The Washington herald., 1914-01-04
Musical Dominates Current Weeks Attractions
Renaissance of Operetta
Gipes Cheerful Promise
Nauseous Reign of Vacuous Girland-Music Shon
Gives Place to Merry Flood of Harmony
Long Considered Lost Art.
BY JULIA CHANDLER MANz.

BY JULIA CHANDLER NAME.
The present dramatic season woul
seem to mark the end of the dark reig
of musical comedy and the renaissanc
sf operetta.
For some years the theater-going pull
lie has considered as lost the art tina
brought the merry flood of harmony som
decades atso from Strauss, Won Supp<
Carl Milloecker, Lecocq. Audran. an
others of that silver and French gilt era
and even the lesser composers who wer
rs prolific IT that brief epoch as IL har
monic germs were in the air.
And now. after years Of abuse o
operettas bv brawling comedians an,
loud soubrettes, there seems ample assur
ance that another flood of the bette
things in light opera Is coming for a per
manent stay after the lean years through
which even the much maligned ''tiret
business man. has faileJ to be satisfied
The nauseous reign of musical coined,
began with the wane of Gilbert and Sui
livan, and the poverty of invention o.
French and German composers, as wei
as the famine in cultured singers ant
tasteful comedians necessary for th'
proper Interpretation o. opera comiqu,
and lyric opera. The advent was marked
by daintiness and a certain degree Of
vinsome charm. but once turned loose tt
commonplace clowning the havoc was de
plorable. Blatant incompetency charac
terized the librettists who tossed of
stupid nonsense as bad actors gave II
Until it was classified as musical com.
edy'' it did tremendous harm to our clean
bright, ana altogether delightful old
comic opera ideals.
About three years ago df one may over
look The Merry Widow" which came ir
a class all its own, and has never beer
successfully initiated along the same
lines) the r-:.aissance of light opera had
ifs beginning on both sides of the sea
simultaneously, and today there are a
dozen composers who are writing real
music and so successfully Turing public
taste away from the vacuous musical com.
edy that wise managers stand in grave
hesitation before offering a slapstick mu-
sical show, to which fact may be at
tributed the notable scarcity of such pro-
ductions during the present season.
Victor Herbert, the composer of
''Sweethearts," the operetta in which the
Werba-Luescher Opera Company will pre-
sent Miss Christie Macdonald, at the New
National Theater this week, remarked re-
Gently that mo matter how tenuous the
theme. light opera must arrive at a con-
sistent and convincing climax. Musical
numbers must be thematic and tell the
story. Padding and filling destroy the
life OF a story in music
Mr.. Herbert. unquestionably the fore
most American composer of today,
should be well qualified to speak of these
things. for his music is of undeniable ex-
cellence. He recently returned to New
York to conduct 'Sweethearts" at spe-
cial performance, after having conducted
his Indian grand opera ''Natoma'' for the
Chicago Grand Opera Company, and was
given an ovation which will long be re-
membered by New York music lovers.
Another grand opera Of his. Madeline"
is TO be produced this season by the Met
ropolitan Grand Opera Company. of New
York.
Light operas, of which Mr.. Herbert has
thirty-one to his credit. appeal to a
greater number of folk than grand
operas The opera comique is quite as
old and just as sure of cotinued life, and
with Victor Herbert Rudolph Friml,
a Franz Lehar, an Ivan Caryl, an EN-
merich Kalman, and others who can be
classed with these composers, hard at
work to satisfy the public demand for
the aboIishment of the trifiing girl and
music show, the future for delightful
musical entertainment in our theaters
looks cheerful.
Certainly "Sari." the operetta in two
acts by Julius Wilhelm and Fritz Grun-
baum. with 1usic by Emmerich Kalman,
which represented the first of this sea-
sons productions to be made by Henry
". Savage, struck a most responsive
,hord during last weeks engagement at
The New National Theater, and preced-
ng reports OF reliability lead US to ex-
Harharffx aSUaof-
learts'' this week a season Of equal en-
oyment and artistic satisfaction.
From famine we merge into plenty, for
he Columbia Theater i; also to be the
Gene of a big musical production this |
veek-the practical American premiere of
Queen of the Movies" after a try-out |
asst week In Atlantic City. 1t is claimed |
hat Thomas W. l:yley, whose name |
tands for the best there is in musical |
has outdone himself in the /
elaboration with which he has staged |
Hen MacDonough's American book, |
which was founded upo,. the German of
Die Kino-Eonigen.' a tremendous Euro |
can success for the past two years.
The original music o: Queen Of the
iovies,' composed by Jean Gilbert, has
cen retained, and will be staged by
ulian Mitchell in its American presen-
alton tomorrow night by one Of the most /
otable aggregations of singers seen here
4 many a moon, headed by Miss Valli-
ALI, Miss Alice Dovey. and Frank Mou-
IN.
4 week ago the promise for the pres
mt week was for a perfect deluge of
MUSICAL attractions, the New National
''Sweetheart5," the Columbia
romising Queen of the Movies" the
elasco making the second announcement
Z the present season of the Shubert pro-
uction of the French musical farce, "Oh,
Say" and even the permanent home
Washington stock advertising George
[. Cohan's 'Forty-fi-'H Minutes from
roadway relief from this situation
anne with the now customary change in
re Shubcrt booking Of ''Oh. Say" and
lie substitution of Mark Swans three
ct comedy, Her Own Money" with Miss
ulia Dean as itG star. $50.
The play vas originally produced at the
omedy Theater, New York City, Sep
mber ], 1918. By Winthrop Ames, Great
e more tran the usuL. amount of in
rest because the drama was from the
IN Of an American author produced in a
hubert heater by Mr.. Ames. a man.
ger who ;:itherto hac offered produc-
ons only In his own theaters to a most
nited class The production proved an
-tistic success. and Miss Dean won en-