Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-17
So4emnity and Laughter
IN Rivalry on Local Stages
"olivette," Comic Opera, Adj
mirabIy Played, Sung and
Staged at Olympic Park.

n
The Olympic Park Opera Com
pany got away to a flying start last
night when an almost letter perfect
production of Edmund Audrans
comic opera. "Olivette," was given its
initial performance. Heretofore this
season the company has been handi-
capped on opening nights by some
of the members of the company being
away shy on their spoken lines, but
! last night there was ne drawback of
this kind. and the performance went
as smoothly as if the members of
the company had been playing their
roles for a year.
And it was altogether a cheerful
and delightful performance, serving
as it did to introduce a number of
new faces to the Olympic Park pa
irons, including two very capable
| comedians in the persons of James
Donnelly and Harry Truax.
Another newcomer to the present
company, but not to the park patrons,
was Miss Laura Jaffray, we'll and ia
vorably remembered for her work
! three years ago with the Aborn COM
| pany forces.
| Miss Jaffray divided the stellar
honors last night with Miss Ferne Ro-
! gers, and both are so very good that
| the writer declines to get into trouble
! by trying to pick a winner between
| them. "Olivette'' Is an opera that
provides two top-notch stellar roles,
SO suffice it to say that each was well
and acceptably filled by a star last
night.
| Miss Rogers appeared to much bet
ter advantage In the title role last
night than in her previous roles In
''Boccaccio,.' and The Beggar Stu
J dent" and at all times displayed
some clever ingenue work, something
she has not before shown. AS the
spriteiy and capricious Olivette, she
was always good, especially In her
sob song, School Days Are Ger" In
the finale of the first act.
Arthur Burckly was splendid as
Lieutenant Valentine, the young Of
ficer in love with and loved by Oil
vette, and who is also loved by Ba-
! theilde, Countess of Rousillion Miss
| Jaffray) The role requires him to
masquerade part of the time as Cap
| tain DeMerimac, his uncle, tyran-
ical old sea captain, to whom Olivette
is betrothed and whose marriage to
Valentine while he is disguised as
DeMerimac causes many comic sit
uation.
1t was rather strange last night,
though, to see Lieutenant Valentine
! come walking on the stage smooth
shaver Just a moment after Olivette
had been busily engaged in descrip-
| ing him to her maid and specifying
in particular what dear cute little
mustache Lieutenant Valentine had
The comedy honors last night
must go to Jack Henderson. who
earned roars of laughter from the
audience by his splendid work az
Coquelicot, the half brother and
valet to the Due Des Ifs played oy
Harry Truax, sterling comedian,
Mr.. Henderson has been the one
comedian at Olympic Park this year
to make good in all the parts he has
played, but last night he had real
! chance and more than made good.
He was a scrtam all the time he was
on the stage and that was most OF
the time. He was forced to respond
to SO many encores in his topical
song. Bob Up Serenely' that he ran
out of topics before the audience
would let him go. AS remarked
above, Mr.. Traux was very capable
as the foppish Due Des Ifs and the
same is true of James Donnelly, as
the bluff old tyrant of the sea, Cap
tain De Merinac.
Charles Fletcher. as Meryejol; Miss
Anna White. as Veloutine, maid to
Olivette, and Miss Irene Samsell, as
Moustiuue, q cabin boy. were all good
the latter in particular deserving
notice for her piquant and chic work
in her role of the fresh young sailor
The three acts of Olivette are laid
at Perignan, on the shore OF the
Mediterranean, during the reign OF
Louis the Thirteenth, and this gives
an opportunity for effective costunl-
ing and scenic effects that the 0lym-
pic Park management took advan-
tage of. with the result that the per-
Torrance was pretty stage picture
as well as finished production
artistically and vocally. Olympic
Park seems to have come into its
own in the opera line this week. II
you don't believe it just take trip
out there. You won't be disap-
pointed.
Wallace's Mauritania romantic
opera, is underlined for next week
while the week of June 80 will, it is
understood. see the return of one Of
the old favorites of the Olympic Park
clientele in Miss Blanche Morrison.
who will have leading role in THE
Gondoliers, one of Gilbert g. Sulll-
vans tuneful operas, that will be
ready, it is believed, for production
that week.