The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-16
GATTI-CASAZZA HAS
ENGAGED NEW STARS
Hopes to Get Leon Bakst to
Join Metropolitan Ballet
Company.
STRIFE OVER WAR PLAY

d hIT ONEh AN LA
Word received yesterday by cable
from Giulio Gatti-Casazza general
manager OF the Metropolitan opera Com
pany, who Is now in Italy perfeoting ar
rangemeDts for the coming New York
opera seascn, tells Of assembling tho
next season stars who will appear here.
Although names have not yet been
made public. II Is understood that Mr..
GATH asazza has succeeded in engage
ing several new singers who were not on
the list announced at the close of the
season last year.
Mr.. Gatti-C asazza IL at present In
Lausanne, Switzerland. experimenting
rehearsals OF the Serge de Diaghilew
Russian Ballet and making arrange
ments for the transportation OF the
troupe to America, where 1t will have a
four weeks season at the Metropolitan
Opera House before starting on n tour
Of the United States. Among other
things the Metropolitan impreeario 10
trying to induce Leon Batst to come to
this country with the ballet. The N ted
scene painter and stage director Is re-
sponsible for the SCENERY OF the ballet.
The Metropolitan Opera Company direc-
tors and others have put up n guarantee
fund OF $500. 900 TO operate the organi-
zatlon hene and n company called the
Metropolitan Ballet Company with q
nominal capital of $4,000 has been
formed for this purpose.
Nearly n dozen stars OF the company
are now in Europe. some In Italy n
others In Switzerland, Holland and Dem
mark. Among these are Mime. Hempcl,
jacques Urlus. Arturo Toscanini and
Arthur Bpdansky. the new conductor
who IL to replace Alfred Hertz. Mr..
Tosnnini is still intensely absorbed in
giving concerts and otherwise aiding
the Italian victims of She war.
Enrico Caruso. whose prosperous sea-
son II Buenos AyrcS Is finished. Is due
In New York within the next two weeks.
according to a letter to a friend here,
unless the tenor decides n, make a trip
10 Italy before coming back TO America.
The rest OF the Metropolitan opera song
birds are scattered aroun this cpun-
try from Long Island. where several
htN StliillltI lpltl'Ss 10 hdAits ItIalpI-
min and the Adirondacks.
Richard Ordy nski. the Polish stage d.
rector and representative OF MAX Rein
hardt In this country. will make his
initial bow on the American stage to-
day In a production of Victor Hol-
laender's "Sumurun" at the New
Bright II Theatre. He will play the part
of the hunchback in the piece. while the
leading role. that OF the Star Giri. is
taken by Gertrude Hoffman,. The COM
pany numbers over sky. with d large
orchestra and elaborate scenic effects.
II was last seen in New York at the
Casino Theatre in 1912.
Ordynskl was bom in CrAn,w and
educated at the University Of Cracow
lie entered into dramatic work through
journalistic %hanne md later became
associated with Nj. Rcinhardt. under
whom b. worked for many years.
lie operated several ~p.Iyhouscs in GER
many and staged the production Of
'Sumurun,' the ~pantomtme. At the
Casino after II had achieved a sensa-
tioit'l success In Europe.
The hyphcnated neutrality band in
this country is again turning its attcn-
ton to the New York stage. This time
II appears that Under Fire" A new
war play. is the object % its attention.
At me second night OF the play a num-
Der OF Gafman Americans and edit rs
as a self-appointed board Of censorship
visited the theatre TO pass judgment
on the piece.
As a result there is a growing ten.
dency Of the audience at the Hudson
Theatre to take sides during the per
Although the majority are
III sympathy with the spirit OF the play,
which Is pro-Allies. the scenes are not re-
without kissing from the German
element To discourage this "A notice
been placed in all. the programmes
that the management earnestly re-
quests that no members in the audience
Will indulge in any unpleasant demon
which might be offensive to
others in the audience or to those on
the stage
VITA enough presents to start a Gu
riosity shop, blankets. flowers. indian
baskets and the like, Geraldine Farrar
left Los Angeles yesterday en- route for
New York, having finished n three
months motion picture engagement in
the studios of the Lasky Feature Play
of Hollywood, Cal. She ap-
pesred in photo productions Of Gar
men, The Temptation" and Maria
II IL expected that she will re-
again next summer to complete
other pictures.
Returning with Miss Farrar are Cecil
h. De Mile. director of the Laeky com
pany Mrs, sydney Farrar, her mother
Mrs. David Belasco. Mrs, Morris Gest,
Frank Connor and James sullivan. A
brief stop will be made in Chicago. She
is expected to arrive in New York on
or saturday.
Miss Farrar made a farewell speech
before leaving TO n crowd Of her friends
and sang several opera arias for their
benefit. I'm coming back To YOU -
o o az ! can" exclaimed the diva rs
train pulled out.
Under its motion picture policy the
Knickerbocker Theatre will be ready for
business on September IL. m. opening
programme will include Raymond
Hitchcock, in Ills Valet" with Ma
bel Normand and the Sennott com
pany Douglas Fairbanks in The Maj
and the Test" "A modern adventure
story. and Frank Keenan, in Thomas
Ince's new civil war play entitled The
Coward.
The run Of the Frohman production OF
Girl from Titan will continue for
two weeks niece and then will move ont
TO enable certain ChangeS to be made to
the theatre in order to transform II into
"A movie" house. Besides this New
York playhouse the Triangle Film Com
which will operate II for one ycar
has now secured theatres in Chicago
negotiations are under way for one
,u pbi1aaolnhin and in RoStOu.