The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-15
Boston Grand Opera Go. Presents Madam But terfIy" at BijOu Before Fashionable Audience
TAMAKI MIURA IN THE
 TITLE ROLE ALL THAT HAS BEEN SAID OF HER
PavlOwa, With the Ballet Russo, Presents Four Ex- quisite Dance Numbers at Close of Opera

at Close of Opera
 Birmingham's grand opera season was opened in brilliant fashion at the Bijou theatre last night by the Boston Grand Opera company. presenting Puccinrs Madam Butterfly" and Mile. Pavlowa with the Imperial Ballet Russe in a se- ries of dances. The opera has been sung here before, but never with the artistic finish and rare histrionic skill displayed on this occasion by Tamaki Miura, the Japanese prima donna. Riccardo Martin and other members of a cast of exeep- tional ability.
 IS GENUINE NOVELTY
 The appearance of Miura in the prin- cipal role was a genuine novelty, but quite appropriate in an opera whose theme is partly Japanese, with Japan csc environment. Miura has been hailed as a singer of first rank. Last night she was in splendid form, and not only showed vocal powers which amply jus tify all the high praise she has received in this country and in England, but she acted the tragic story of Cio-Cio-San with great sincerity, deep sympathy and an histrionism seldom achieved by grand opera stars. Petite, winsome, and yet exotic and intensely oriental, true and representative type of the Japanese woman, she Is ideally suited to interpret Madam Butterfly" The joy of her love for the American lieutenant, the unaf-  pathos of long waiting for the return of her faithless husband, the happy an- ticipation of his return, when his ship came back to Nagas saki and the bitter despair that followed her realization that she had lost him forever were portrayed by the artist in manner which won for her the tribue of spontaneous applause and numerous encores.
 Riccardo Martin, erstwhile Mr Richard Martin of Kentucky, who is one of the notables Of the grand opera world, and justly so, and sings quite as we'll as if he had Italian antecedents, acquitted himself extremely well as Lieutenant Pinkerton. His superb voice could an- swer much greater demands than those made upon it by his role in this opera, but he shared in the honors of the even- ing with Miura and delighted his ad- mirers who had looked forward to his appearance in Birmingham with lively pleasure. With the exception of Maggie Teyte, MT. Martin is perhaps the best known member of the company, as his career in America has been crowned by great but richly deserved, success He has the reputation of being a hard worker and a deep student, ranking among the very few great tenors of the day.
 CAST IS EXCELLENT
 The other members of the cast were all uniformly excellent and contributed generously to the success of a perform ance in which there was nothing lack ing. Elvira Leveroni as Suzuki was admirable, while Graham Marr as Sharpless was eminently satisfactory. The lesser roles were in competent hands and the general verdict of the audience last night was highly flatter- ing to the artists. There were many curtain calls. A superb orchestra mag netically directed by Roberto Moran zoni. added a great deal to the enjoy- ment and artistic worth of the per formance.
 At the conclusion of the opera Pay Iowa and the Ballet Russe gave four dance numbers. Mile. Pavlowa's in- depreciation of Kreisler's 'The Dragon Fly" was beautiful and poetic, charac- terized by all the elfin grace and mas tery of her art which have made Paw Iowa famous in two hemispheres. The most spectacular number of the pro- gramme was Les Undines," which came last and afforded Pavlowa. as we'll as other members of the ballet opportunities for some exquisite ef- fleets. The opera consumed so much time that the dances were necessarily brief, but all four numbers were ad- mirably presented. Mile. Pavlowa fin ished her part of the programme all too soon for hundreds of theatregoers who would have gladly tarried until after midnight to see her dance
 This afternoon, La Boheme," will me sung, with Maggie Teyte as Mimi, and the offering tonight will be "Ths Love of Three Kings (the English title) by Montemezzi. After each per- formance Pavlowa and the Ballet Russo will appear The ballet tonight will in- clude music from TschailSowsky's Nut Crackers"
 Last nights audience was the largest assembled in Birmingham this season There were few vacant seats.
 The curtain will rise this afternoon shortly after o'clock, earlier than us- ual, but tonight's performance will not begin until S:30 o'clock.
 OPPOSE SUNDAY MOVIES