The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-02
vessella's Comic Opera Rescm-
bles Kipling s Poem Only
in the Name.
YANKEE Is HERO IN INDIA

The Park Theatre last evening opened
It's doors to welcome Music. heavenly
maid" after having been n long time
devoted TO the exploitation OF wal ana
ia horrors. THE Road to Mandalay.'
Is q comic opera by Oreste Vessela. q
bandmaster OF Atlantic City and else
where, working In CONJUNCTION with Will.
lam II. Post and william Mckenna.
They had gone to far away India to
get their setting for the piece. But The
Road to Mandalay'' resembles kipling's
famous poem only In the name. At any
rate there were no flying fishes and the
sun did not come up like thunder or per-
form any other impossible feats.
In short the book OF the opera deals
with n retired molasses manufacturer
adventures with banditti. harem beau
ties. the Boom Of Rangoon and the Bur
n,ese blue Ia VS.. in which he matches his
Yankee wit and shrewdness against Ori-
entail guile and comes out the victor by
the encounter.
Two Scenes IN RanGoo..
II takes, as Is customary with most
musical comedies. " scenes to tell the
story. In this case the first Is aid out
side the Rising Moon Tea House in RAN
coon and the second Is in the gardens
~ Hiram Montgomery's home In the
suburbs, where the complications which
had occurred In the first were untangled
in the second. There Is also a sort OF
entr'acte scene ION the road to Man.
dalay'' between these.
william ]. Wilson. according to the
PLAY programme, was responsible for the
setting. and h matter thu was put into
capable hands. since Sr. Wilson was
formerly scenic director at the Hippo
drome. All three Of his creations proved
delightfully."- effective and brought well
deserved applause.
A capable cast had been selected
which contained many we'll known
IN both the musical n comedy
fields. Herbert Corthrell. whose last APP
pearance In these parts was In "a Full
House. gas the genial molasses manu-
facturer. supported by Marie Morgan OF
Gilbert and sullivan fame and Franz
Pollock. once OF the Metropolitan Opera
House. 10 mention but a few.
Miss Leola Lucey sang the prima
donna role from the vantage point OF q
wheel chair. In her behalf II was an
nounced just before the curtain ros'
that having sprained her ankle sh'
would be unable to take the part In an,
more realistic way. although she In
8 stcd that the production be not post
Toned ON ;hat account. Notwithstand
80 nv g ~ ~ tti =
q considerable degree. Misc Lucey car
ricd on some of the first honors with
her singing. which was of a high order
or Mr.. Pollock as her associate II car
be said that the light opera stage sci
dom possesses such a pleasing teno,
voice as his is.
Old Fashioned Sort ~ Piece.
The Road 10 Mandalay' il of th
good old fashioned kind OF piece. Their
are a good many old jokes dcckcd out i
new clothes and which never seem I
grow stale through repetition. There /
q music OF a certain catchy variety with
out being at all distinctive. but which q
the same time leaves a pleasing impress
sion upon its auditors. and there ar
songs that are syncopated enough for tn
persons who enjoy the advanced kind o
comic opera.
In the lines are AT times genuine en-
joyment and fun, ever though the hume
Is Of the old fashioned variety. The com
pany worked hard and successfully {
bring out all these good points. bein
amply repaid judging by the demeano
Of the traditional blase first night audi
ence.
''rh. Road to Mandalay" has many @
The features which go to max up a sue
cessful entertainment both from III
standpoint OF the box office and the the
atregoer.