The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-04-25
A. SOPRANO
TENOR
By NORMAN THORNDYkE

After number of ventures in mu-
sico-theatrical way organized a comic
opera company, which took ION the
road" My singers were not such as
one expects to hear at the Metropolitan
4 Opera House in New York, but were
! good enough for the audiences they
were intended for. When I was eX-
part young woman came to me who
4 desired the position. 1 tried her voice,
but could not quite place it. 1t was
not exactly a soprano nor was it eX
| actly an alto, being between the two.
| Sometimes it sounded little like a
mans tenor. 1 did not exactly fancy
| it, but no other woman presented her.
self for the position except one who
wanted too large salary, and en-
gagged the applicant. Miss Winifred
Richie she gave as her real name and
| told me that was at liberty to use it
| on the bills.
Miss Richie was very good looking
| young woman. She was attractive in
all respects excepting that in ordinary
conversation her voice was pitched
rather low for woman and seemed a
trifle harsh. But this did not prevent
her turning the heads of several Of
the mule singers. Ma rionel1i, my tenor,
! whose real name was OGrudy, became
despera tely smitten with her. and his
attentions being not to her liking was
in constant dread Of losing one or
both 81 them IN the middle or the sea-
f,s9n aen1: ont n the roa4, where ! could
not 7epdil tie dehcieh hey 'as sFs'tss
Tie trouble with O'Grady was that
he was not man Of any refinement,
and no rebuff could stand him of. One
I day my. leading lady came to me and
/ said that il I did not find way to
p. relieve her OF his attentions she would
| take the matter into her own hands.
what course will you take?" ask
ed "Will you stick a pin in him?'
mo; I'll stick nothing into him, but
he'll get an eye that will keep him off
the boards for week"
| l smiled at the idea of q woman
/ repelling lover in such fashion. Then
! I asked her in what way O'Grady Of
| Tended her. She replied that in love
scenes on the stage which they were
compelled to act together he was much
more demonstrative than was neces-
sary in stage embrace.
had talk with O'Grady, in which
told him that Miss Richie would no
longer accept his attentions, and un-
less he would let her alone I would
send him of as soon as could replace
him. But my warning was not effec-
tive. In the very next performances
he offended again. Nothing occurred
until the curtain was lowered ut the
end Of the act, when Miss Richie land
ed Z blow on O'Grady's. eye that turn.
ed it sickly green. tssh ts
Twas much put out with Miss Richie,
for incapacitating my tenor and rated
her soundly.
= Miss Turnlee, my understudy," she
said, rs quite, capable Of taking my
part, and will take O'Grady's part"
WHAT
"rn take o'Gradys part. l can sing
tenor
After she had convinced me that she
was serious tried her voice and found
that it was q far better tenor than So
prano.
what does this mean?' asked her.
I 1T means that I can sing in two
different voices.'
The next performance was given as
she had suggested, Miss Richie being
dressed as a man, and she produced
far better impression than O'Grady.
Indeed, as man singer she was OF
far more value to me than O'Grady
Or than she was in q sonrapo's part. q