Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-08
Merriment Rules Local
Stage Realm This Week
At Olympic Park "Fledermaus'
Gives Cards and Spades to
Previous Comic Operas.

Take a French farce. with it's witty
and snappy lines, add whole lot of
! tuneful and catchy music from the
pen of Johann Strauss. and then pro-
duce the connection with a company
that proves more than capable. and
you will have Die Fledermaus" as
presented by the Olympic Park Opera
Company last night.
The opening production scored a
big hit with the goodly crowd of
patrons who We're on hand, and it de-
served it, for the show is by long
odds the best thing the Olympic COM
pany has done this season. or any
other season. for that matter.
die Fledermaus." which is 1.-THE
Bat in English and which was called
THE Merry Countess" in a recent
production by an all-star cast at the
Casino Theatre New York, is real
novelty in the line of comic operas,
| being entitled to that distinction for
several reasons. One is that every
character in 1t plays a comedy role.
| Another is the fact that the chorus
appears in only the second act, while
third, and the one that made the
audience realize right from the start
last night what 1t was to witness a
novelty, is the rise of the curtain on
the first act on a stage bare of
actors.
The chorus that usually crowds the
stage at the rise of the curtain was
missing last night, not a soul being
on the stage. the setting of which is
modern drawing-room Had 1t not
been for a tenor voice off stage sing
ing a serenade the audience would
have thought the curtain had risen
prematurely.
Wonderful Setting of Music.
The book of the opera is adapted
from French farce, and around and
woven through the rather splendid
plot Strauss has put a wonderfully
brilliant setting of music, a great deal
of it of the ensemble type, rather than
solos, which makes the work of the
company all the better.
While the performance of the en-
tire company last night was splendid,
the work of Miss Laura Jaffray
shone out with a brilliancy that could
not but help give her first place In
the honor role. Closely. following her
were Arthur Burckly and Miss
Blanche Morrison. with all the other
members of the company pushing to
the front for recognition and deserv-
ing of 1t.
Miss Jaffray played the role of a
chic and saucy maid. and played it to
perfection. Her voice was in splen-
did condition, and she got deserved
encore for her Laughing song" in the
second act. In this act, with the as
sistance of David Romano. she in
terpolated a modified tango dance,
with just enough of the real thing in
it to make a big hit
Miss Morrison, as the jealous wife,
who finds her husband at a mask ball
when she supposes him in JAIL was at
her best in the second act. where her
fine voice was shown to advantage in
long and very difficult solo, one of
the many pieces of high-class music
that Strauss has placed in the opera.
Mr.. Buckly Fine Tenor.
~ tioi pdfIhiSf DIS Oh E<lStnSIe1n,
gentleman of leisure. showed last
night that he is a comedian of some
merit. as we'll as being the possessor
of very fine tenor voice His voice
was never in better condition. and he
was forced to use it great deal,
especially in the ensemble work that
abounds in the opera.
George Poultney, as DR.. Fake. the
companion of Won Eisenstein. gave
the best performance he has shown
since he Joined the Park company.
| seeming to be more at home in eve
ming clothes than in the costumes
of bygone periods he has been
forced to wear in other productions.
Overton Moyle made the best of the
! small part of q lawyer as did David
Romano. who made an impressive
| looking Egyptian nobleman. one Of
! the few roles in the opera that is not
dressed in up-to-date American cos
! tune
| Three newcomers to the Olympic
Park Company made their appearance
| last night and all won favor. Maui
rice Darcy. as the warden of the jail.
who. while Incorporating as a French
chevalier at the mask ball in the sec
ond act, imbibes too much cham
payne. was a distinct hit in the third
act, when he returns to the jail to
find the turnkey, played by Jack
/ Henderson, in the same condition as
/ himself due to too frequent sessions
with the brandy bottle while his boss
was away.
They Never Become Coarse
The simulated intoxication of Hen
derson and Darcy was a splendid
piece of work and was never overdone
or allowed to become coarse or dis
gushing to the audience Henderson,
in particular added more laurels to
the many he has already. gained this
year by his splendid comedy work at
the park.
Miss Mead Foster, in private life
Mrs. Arthur Burckly, played the role
of Prince Orloffsky and made q very
good looking prince, indeed, while her
singing voice left nothing to be de-
sired. Miss Foster has a pleasing
stage presence and promises to be a
welcome addition to the company.
The third newcomer was Henri La
Bonte, French tenor. who was not
at his best last night. owing to a cold.
4 He showed. however. that he has a
splendid voice. and will win much
favor with 1t this week
A neat little bit of soft-shoe dane
ing, something that is seemingly fast
becoming lost art on the stage, was
introduced in the mask ball scene in
the second act by Miss Georgia La
May. She is a neat and graceful
dancer and. though handicapped last
night by some rather weird dance
music. was forced to respond to a
double encore.
If you want to see real novelty