The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-01
A NEW 0LC0TT PLAY, TOO
Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt Rents the Opera "The
Merry Countess for One Night at $4,000
and Provides Special Train.
BY VANDERHE YDEN FYLES

Mathildc Cottrelly gave the piece
In English, with Mrs. Rosalba
Beccher in the chief part and her
self as the frisky maid servant, the
part Madame Scheff elected TO
play. Credit for the ultimate sue
cess Of a perennial failure cannot
be given Internationally to Miss
Gladys Unger and Mr.. Arthur An
derson, respective authors of the
spoken and the lyric words; though
it is TO be noticed that their YER
sion was a success in London be"
fore being overloaded for us, Over
there, by the way, happier title
than this obsolete and dowdy
1.-The Merry Countess was hit on
in "The Nightbirds.
In place of the older and more
complicated expedient to get rep
utable citizen sentenced to some
days in Jail. Miss Unger has her
count arrested for lodging a fine
for speeding But the first act fol
lows the original play, Miss Unger,
by the way. giving no credit to the
German authors or TO the French
men from whose farce Of HLe
Rcveillon' they fashioned their
libretto, The count lets his wife
think his term in prison begins that
evening, whereas he actually is free
until morning. his purpose being to
spend the intervening hours at a
ball planned by bored and dlsso-
Lutte Young Russian prince. The
countess has several admirers, In
Guiding au impetuous tenor and her
husband S chum, physician. With
the latter she wagers she can fascl-
,,,{a cto
ing al home; but all her seductive
charms prove mnavalhng;. Lert
alone. with the flowers fading and
the champagne untasted; she is not
wholly sorry when the tenor gains
upbidden access TO her room. But
presently the police demand admis-
sion and, mistaking the would-be
lover for the husband. carry him
off TO jail. Thus far the play is
pure Nieunese operetta; and if the
French story strikes us as little
stale and flat, we are more than
recompensed by the airy. Joyous
terms in which the music watts it
TO us.
TINE second and third acts are
u the weaker portions Of the
piece. though the second, at the
prince S ball, has habitually been
carried off to success by such IN.
terpolatiops as a ballet. Several
years ago Heinrich Conried put
Die Fledermaus'' on the huge
stage Of the Metropolitan opera
house for a single performance, his
Andreas Dippel and Madame Sem
h,i,h tba rnupi and co,tpfnca
and bevy Of the chief stars OF
the organization filled in the ball
scene with interpoated songs. Ca
russo. Madame Frcmstad and the
others appeared in the costumes Of
their favor,te roles, only Madame
Nordica coming on the stage In
modern evening dress. But then,
we must not forget that Madame
Nordica is the only prima donna
who owns an opera box and sits
IN it among the elect.
Melville Ellis is responsible
for an arrangement Of the second
act Of "The Merry Countess -
which steers ii clear of dullness
and which also produces a happy
ripple Of moieruity on the slightly
staguant pool The blase Russian
boy who cannot fall in love because
"tbe duchesses are too forward
and the ballet girls too Backward -
and whose toast is to "Wine,
Q women and song is usually
played by a contralto; but now we
get him in the nimble person OF
Martin Brown. This deprives
us Of memorable ballad. mas
much as Mr.. Brown does not shine
as n singer. Indeed, Mr.. Brown is
happy instance of rush Of ability
TO the feet Alone and with the
Dolly Sisters, who have never been
prettier or more graceful, he speeds
through whole series Of dances,
which so delighted the first-night
audience that he was greeted with
cheers mingled with applause, But
the success was as much due to the
musical arrangement, Mr.. Ellis
having selected from numerous
Strauss compositions. Among the