The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-13
GREAT CAST SING
OLD ROBIN HOOD
EVERY MEMBER OF THE COMPANY
PROVES TO BE GENUINE
LuMINARY
CHORUS IS GOOD, TOO
BRILLIANT AUDIENCE AT ACADEMY
GOES IN RAPrUREs OVER
SPLENDID PRODUCTION
OF COMIC OPERA.
CHORUS IS GOOD, TOO

sumptuous production ever given
similar work. went away saying that
II was the greatest show" they had
ever seen at the Academy 1t delight
ed all the senses. particularly eyes
and ears.
The eyes had II when Florence
wickham appeared In the fast act In
the most dazzling costume of white
satin, furbelows and feathers that
ever decked a aha pely figure. The APP
plause was spontaneous and II must
have been for the picture Miss Wick
ham made, for she by no means sung
or acted up to the reputation she has
esta bIished.
Up to this moment she had APP
peared to be satisfied that she was
doing all that could be expected of her
and perhaps a little more, but there Is
no denying that the spontaneous ap-
| piause that broke out when she Ioned
| her monk habit and appeared as the
most glittering figure in all the gor-
! geous picture, touched a responsive
| chord. She appeared quite happy,
| and rightly happy, at the hit she
| made.
Thrice after her song she was re-
| called. and when she again appeared
| on the stage after her exit at the close
| OF the solo, another burst of applause
greeted her Miss Wickham won her
audience. all right
Sings Aian-a- Dale.
! AIan-a-Dale was the role entrusted
| TO Miss "wiekhafn. Jessie Hartiett
| Davis used to sing with the old Bos-
1onians with whom Robin HOOD VIII
! ever be associated, and with whom oil
/ other casts, even all-star casts Will IN
Syitably be compared. Aian-a-Dale Is
I nS nm method of
! casting a eentralto singer fer male
role. Like Seibel in Faust" for in
stance, or the contralto part in
| "semiram.de." Jessie Bartlett Davis
| was the most notable Alan-a- Dale. ami
| IL fs said that Ii was for her par
| t,rular benefit that 20 Promise Me-
was iugged into Robin Hood. 1t was
not In the original score. but Mrs.
Davis needed solo BETTING the posi-
ton she occupied In the Bostonians
and so 20. Premise Me" for ~nicn
Mr.. De Koven Is responsible. was IN
| ternolated i'm the opera. The audience
demanded 1t three times last night
Miss wickham, 1t is said. had
eaid last night, and II Is quite pos
s.ble that this interfered with her
work. She did not seem to warm up
until the last act
/ Mss Abott. the Maid Marian, was
net in her best voice, either. For a
grand opera star she appeared to
have tone that sounded a trifie seedy
at times. In fact, the one woman OF
the cast who made the best impress
sion was sylvia Van Dyck, the An
mabel Josephine Bartlett would have
been treated TO sight of real An
mabel had she been able TO see MISS
Van Dyek last night. for the latter
, not only sang the music OF her role
, In a sweetly sympathetic voice but
, she was charming wtthal. Quite so.
II Miss Aboft Applaudci.
Miss ABBOTT was given a tremendous
round for her song in the second act.
and che sang her March Song in
the first act most effectively and gave
a rect intelligent charas tertzation OF
Mud Marian from a prima donna
} poii of view, but those who had
heard Camille D'Arvilie at her best
! may award the palm to the older ar
fist
No Reception For Pauline.
krd, alas. how soon one is forgot
ten, Pauline Hall did not receive
, hand when she made her first APP
. pearanee as Dame burden. 1t was
not So very long ago that she. too,
|, was star in her own right She Is
a trifle plump nowadays, but she has
! plenty of her old animation and
charm and the Pauline Hall smile,
, ! t.tmptes and All. mace IT'S appearance
line had only appeared as Aian-A-
! Dale, for instance. she would not have
=. missed her reception"
d The women, however, were not as
B strong an the men of the cast. all
; things considered. The greatest of
all. Of course, was Herbert Water
Gus as Scarlet. Eugene Cowles was
\ AAA ,Avy. In mar
Cowles never sang the Afnorer's SONG
with such tremendous effect as Water
GUS achieved last n.gat. IT was the
big piece Of work of the entire OPP
era, although the Brown October
Ale" song OF Carl Gantvoort, the Lit
tie John. was s2lendidly done. could
not have been done otter. ffaith.
n II memory serves, II was Mcdonald
: who sang the Little John role in the
Bostonians,. but Gantvoort il n creates
!. artist. singer and actor than ever
Mcdonald might be.
Hyde the Robin Hood.
Walter Hyde was the Robin Hood
, last night. He did not make the pic
turesque figure that Edwin Hofr oil
, Tom Karl made in the role He was
/ q more boyish Robin and the Robin
. Of the opera Is boy. Also Hyde
has great tenor voice, and was In
| | the humor to sing last night. His
work was most satisfying.
4 So was that OF Edwin Stevens, wht
, succeeded Barnbee In the role Of ths
sheriff OF Nottinghanf. He gave
! truly great performance In the hes
, traditions OF a comic opera comedian
: So did George rockingham. FTial
J Tuck from time immemorai. and wh'
must shake his head each night afte
, the performance and think OF OH
times. old times. and Karl, Barnabee
/ | Mcdonald Jessie Bartlett Davis. Jose
! phone Bartlett and the luckless Ca
: mile D'Arviile.
rockingham gave one OF his bes
) performances as Frtar Tuck, ALTHOUGH
! | II dnes seem to be in entire bad tast
! to introduce that hedgehog--if II IL
: MISREPRESENTATION into the stew tina
' il brewing. or brew that Ii stewlns
!, An the second act. The hedgehol
) seems too much like 4 rat. and to
j characteristic OF a piece Of RIiege'
I Chinese comedy for Friar Tuck. Blu
j lit always did get laugh and got
! again last night, for that matter y
that may excuse II.
eir Guy and Some othsrs. \.