Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-30
ADJUSTMENTS
New National.

THE Great Lover" romantic COM
edy. in which the drama goes to grand
opera for its hero, was presented at the
New National last night with Leo
Ditrichstein in the role Of Jean Paurel,
which won for him the nimbus Of a
New York success. Mr.. Ditrichstein
also shares with Frederic and Fanny
Hatton the authorship of the play.
which Is in three acts. and has for its
environment the stage life Of present
| day New York.
Temperamentally considered. Jean
| Paurel. star baritone of the Gotham
| Opera Company. is twin to the bee of
poesy that sips the sweets from every
opening bud. Defiant of his gray hair
and of the coddling of dominatingly
| devoted valet. he fits from one ro-
mantle episode to the next-each hon
eyed missive hived according to peri
DDS. beginning with that affair with
the girl Bianca-oh, a long time ago"
caressing dab of the cheek for another
and a buzzing of sweet nothings for
all-patronesses Of the opera. society
debutantes. singers-the singer drifts
along atrily until. stirred by his first
genuine love, he wins the lyric so
prano of the company from the young
baritone to whom she is engaged
The play begins it's action in the
pany. where artistic temperaments of
both genders give humorous, and. one
feels. realistic glimpses of life behind
the scenes
The second act shows Paurers dress
ing room at the opera house, in the
course OF the opera, Don Giovanni"
with the singer costumed in the role of
the dissolute Spaniard. Admitting Wis
ftors come and go, society toilets min
Cling colorfully with the stage dresses
IF the principals, chorus and auxiliary
singers of the cast.
There Is scene with the jealous
young baritone whom he has supplant-
ed and another with a girl who, as q
5esting test of his love, insists upon the
charm which the singer wears on rib
BON about his neck. Whether 1t is the
loss OF his mascot, or perhaps forbid
den cigarette, Paurers voice fails him
and the young baritone takes his place.
1t is poignantly tragic moment for a
romantic comedy. but Mr.. Ditrichstein
makes his singer philosophic enough to
weather the situation. and the last act
who will never regain his voice, but
who finds solace in reading over the |
love letters of the past: a broken man, |
who is no longer "the great lover" and |
til
There is the call at the telephone:
the big blonde who visited him that |
night in his dressing room. and the |
wv game ~ on. Inc tglrl he truly !
loves as truly loves the Younger sing
er, who has just started his brilliant |
career, but it is for another reason that |
ne gives her up to Sonino, and the rea-
son supplies touch of mystery, in |
winch the e. eat singer becomes some |
thing of great man.
1ools OF grand opera are not numer-
GUS enough in these parts to create a |
standard to judge by, but one feels
tnat MI. Ditrichstein plays the charac-
ter as such a character should be play
ed. And that means about perfection |
betty Catfish is both girlish and wom-
AMY In her Interpretation of the young
soprano, and the Italian prima donna |
IS exasperatingly well acted by Essex |
Dane. Each member of the company
gives artistical1y excellent reason for
the phenomenal drawing power of the
play during its long run in New York,
there being but few changes from the
original cast. John Bedouin, as the
valet; Lee Millar, who as the manager
OF the opera made Mr.. Ditrichstein's
excuses for not responding to a curtain
speech. and the Italian and German
conductors portrayed by William Ric-
ciardi and Arthur Klein were as natural /
as the same types in real life, and last
on the program. but with compensat-I
Ing thrill OF melodrama, Camilla Dali
berg, the yelled figure, CARRIED in the
omcfal purple OF woman of the past,
who turns out to be 1.-The girl Blanca of
oh, so long ago" The orchestra add
ed Its share of realism by playing the
other grand opera scores.