The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-01-16
The Chimes of Normandy.

lhe Chimes OF Normandy.
Belfast Amateurs Win New Laurels in Opera
The charming opera "The Chimes of Nor
mandy" was most successfully given in the
Colonial Theater on Wednesday and Thursday
evenings. January 9Th and 9Th, by number of
Belfast's best known amateurs under the aus
pices and for the benefit of the Belfast Musi-
cal Society. Mrs. Bowdoin N. Pendleton of
1slesboro and Mr.. John ]. Nolan of Boston,
who also acted as stage director, were the only
I people from out of town in the cast or chorus,
of what proved to be another musical triumph
The stage pictures and costumes were very
effective, and the music throughout was charm
ing. The large chorus, which was carefully
drilled by musical director E. S. Pitcher. was
thoroughly satisfying, while the cast was an
"allstar' one. Miss katherine C. Quimby
who is always popular in any role. had in
Serpolette part that fitted as though written
for her. Always vivacious, pretty and grace
full. she at her best, and from her first an.
pearance and the solo. II May be Princess"
to the Cider Song in the last act she won fre-
quent and welmerited applause.
Mrs. Villa Phelan Pendeton made her first
appearance in dramatic work in Belfast, where
she will always have cordial reception await
ing her She was grace personifed, and her
beautiful voice and finished acting left moth
| ing to be desired. Like Miss Quimby she re.
ceived frequent applause and beautiful flowers
on both evenings. Misses Simmons, Barnard
and Bedell and Mrs. Booker as village maidens
were uniformly excellent.
Ralph 1. Morse, in the difficult role of the
Marquis, was all that could be desired and add
ed new laurels to his already long list of musi
cal successes.
Arthur Johnson, as Jean Grenicheux, made
his first appearance on the operatic ST. ge, and
his wonderful voice was one of the features of
the performances. His solos especially, were
magnificent, and led to many predictions of a
brilliant future for one of Belfast's most popu.
lar young singers.
Mr.. John J. Nolan of Boston gave fine
and finished performance of the difficult part
of Gaspard. Charles Hammons, as the Bai!H
was, as ever, excellent, and he, with his two
attendants. Elon B. Gilchrest and Morris l..
Slugg, as the Registrar and Assessor, respect
lively, created many laugh. Bertrand L, Da-
Wis as the Notary was also capital in his part
and with the other officials added distinc-
tive touch to the stage pictures.
1t is impossible to make any comparison of
the musical numbers, which were as excellent
as they were varied; but one of the most eff
fective scenes, both from pictorial and musi-
cal point of view, was the chorus "Silent
Heros. in the second act, while the quintette.
also in the second act was one of the features
of thetperformance The trio, 'Ill Shut nv
Eyes," was also much liked. as was the final
duet by Mrs Pendleton and Mr. Morse. The
argument was as follows
Henri, Marquis of Corneville, who has been
since childhood, owing to civil war, an exile,
returns t. his ancestral home on the occasion
of the great annual fair which is being cele.
brated in the village that receives its name
from his chateau. 1t is of the old-fash-
ioned Norman villages of the seventeenth
century.
In the first act the curtain rises on an as
sembiage of village gossps. discussing scan
dal and small talk. Serpolette is the topic of
conversation among the bellies of Corneville,
She comes in just in time to turn the tables on
the Others and changes their taunts into ex-
pressons of rage. Gaspard, an old miser,
wishes to marry his niece, Germalne, to the
principal magistrate of the district, the Bailli
This arrangement does not suit Germaine nor
young fisherman named Jean GrenicheuX
who pretends that he has saved her life from
drowning on certain occasion. To escape
from the power of old Gaspard, Germaine takes
advantage of the privileges of the fair and be-
comes the servant of the Marquis. Her ex-
ample is followed by Grenicheux and Serpo-
lette.
The second act is taken up with the SUPER
natural visitors who haya
Cornevllle SO long an object of dread. Henri
determines to find out the real character of
these ghostly appearances. and discovers that
1t Is all the work of the old miser, who has
concealed his treasures in the chateau The
discovery drives Gaspard crazy, especially
when he hears the bells of the chateau ring
ing for the first time since the flight of the old
Marquis.
The third act represents the grand fete
given in honor of the return of Henri to his
ancestral home. Serpolette arrives as a Mar
chloness, as some papers, found in the chateau
indicate that she is the lost heiress. The miser,
however, RECEIVERS his reason, and shows that
Germaine is the true Marchioness. love
duet between her and Henri and the reconcile
alton of all the parties bring the romantic
story to close.
Serpolette, The Good-for Nothing,
katherine c. Quimby
Villa Phelan Pendleton
| Gertrude Alice Simmons
Jeanne Village Maidens Hazel Barnard
Manette Anna Booker
Suzane Edna Bedell
Henri. Marquis OF Corneville, Ralph l. Morse
Jean Grenicheux, Fisherman,
Arthur Johnson
Gaspard, Miser, John J. Nolan
The Bailli, Charles Hammons
Registrar, Elon B. Gilchrest
Assessor. Morris L. Slugg
Notary, Bertran L. Davis
HOUSEMAIDS.
Winnie Sanborn. Elva Drinkwater, Abbie Doak
Mabel Webber, Velma Mitchell, Isabel
Smalley. Florence Hill. Jessie Hart,
Goldie Curtis, Hazel Doak. Carrie
Greenlaw.
CoAcHMEN, GARDENERS AND SAILORS.
Alton johnson, Norman Littlefeld, Frank Gull
nan, Frank Keene. Harry Coombs, Lin
coin Clark, B. Davis, Leon Beckwith,
Frank Mixer. Albert Morse, AL
bon Goodhue, Melville Rob-
bins Seldom Hammons