Evening star., 1914-04-12

GILBERT'S Ideal. WIT - "One of
the glorious things about the Gilbert
and Sullivan operettas. says Arthur
Cunningham, who has sung In 13T
musical pieces. rs that there is no
need of trying to be funny. Gilbert IS
funny. if you must do his lines the
Justice Of giving them a straight reading.
as intended. 1t is the man who tries to
be funny with those wonderful lines that
makes fool of himself.
For wit, no other librettist can be
mentioned in the same breath There
have been other extremely funny works,
but the Gilbert books are in a class
by themselves. and the success Of their
comedy roles has been often due more
to the player than to the author
1T is almost impossible 10 answer
the old question of whether Gilbert, as
"a librettist. was greater than Sullivan
as a composer. 1t was the combination
that brought about such extraordinary
results. However. suppose 1t is more
fdst to compare other composers with
sullivan, than to compare any other
comedy librettist with Gilbert. On the
other hand. it must be remembered that
The Emerald Isle for which sullivan
was writing the music at the time OF
his death, proved his unique talent as
a composer. The music was finished by
Cellier, and yet every one could tell
where the change came Gilbert had
and on the other hand, Gilbert did not
have success working with other COM
posers.
II think the only mistake made about
Gilbert is taking him bit too seriously.
much more seriously than he would ever
have taken himself Gilbert made many
Of his allusions In his songs just up
to-date and local as possible.
ETHEL BARRYMoREs DEBUT
nn the stage, her really truly first ap-
psarance. was made when she was less
Than fifteen, a school girl. studying
music with the very sincere intention of
.-olng on the concert stage as a p!anIste.
With all plans made for a finishing
curse on the continent, under the best
masters she Frsr--s I,4rsAlf without the
uecessary arnou..s of something urgently
needed-rnoney. So she did the thing
any plucky American girl would have
done. She looked around. young as she
she induced her grandmother. Mrs.
John Drew. the dowager member OF the
famous acting family. then on tour of
Canada in The Rivals, TO allow her to
iotn the company, which at that time
serrbled a distinguished family party. fer
besides Mrs. Drew as Mrs MalaproI.
her son. Sidney Drew. was the Boil
Acres and Mrs. Sidney Drew WAS LYDIA
At one time IN this tour Mr.. and Mrs.
Mckee Rankin, father and mother of
Mrs. Sidney Drew. travelled with the
company as Sir Lucius O'Trigger and
Lucy, respectively. Then Ethel Barry
nore's father. Maurice Barrymore, join
ed them TO play Capt. Absolute. and for
another period her brother. Lionel Bar
rymore, appeared with them in the small
role of servant, young Barrymore be-
ing then but boy.
The dowager Mrs. Drew. like Joseph
jefferson, made use of a version of The
Rivals which omitted the character of
julia Melville, so when young Ethel
barrymore gained her grandmother's
consent the character was restored for
the use of the girl. Miss Barrymore's $
Uncle Sidney sent $40 to Miss Barry
more. then waiting expectantly her
grandmothers decision at her school in
Philadelphia, and with this the en-
hryonic star travelled north Carrying
a little handbag, her only piece of lug
gage, in. a modest skirt TO her knees and
her hair in one long pig TAIL" Ethel
barrymore landed on the platform of d
Canadian railway station. to be met by
her uncle and brother.
On the eventful evening. with trepida-
ton and threatening tears. she approach
ed her famous grandmother with the
murmured hope that she would be able
to get through with il
Through with it, repeated the older
woman in stentorian torres, of course