Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1915-06-26
Palisades Pinafore Performance
Surprising And Pleasing Success
Was Real Opinion OF Every One
Large And Enthusiastic Audience At Ceas Hall To Hear
Local Amateurs Gilbert & Suivan's Comic Opera
Masterpiece--Entire Presentation Well Received


The opera of "Pinafore" by Pail
SADIE amateur talent under the direc-
ton of Arthur w. Tams was pre-
scented at Cella's Hall, Fort Lee, on
Friday evening of last week before a
magnificent house, four-fifths OF
whom were Palisadlans. Pretty nearly
the whole town moved up to the
mother borough's capital and saw one
OF the most finished performances OF
gilbert " Sullivan's masterpiece ever
presented anywhere in this country
outside OF professional ranks. And,
indeed, because it was by amateurs IN
no wise detracted from its general
excellence. That it was signal trl-
umph IS the simple truth. And not
only that, It's artistic excellence was
superb, ana showed a master hand In
guiding company OF men and Wo-
men, many Oh them never having sung
a note and unable to read bar OF
music, through the intricacies OF a
long opera with such consummate
grace and skill.
from the beginning to the end,
there was not a harsh chord, a false
note or attitude in the entire perform
ance. Everything went off with the
precision OF clockwork, and the bust
ness OF the various parts was per-
tected IN most pleasing manner. The
opera was we'll nigh perfect and de-
cldedly pleasing. The groupings OF
the choruses, their action, their dane
ing, their slnglng-the shading, their
feeling, their expression, were all
done so admirably that one soon lost
sight of the fact that mere home
talent, much of it untutored and
crude, had been taught to do such
skillful work. People who went out
to have good laugh and enjoy a
show full OF crudities and awkward
situations, found none of these things
at all. Instead, they witnessed per-
enough for Broadway? Yes, Broad
way or anywhere. 10 be sure there
were no artists in the caste, but the
presentation was decidedly artistic.
And the singing was all good, every
bit of it. 1t all showed the skilled
touch of the director, a professional
of the long ago, who had come back
to life in a realm where his triumphs
forty years back could never have
been more decided than in his Pail
SADIE "Pinafore." 1t required no small
stock of imagination to work up such
a show with the material in hand, to
plan and execute an opera like this,
and then at the final moment to see
it open up the petals of its form and
blossom into the perfect flower of
song and picture the public saw with
almost open-eyed wonderment.
1t is no idle exaggeration to say
that no one went to Cella's Hall
dreaming of such complete perform
ance. They expected to see a good
show, yes; but to witness "Pinafore"
as only an artist could present it, no
one thought of such a thing. "This
is fine," 81 am surprised" "Magni-
ficent!" were expressions heard all
over the house, and many even more
extravagant. 1t must have done the
conductor a lot of good to stand there
and WELD his baton over conquest
so exalted as that audience gave his
labors. The appreciation of the solos,
the stage setting, the choruses, the
costuming, in fact, everything con-
nected with this classic among comic
operas, must have gone home to the
old masters heart; he could not fail
to value the unalloyed tribute that
was every moment his. He fairly
Continued on page -