The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-25
HIGH HONOR RUINS
HITCHY FOR EVENING
Aida Let Him Make Motions
as She Sang at the Victory =
Peace Festival.
HE NEVER WAS THE SAME
Holds Irene Bordoni's Hand,
but Is Roped During the
Big Pageant.

Raymond Hitchcock appeared in a
duet with Nine. Frances Aida at the
Hippodrome last night in the Victory
Peace Festival given for the benefit
Of the American Fund for French
Wounded. To say that Mr.. Hitchcock
appeared in the duet is to speak adj
visedly--Mme. Aida did the singing
while Raymond merely pantomimed.
1t was a mere accident that gave
Mr.. Hitchcock an opportunity to show
of his operate talent. He had been
assigned to the role of master Of cere-
| monies Mt the benefit performances
and fully intended to stick to that
role, but just as Nine Aida was about
| to launch into the second verse of
her third song ne got his signals
mixed and came romping out on the
stage with a big bunch Of posies for
the prima donna.
The saucy little stage cut up. Hitchy,
didn't seem to be a bit nonplused by
the fact that the house was crowded
to its topmost gallery with mem
bers of the -Four Hundred. He didn't
even bat an eyelld when a bevy of
New York's most beautiful debutantes
laid aside the programmes which they
were selling for 81 each in the back of
the playhouse and concentrated their
gaze upon him.
Pantomime . 1'AmouF.
Not until Nine. Aida turned to him
in sweet stage whisper that could
be heard by the doorman in the lobby.
asked him to wait until she had fin
ished singing. did ne realize that he
had made a mistake. Then. instead of
retreating. he stood beside Nine. Aida
and accompanied the rest Of her song
with fitting gestures, nodding emphat
ically at each recurrence of the phrase
| ramour."
The applause that greeted Mr..
Hitchcock's initial appearance as an
opera singers companion spoiled him
as a master of ceremonies for the rest
OF the evening. From that time he
insisted on taking a prominent part
In every number on the programme.
He held Mile Ireno Bordonis hano
while she sang popular war songs in
French, and gracefully accepted all
th5 applause when Mile. Bordoni con-
cluded her number with a fetching
translation OF Irving Berlin's "Oh How
| I Hate to Get Up In the Morning"
He even forced his way into the group
| of French sailors that surrounded
/ Andreas de Segurola as the latter.
clad in a French uniform of the
revolutionary period, sang the Mar
| seillaise"
! Finally a strong arm committee was
appointed to keep Mr.. Hitchcock Off
the stage while The Peace With VIC
tory Pageant" was in progress. The
pageant was the premiere feature of
.he evening. 1t was written and con-
ceived by Zoe Akin, with music by
| Elsa Maxwell. and staged by Mrs. Ben
jamin Guinness with the assistance Of
Richard Ordinski OF the Metropolitan
| Opera House. The masque was di-
vided into two parts, the second of
which was given over chiefly to an in
terpre.ative ballet by members of the
Noyes group Of dancers under the di-
rection OF Florence Fleming Noyes.
Mrs. Mitchell Henry as "Peace."
up chiefly Of society folk, together
| y.
Mrs. Mitchell Henry assumed the role
of Peace, her handmaidens being
Miss Marjorie Curtis. Mrs. Walter b.
Brooks. Jr, Mrs. Charles De Loosely
Oelrichs and Mrs. Philip Bernhard.
Other participants were Mrs. John
| Wanamaker. Jr., Mrs. Cornelius ii.
| Tangemann. Mrs. Herbert Shipman,
Mrs. Percival Farquhar, Mrs. Freder-
lex Kohl and Nj ,ses Genevieve Glen
denim, Frances Fai.child, Dorothy Eel
loves Warren. Dolly Kimball and
Marion Tiffany. Elsie Ferguson as
sumed the role of Civilization. and
Marcia van\Dresser OF History.
Among the stars Of the operate.
conceft and dramatic stage who also
had t6rts in the programme were
Yvette Guilbert. Cyril Maude. Julia
Arthur. Eva Gautier. Carlos Salzedo,
Arthur Forrest. Lyal Swete. Gabrielle
ellis and Mile. Tsvis Beige.
The list OF patronesses. patrons and
box holders at the performance in
cluded:
Mrs. Janes speyer. Mrs. Henry Clay
Friek. Mrs. Ethelbert Nevin. Mrs. E r.
stotesbury, Mrs. Charles r. HOFFMAN, Mrs
benjamin GIrault hathrop, Mrs. Robert
Bacon, Mrs John + Arehbold. Mrs Ar
Mrs. 3 II. Hartman. Mrs Preston Pope
satterwhite, DR.. Henry Van Dyke. Mrs
John Sanford. Mrs, C. Oliver Iseln, Mrs
william Guggenheim, Mrs Hugh D. Au-
chincloss. a. Parker Nevin, Mrs. Nicholas
Murray Butler, Mrs, r. Gray Griswold.
Mrs. james Lowell Putnam, Mrs. Ramsay
Tutnbt1i. Nine. Baldensperger. Mrs. Arthur
sutcline. Mrs. Schuyler Van Rensselaer,.
Miss LnIsIta Leland: Mrs Francis X.