer Of princely salary. Probably, how
s, It WHICH Sss s drew d him re back the te pa
and sing the part OF the palsied old
miser whose concealment Of the idenN-
ty Of G&rmaine, the lost marchioness,
forms the basis Of the plot.
Old Music Is Tuneful.
Last heard by most persons as the
subject Of the operate attempts Of
countless amateurs. THE Chimes OF
Normandy has mot ranked high in
their estimation because Of the ANA
teurishness Of these productions. The
music Of Robert Planquette deserves
better fate than this and the Aborns,
in reviving 1.-THE Chimes Of Normandy
and In giving 1t SO excellent a produc-
tion, have done a service In removing q
popular prejudice against a comic
opera which is really more meritorlous
than most later day offerings. Musical
comedies Of this day do not give such
pretty strains as Planguette wrote for
or. for the coSuettish LOOK at That,
Look at This. Do You Think That
We're Amlss" number. which. by the
way, could not have been better sung
or acted than as vinie Daily does It.
Miss DAILY is cast as serpolettc. the
VILLAGE good-for-nothing tomboy. the
roguish adopted daughter OF old Cas-
pard. It is something of a new de-
garture for this member Of the talented
OF Lizzie DAILY and Lucy Daily, has been
chiefly made oy her twinkiing toes,
with which she stepped lightly opposite
George Cohan the year after Ethel
! Leysy sr.H s,d. snd Gohan % had agreed to dis.
evidence as Serpolette. She sings the
pert well and acts It quite skilfully.
Bell Song Encored.
Daisy Leon is singing Germaine and
singing the role with a sweet and
tender. soprano voice which merits and
receives applause. Her solo part in the
Legend Of the Belly song, in act 1, re-
ceived encore after encore. The other
principal parts are In good hands. or.
rather. voices. Carl Haydn, iyric tenor,
and Carrfck Major, a baritone. play
Jean -Grenicheux and the Marquis, re-
spectively. and both sing well. Mr..
Major would be more popular II his
bearing were not quite 80 affected.
Good bits are done by w. H. White as
the baillie Of Corneville, and Johnstone
Flynn a. Gobo. the notary.
The Aborns have mounted "Ths
Chimes" handsomely. particularly in
the chateau scene, In act Q, and the
apple orchard, in the third act. The
first scene of the opera, the beach al
Corneville, 10 not so attractively done.
The Interpolation Of troup of tum.
blers in the hiring fair at Cornevilis
and the same persons as Russian
dancers in the last act does not seen
inharmonious, and this tinkering with
the opera as It stood originally is faI
more suecessfni than the Fearful mod
ernizing'' OF The Bohemian Girl" a,
II was done here last winter.