The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-20
ACADEMY OF MUSIC HAS
THU CHOCOLATE SOLDIER

In THE Chocolate Soldier" which
is 10 be presented at the Academy !
Friday and Saturday and Christmas
matinee, there IS at least al asSur-
ance of comic opera that lives up
TO its classification. The composer /
Oscar Straus has written harmou!es
around the keenly witty ideas Of
George Bernad Shaw's Arms and the
Man" on which the story of the opera
Is based that overflow the work wlth
exqnisitely delightful misuc, long TO
he remember The famous Ny
Hero waltz has been borne every
where Oh the hreezes, and IL consid-
cred the most insidious In its appeal
ani most rnusicaiIy perfect biz of har
Inonic composition since the Gays OF
Johann The grandfather of tfe pres
ent Oscar Straus, who sent forth the
Blue Danube waitzes. which have
lived so long in the hearts of people
the world over.
The scare Of THE Chocolate Sol
dier" is made 81 t,fcky music whose
note effects and tone themes change
so rapidly 10 Ill the humorous ana
warmly sentimental scenes that he
who cares little for music ran laugh
and revc| in the melody Thc play
Itself has To Do with conceited men,
whose Conceit Is most amusing or"
woman whose principal occupation SIS
hero worshipplnE, likewise humorous
Ia treated The play - placed III thc
BuIgarians and Serhians--a fact Of
peculiar interest "a the present time
when these nations a deadly war
with each other. A Swiss in fhe
Serbian army escapes from the enemy
and take refuge IN a bulgarian iadf s
boHdoir. He takes possession of he
place and also of the nIaiden's heart
and the maids mother and cousin
Has hs.@ 81 ~
lie takes with him the photographs OF
se three women who. unknown "a
him place them in the coat in which
he escapes Back at the battle front
he meets the husband and fiance oi
these ladies When the war Is over
all return 10 The Bulgarian home,
where complications and explanations
are in order The farcical mature of
the characters IA the opera make 1t
Impossible for person to do ans -
thing but laugh and The laugh lasts
Tar away from the theatcr several
Of the original principals are in ihc
cast this season which includes F"ua
Easra nd. Andrew Higglnsoh, Sylvia
Thorne. Aimee Rcmlcy, George Tall
man Madison SMITH and Nelson
Riley The company carries its own
special orchestra.
..~now White and Seven Dwarf~."
W nat n Ntf 10 VI imagery AN '-'
folded in snow White and the seven
pwarfs, which Manager Nitt New
iur and the Ora vce Scott company are
presenting as their Christmas Offering
al the strand Tbeateri The first per
farrnances Christmas Day marked this
seasons production az being equal IN
every was II not aurpassings the Nigh
Is sensational presentation OF the fairy
slory mere last year. and the per
week VIII probably mark the high-
wafer record of the Strand Theater.
Daily matinees viii be offered during
the week. and. following those Of TO-
day. "Wednesday ana Friday, Miss
Scott wiil hold a stage reception that
the kidd es may meet personally all
Of the characters OF the play and OF
.aelr mag nation.
ne brJthers Grimm wrote sonje-
thing more than u mere fairy story
vnea (Aey produces snow White:
tney wrote for more than r day, be-
cause they put INTO the story al "
the Impulses that sway humanity ne
that humanity I'D or young. whcthe,
ii be Ia collective or IN au individual
sense "Gnow White and the Seven
D@arfs !s something more than an
sayl Of childish fantasies. II is more
beautiful than a lullaby for it not
only soothes and entrances. nut It fur
nsshes a very necessary mental diet in
that Il sounds all the 81 oals and depths
Of human frailtses. II Is real. Il is
vital; 1t - compelling indeed, IL Is
life, even the Life of today,
lighting effects and scenery used ~
the production are remarkable. and,
a. Douglas Gordon, OF the Tines
Dispatch has said. "the staging aAd
setting Of this fairy story viii rarely
be surpassed by the finest of read
cum pan.es. uGr viii the actual por-
forsnance shrink from compariaon
with these com panies Especially
i beautifui is the forest scene. ar effect
\ gained through an unusual man.pu-
4 tatiop 81 golden gats; the entrances
q of the butterfly and the witch The
4 Former through the air and the latter,
1hxs'ssh the naouth Of ashuge cael-