Evening star., 1912-11-24

hearty cooperation of the Metropolitan.
Chicago and Boston grand opera COM
panies. Stars of international grand
opera fame have allied themselves with
the company, which promises 10 reVoiu-
tioniZe the light opera stage. and II was
but fitting that the first production to be
offered under such circumstances shouiu
be the nations light opera, koolh
Hood by Reginald De Koven and Harry
j.. Smith, which was sung by the Bos-
tonians more than 1000 times, which
has been heard in this country more
than 10000 times. and which Is famous
all over the world.
robin Hood comes to the New Ma
tionaI Theater this week after a six
month run i'm New York city ana with
the same cast of stars. The ROAD tour
or this organization is limited to very
few of the biggest cities of the United
States. for it is planned to bring the
organization back to New York shortIS
in order to give another big revival be-
fore the end of the season. by that time
1t is believed that the De hoVen opera
Company will have permanent home OF
its own in New York city, where by CO.
operation with the great grand opera or
ganizations of the east it Will be apie
10 give productions undreamed OIL IN lhe
past.
The present company includes Bessie
Abott, Florence Wickham and Herbert
Waterous of the Metropolitan Grahu
Opera Company of New y orh; Naitef
Carl Gantvoort of the Boston Grand
Opera Company; Pauline Hail. FAMOUS as
the star of "Erminie" and other light
musical productions; Edwin Stevens
singer comedian and dramatic actor,
George rockingham. the original Frlaf
Tuck of the Bostonians produciloh'
sylvia Van Dyck, Philip Sheffield Mlsha
lrerenzo of the Royal Opera House, Dres-
den: Louise lie Baron and Dorothy AT
thur The production is under the dlrec-
tion of Daniel V. Arthur. There VIII pe
matinees ON Thursday CThanksSilhs
day) and Saturday.
The revival of Robin Hood Iecdhs
the fact that this most successful OF
American light operas which has been
sung around the world, was not posluVe
hit at its first performance, ana satheie GU
headway slowly for the record-breahlns
series of 42J0 performances by the Bos-
fonians alone. not to mention thousands
of presentations by other companies III
this country, England. Australa, Souln
Africa and India After their first JOINT
effort "The Begun. Reginald De koven
and Harry n. Smith wrote Don Quixote'
for the Bostonians, who produced tne
piece in Boston in November lSS9. De
Koven and Smith had been looking over
some old English picture books deplct
ing the adventures of Robin Hood, anu
his merrie men in Sherwood forest, ana
It struck them that the bandit nero lur-
nishes an excellent theme for an opera.
After the first act of Don eulAole De
N
the stars and managers OF the Bos-
tonians in their dressing rooms, ana
submitted the scenario. Contracts were
signed that night and De koyen began
work on the score January 3, 1890. The
Bostonians had no great faith in ROBIN
Hood" but produced it at Chicago at
total expense of S109.50. including cos
TUNES The company was badly re-
hearsed and Harry b. Smith set up an
old prompt hood in the center of the
stage and gave the players their lines.
He had nothing to stand on beneath the
stage but a thin and rickety ledge, ana
DE Koven, who remained with him under
the stage, got his impression of how the
piece was going throughout the evening
nv watching the gyrations of smith
lags as he strained to keep his footing
while giving lines from the prompt hood.
The curtain did not fall until l2:2o ana
Smith went home disguSted, bent en- be-
ginning another libretto. The newspaper
criticisms were fairly favorable and the
engagement which opened on Monday 10
Si50 closed to nearly S2,ooJ on Saturday
night Meanwhile the BostonianS had
grown to believe in robin Hood" which
they PLAYED for five weeks at the Boston
Music Hall to averase receipts OF ~
the largest house having been 500. After
a series of vicissitudes it became estab-
lished as the great American light opera.
London liked Robin Hood, the hrSt
night being an ovation