New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-20
Tile CAST

Han, Ke,terer .................. Edward MIIrsny
Count Max Splenuiugen .............. liarJ lon9r
Dolly t.0va-Ials N1rfiefifs Naiihfe
Mn. Phoebe CloYo-lae ...-.. T.. = ltAle.l &'olAlI
Tly Dachau OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES jose e'.-4A'
Franz Lehar probably has lived TO
regret "The Merry Widow" Since he
achieved that exceedingly tuneful piece
each Of his succeeding works has in
evitably had to stand comparison with
mis- masterpiece. And so "Alone at Last"
produced for the first time at the Shu-
bert Theatre last night, must be sub.
ject. ever so briefly, to the same strong
light.
alone at Last" then, is an operetta
distinctly worthy Of the man who wrote
THE Merry Widow" II contains, Ger
tainly, the most satisfying and consist
emily good music of the season. It's
waltz. IL need scarcely be stated, IS not
the equal of the famous Widow mel
ody. But its score as a whole need
fear little from comparison with the
earlier work. True, alone at Last
will run second in the comparison, but
IL will be an honorable second. Inc
II will be on the strength Of us
music that Alone at Last must make
its stand. Fortunately. Marguerite
Namara, Jose Collins and John Charles
Thomas are in the cast 10 do justice
Ia the Iyehar melodies. This trio does
its work much better than did the
American adapters. In fact, there Is
ground for the suspicion that Edgar
Smith and Joseph Herbert, when they
settled down TO do over this latest
niece from Vienna, did 80 with the m
vasion OF Belgium and their anti-AAy
beliefs constantly in mind.
I'm the first act in particular the
adapters are constantly getting IN
Lehar's way. During this act 1t would
nave been handy 20 have been one or
the mountain goats mentioned by the
characters. so that one could SKIP
blithelv from melody TO melody. EK-
cept. Of course, that there would al
WAYS have been the danger II a ms
step, with sudden precip.t alton INTO
one of Messrs. Smith and Herbert ;
comic scenes to follow.
At the beginning Of the second act
however. Messrs. Smith and Herbert
stepped aside and let Franz Lehar
have his way. The change was all Tor
the better. In this act occurred hu-
merous charming melodies, nolaoly
"Oh, Ny Darling lilly" q" Pretty EdeI-
weiss" and "Not Now, but by the
Moon" The waltz occurred In the nrsl
act. and the composer prohigately lei,
IL there. He had so many other good
melodies up his sleeve that he did not
have 20 care.
Alone at Last" Is laid at Interlaken,
Jungfrau. That matters little, now
ever. EXCEPT 10 afford an exceedingly
effective second act curtain. The OPP
eretta is one of those Baedeker affairs,
peopled by guides and hotelkeePers ana
rovaltv and American tourists and such
things.
The notable event Of the evening
exclusive Of LehaT's music, was the
singing Of Marguerite Namara. In pre-
vious concert and grand opera inearnS-
tions this young woman called herse!i
Marguerite Namara-TOye. On the pro-
gramme last night she figured merely
"a Nine. Namara. Whatever her name.
she was received with open arms. II
she ever returns 10 the concert stage
her move will not be dictated by ne
cessity.
John Charles Thomas, rescued from
the Winter Garden, won success sec
ond only 10 that OF Nine. Namara
Jose Collins was in her usual good
voice. and was honored by having the
"Waltz Enhancing" as her portion. To
these three fell practically all OF the
singing.
Harry Conor was In the cast as a
rovaltied person of some sort or other
hut was not more than passively anus
ing. However, the authors had gwen
him nothing with which TO amuse. Koy
Atwen was equally unfunny until he
sang a song Of his own composition
in the second act. This had 10 do
Win microbes and their kin, and Mr.
Atwell succeeded in making even death
humorous. His success at THIS point
ennhasized the failure OF Smith-her-
bert at all other points.
The female portion OF the chorus
was large and attractive, and the male
portion was large.
"Alone M Last" unsteady speaking.
Is ALI that the most fastldious eouId
ask. Franz Lehsr has written sue,
cess. despite all that the Ama,gama'ed
| Association OF Librettists could 90.