The Washington herald., 1914-05-24

Cosmos-vsudevflse.
Glen Echo Park.
NationaI-Aborn Opera Company.
Two of the most pleasantly remembered
offerings of former Aborn English Grand
Opera engagements in Washington VIII
be given for the second week Of their sea-
son at the New National Theater.
Starting tonight, Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday nights. and Wednesday mat
inee will afford Eve performances OF
Bizets Carmen" a worldwide faVorite'
without which any extensive grand opera
series would seem incomplete. This mas
terpiece, which hes been an enjoyable
feature of nearly every Aborn visit TO
this city, presents a musical setting OF
one of the most celebrated stories OF 1T
erature and the drama embodied nrst In
the novel by Prosper Merimeee and later
in the famous play of the same name: q
narrative full of romance. character,
dramatic action, and local color, laid In
the Spain of long ago. and centering about
the gypsy coquette, Carmen. The score
by Bizet expresses and embellishes all of
these qualities in the story, and 1t Is al
together one Of the most fascinating
works of the grand opera category.
Les contes d'Hoffmann" (.'The Tales
of Hoffmann"), Offenbach's charming
opera comique, which the Aborn organ
izations have given In Washington sew
eral times, will be presented four times,
on Thursday. Friday. and Saturday, in
GLIDING the usual Saturday matinee.
After a succession of triunphs with his
lighter operas comique, Jacques offen-
bach strove to create a truly great opera
as a climax OF his career, and THE Tales
Of Hoffmann" was the result. That this
composition realized his dreams Is EVIL
dent in the fact that IL Is now over thirty
years old. and is fresh and attractive to
grand opera lovers ali over the world,
who accept it along with the more seri-
Gus and pretentious works Of the greatest
composers.
The interchange of casts between the
Aborn companies located in five cities
brings a complete new array to the Ma
tional for the coming week, while the
principals of the first weeks casts go to
sing in the Aborn presentations else
where. Those to be seen and heard in
Carmen and 1.-THE Tales Of Hoffman,"
are Bertha Chalek. Jayne Herbert.
Leonid Samoloff, Salvatore Sciarretti,
Louis D'Angelo, Jean Thesiof. William
Schuster, Phil Branson, Lena Mason,
Eileen Castles. Florence Coughlan. and
others. with Joseph Tressi as conductor
and Edward Tonnars as stage director.
CoIumbia-Mrs. Temples Tele-
gram"
Those who are fond Of wholesome fun
will enjoy Mrs. Temples Telegram"
which will be presented by the Columbia
Players this week It's funny telegram,
entirely out of the ordinary, md contains
a message of good cheer FOR everyone
who will acquaint himself with its con-
tents, Mrs. Temples Telegram" Is one
Of the most successful farces the country
has ever seen. 1t is original in style,
full of brilliant lines, and vigorous &C.
tion. It was produced originally by q
New York stock company under a differ
ent name. where 1t attracted the atten-
ton of that noted producer-manager of
the Madison Square Theater, New York,
Walter Lawrence. Mr.. Lawrence saw
the play and at once realized its posi-
bilities. He secured the rights and made
q production of 1t at his theater with a
notable cast headed BY William Morris.
who was co-author Of the piece with
Frank Wyatt. The play remained at the
Madison Square Theater for the remain
der of the season, and it was found nee
essary to organize other companies and
send them on the road to meet the de-
mands of theatergoers everywhere. The
title of the comedy is derived from an
innocent message sent by a suspecting
wife to ascertain IL her husbands story
as to where he spent the night he re-
manned from home is true. The amount
of trouble that telegram stirs up keeps
the action of the play on the jump from
start to finish. The cast tomorrow night
will include Violet Heming as Mrs. Jack
Temple, the suspicious wife; Jessie Glen
denning as Dorothy, Carrie Thatcher as
Mrs. Frank Fuller, Julia Blanc as Mrs.
Brown, Earl Brown as Frank Fuller. |
John NJ. Kline as Jack Temple. Willard
Robertson as Capt. Sharpe. George w.
Barber as Wigson, and Everett Butter |
field as John Brown.
The Governors Lady" which ranks as |
David Belasco's most successful produc- |
ton Of the last three years. will be prod
duced for the first time in stock tomor- |
row afternoon by the Poll Players. This |
comedy of American life was presented
originally in New York at the Belasco
Theater by a company that included
Emmett Corrigan, in the role of the gov |
ernor. and Emma Dunn. as the COVER |
nor's lady" and ran eleven months. In |
the revival this week Miss Jewel will be |
seen in the role created by Miss Dunn. |
and Mr.. BUTLER will have the part played |
originally Dy SOrTlSAn- Inc Story
of the play concerns the rise Of man |
from humble life to the position Of State |
executive. and the effect Of his evolution |
on his domestic happiness. wonderful |
~ effective scene of the story brings out
the development in the man of a keen |
sense of shame because his humble wife. |
who was his inspiration and helpmate In |
his early fight for fame and fortune does |
not measure up to the social demands |
made upon the wife of a governor. The |
scenes of the story, which proved an in |
SEPARATION to Mr.. Belasco's genius for stage |
effects. are laid in the home of the gov |
ernor, in the little farmhouse where ne |
and his wife had begun the battle of life. |
and in an aIl-pight restaurant in New
York, where the last big moment of the
stage story occurs. and which proved !
the greatest triumph of Beiasco realism |
the modern stage has known. In addi-
ton to Miss Jewel and Mr.. Butler. in the |
two leading roles, the play will call into |
service Stanley James, as Senator Strick- |
land: William d. Corbett as Wesley Mer- |
rift; Frank Shannon, as Robert HAYES;
Russell Fillmore. as Brigham Hunt: John |
Ellit, as Ex-Governor Hubbard: Louise
Eafh Cfric Il. Eo1a |