Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-24
Song and Laughter Vie for
Supremacy on Stages Here
TunefuI Mauritania" Catches
Favor of Enthusiastic Audi
ence at Olympic Park.

From the light and frothy opera,
"Olivette," last week to the romantic
and, at times, rather sombre Mari
tana," is rather a far cry for a sum-
mer opera company to attempt. but
the Olympic Park company did it last
night and made good with a VEN
geance, barring the work of single
member of the cast.
mariana" is not a comic opera,
but it is a tuneful one. and full of
catchy airs that linger in the MEM
DRY and keep you whistling them on
the way home after the show. Will
lam Vincent Wallace, the composer
has given the opera a boundless
wealth in music.
The opera is practically all music,
the dialogue being very brief and in
jected more to explain the situation
leading up to the solos than anything
else. The brunt of the singing work
falls on Miss Ferne Rogers, Arthur
Burckly and Overton Moyle, and all
were in good voice last night.
Miss Rogers, in particular, was well
the way was the largest Monday
night crowd of the season. She has
to work hard all through the per-
formance having no less than four
solos in the first act alone, beside
considerable ensemble work in this
act, as we'll as the last two. Her best
work last night was her rendition of
'The Harp in the Air" in the first act
but she was forced to respond to en-
cores after all her numbers.
Mr. Burckly as Don Caesar de Ba-
zan. soldier of fortune, was more
than capable and filled the role better
than any one he has taken so far this
season at the park. He got deserved
| applause for the splendid manner he
sang that rather difficult solo, MEM
DRY of the Past" and was called on
for a double encore.
Mr.. Moyle was at his best when
singing, especially in his second act
solo. In Happy Moments" When it
came to acting, and he had more of it
to do than all the other characters
combined, Mr.. Moyle was woefully
shy. The role Don Jose de Santarem,
prime minister to Charles XII, King
of Spain, required him to play the
heavy role of a stage villain. His
efforts to do so were both funny and
tragic, the tragic part coming in his
very evident efforts not to play the
role so as to cause laughter from the
audience
In this he did not succeed. and at
times his 'villainous" efforts were
greeted much the same as those of a
real villain in 10. 20 and 30-cent pro-
duction with Kisses from the audi
ence. Kisses are said to be the same
as applause to actors playing villains
roles, but the Kisses that greeted
Moyle's work at times last night did
not seem to have the heartfelt eibi-
lancy that really mean applause. and
no one seemed to realize it more than
Mr.. Moyle himself.
Miss Laura Jaffray divided the
female honors with Miss Rogers, even
if the former did play the part of
1Lazarillo, a boy. Miss Jaffray looked
and acted her part, with the single
exception that she would have looked
more boyish had she worn a wig and
covered up her own real blonde hair.
Her voice was in perfect trim and
she got deserved applause for her
splendid work in the second act, when
she sang "In the Mansions of the
BEST" solo that ranks considerably
above the usual run of light opera
efforts.
The same might be said of prac-
tically all of the music in Mari
tana." 1t is all high class, above the
average of musical shows as they are
written today, but it is all tuneful
and never gets too heavy or even
heavy enough to drag on the ears OF
the hearers. The chorus was espe-
cially good last night and its rendi-
ton of the, "Give Us Praise" chorus
in the first act was a piece of work
that would have done credit to a
grand opera company.
The three acts of the opera are laid
in Spain and this gives the manage
ment splendid chance for scenic
effects as we'll as chance to display
some fine costumes. The Olympic
Park management this year is to be
congratulated on the splendid man.
ner in which it is staging and costum-
staged so far having been fully as
pretentious as the big New York COM
panies that have scenery and cos
tunes built for a full season run and
not just a one-week stand, as al
Olympic Park
Miss Blanche Morrison, an old
favorite of the Olympic Park opera
goers, returns to the company next
week, and will have leading role in
"The Gondoliers," one of the later OF
the iGlbert and Sullivan productions
that was first produced in the Savoy
ETheatre. in London, England. in 1889
1.-THE Gondoliers" is light and tune
full opera, and next week will be its
first production during summer sea-
son at Olympic Park.