The sun., 1918-12-10
AMERICAN STARS
sing BUTTERFLY"
Opera without a Hero Pleases
Metropolitan Audience, as
Is Now Usual.
Is FARRAR'S BEST ROLE
Prinia Donna Sings Well and
Introduces Another Re-
markable Headpiece.
Is FARRAR's BEST ROLE

If Lieut.. b. +. Pinkerton, about the
poorest specimen OF the genus United
States naval officer that ever stood a
gravy" watch, had been a real pa
triot he might have put an extra peal
Of hurrah into his america forever
last night. because Madame Butter
fly" was sung at the Metropolitan
Opera House with an American star
caste. But it was not in him.
Thackeray called Vanity Fair" q
novel without a hero. and Puc.
cini might have called Madame
Butterfly" an opera without one. Not
a COB in the ships company from
Jimmy Legs down to Jack o. the Dust
would have called Pinkerton one.
However II was an all-American
caste. so far az the real principals
went. Geraldine Farrar was the Clio
CiO-SGn. Paul Althouse the BEGGING
Pirkerton and Thomas Chalmers the
Consul ShurpleSs. There was merit
in the performance and the audience.
as is now usual at the opera, seemed
to enjoy IT,
The trusting and betrayed little Jap
anese girl is still Nine. Farrar's best
role. Her voice showed signs of weak
ness once or twice last night, but on
the whole she sang the music well
and, except for another OF her extraor-
binary experiments in head decoration
looked well
Mr.. Althouse put much fervor into
the love duo OF the first act. NJ.
Chalmers without giving sharp dis
tinction to the role of Shdrpless, sang
unsteady and acted intelligsntly. Mr.
Mcranzoni conducted, and the balance
between voices and orchestra was gen
orally well maintained.
The audience assembled for the frs,
subscription night OF the operas fifth
week was one Of the most brilliant
since the premiere of the season,
Tho Mayor and Mrs. Hylan and
their daughter, Miss Virginia Hylan
were with Judge and Mrs. Ebert H
Gary.
Princess Enrico RuspoI, Mr.. and
Mrs. Horace Gallatin and Frederick H
Baldwin were with Mrs. Vanderbilt.
Mr.. and Mrs. Theodore Frelinghuy-
sen, Mr.. and Mrs. John +. Cowdin and
Mr.. and Mrs OTden H. Hammond were
in the Julliard box. Mr.. and Mrs. J.
Insley Blair were with Mr.. and Mrs
George +. Baker, Jr.
Mrs. John Turner Atterbury. Mrs
Philip Boyer and Mrs. Oliver Iselin
were in the Whitney box. With Mrs
James B. Haggin were Mr.. and Mrs
Allen G. Wellman and Mrs. J. N. Ans.
den.
Mrs. William Disston's guests were
Mr.. and Mrs. Edison Bradley, DR.. and
Mrs. Preston Pope Satterwhite and
Frederic Potts Moore. Mrs. William
X. Vanderbilt IRE guests included
Mrs. Leonard NJ Thomas and Mrs
StuyVesant Fish, Jr
Mr.. and Mrs, Giraud Foster and Mr.
and Mrs. ]. Woodward Haven were
with Mrs. Richard Gambrill.
Mr.. and Mrs. Phpnix Ingraham
Mrs. Richard Van Wyck and Miss
Alice DreNol We're with Mrs. John r
DreXel in Mrs. Goelet's box.
Mr., and Mrs. Oliver G. jennings and
Mr., and Mrs. Goodhue Livingston were
with Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Clews.
With Mr.. and Mrs John Sanford
were Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur Iselln and
Mr.. and Mrs. f. Gray Griswod.
Mrs. Ralph Ellis and Mrs w. Payne
Thompson were in the whitney box.
There were also in the audience
Mrs. John H. Bradford, Mrs James
Bernhard, Mr.. and Mrs. George Henry
Warren. Mr. and Mrs. II. lie Roy En-