New-York tribune., 1919-12-14
Henry Miller's Son

avidity for light entertainment was
still raging when Miller went over to
produce Daddy Long Legs" and Moth
ing But the Truth" but he foresaw the
time when the English theater would
once more be open to serious plays,
and he purposed 20 be ready for that
time
With Henry Ainley he secured con-
troll of the st. James Theater. Several
Shakespearean revivals have been made
there by Miller, with Ainley as star
Tolstoy's play The Living Corpse"
has just been very successful over
there under the title "Reparation."
Gilbert Miller has secured Sem Be-
nellis The Jest" for this theater, but
he will have to defer its production
until he has put on Peer Gynt"
which he now has in preparation. This
production will in all respects follow
the one made in Christiania under
lbsen's own direction. Miller plans
to include the complete musical ac-
compartment of twenty-four inter
ludes which Grieg wrote for it, and
to make the music a feature of the
production. The orchestra will be com
posed of picked men under the direction
/ of Langdon Ronald, director of the
famous orchestra of Albert Hall.
He has control of two other theaters
which he has identified with special
types of entertainment. He has made
the Savoy Theater the home os light
farcical entertainment Nothing But
the Truth and The Naughty Wife"
had long, successful runs there. And
he has just secured the English rights
to Salisbury Fields play, wedding
Bells" for this house
But his favorite project is the re-
vival of English light opera at the
Princes Theater. Monsieur Beau
caire" was produced at this house. and
since the close of its run he has given
sixteen weeks season of Gilbert and
Sullivan. This light opera scheme is
more than managerial project with
him. Miller is Il very keen lover of
music, and he feels that in neither
opera nor drama is any adequate pro-
vision made for a very charming form
OF entertainment. The only types of
musical entertainment we have in
England and in this country are "seri-
Gus" music or the revue. Many fine
light opera scores are extant, but there
is no organization for interpreting
them. Good singers, if they are not
successful enough for opera. 20 into
concert, so that while plenty Of good
voices are about they are not usually
found coupled with talent for acting.
There IS no reason, however, as Miller
sees it, why school of singing should
not be developed to adequately pre-
sent English opera comique. 1t would
make room for many singers whose
voices are too light for grand opera,
but who might attain as great q pres
tige in this form as in grand opera.
The finest type of such singer is per-
haps Edmond Clement, the French
tenor, who sings and acts with ex-
quisite finish and delcacy.
10 make this possible Miller plans
TO establish school in conjunction
with the Princes Theater. where picked
singers Will have training in acting
and where a school of ballet will be
maintained miller will go on produc-
ing light opera at this house, and he
now has on hand light opera score
poser of Tom Jones" and "Merrie Eng
land"
The idea for this work terminated
with his production of Monsieur Beau
care." Miller had gone to great deal
/ OF trouble before he persuaded Andr&
Messenger. of the Paris Conservatory,
to write him the score for Booth Tark-
ington's book, and he did not feel like
! delivering it to the casual interpreta.
tlons of unframed singers or actors.
In training the cast of singers to the
new fashion of light opera Miller
found that herculean effort would bo
wasted unless it resulted in the nucleua
of something permanent
Next year he plans to produce Beau
caire" in Paris. Miller's base is Lon.
don. but he maintains his claim on New
York. With all the affection that
Miller possesses for this land of oppor-
tunity. he is skeptical as to whether
his chance would have come to him so
quickly heSe. 1t is, he says. far easier
to make good among strangers.