Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-17
N.Y.OPERA GOES GASP AT
"zAzA" OF MISS FARRAR
Disrobed From Waist Up and
Changes Clothes on Stage
Before the Audience.

New York, Jan. I7.-Leon Cavallo S
grand opera version of ''Zaza' was car
red To success last evening on the back
of Geraldine Farrar at its initial New
York production IN the Metropositah
Opera House.
E,arIv in the first act Miss Farrar,
impersonating the ailuring French music
hall actress in the title role, disrobod
from her waist upward with her back
to the audience. Thereafter the opera q
triumph was assured. David Baiasco,
who was in the audience, said 'Zaza"
would become Miss Farrars greatest
role.
CHANGES CLOTHES ON STAGE.
Miss Farrar's startling realism was
due to the fact that Zaza's dressing
room, behind the scenes in a Paris
music hall, occupies part of the stage
during act one. Zaza enters in her
street clothes and changes into her stage
costume. This is the way Miss Farrar
made the change without using the
scrccni ;
First, she dropped her dress, reveal
ing n combined pctticoat and bodice OF
yellow silk with heavy dark figures on IL,
Then she nonchalantlv slipped out of
this stunning garment There was some
fluffy stuff of silk and lace underneath.
From the waist up there was n sofR
little pink ''unmoutionablc" with pink
shoulder straps. Partisan music hall
actresses like their things loose. Alse
thew do not wear corscts,
Miss Farrar stood still long enough
for these observations 90 he made. She
turned her back to the audience and
raised her hands to tho shoulder straps,
A thrill of expectancy swept through tho
theatre.
PROVIDES NEW SENSATION.
With dainty movement. Miss Farrar
passed the shoulder-straps over her bare
arms The soft little pink thing dropped.
The audience gasped. But the garment
checked its startling flight AT NJ Iss Far
rT's waist There upward the star of
the Metropolitan Opera House stood rel
yealed III the altogether Her bare arms
back, neck and shoulders were surmountcd
by warm, luxuriant auburn hair, pro-
viding New York S opera patrons with 3
sensation new even for them.
4 maid in the dressing room hold out
a one-piece music Hall costume. done IN
spangles and gay silks This sparkling
refuge embraces Miss Farrar, who went
INTO IT with quick motion The drcss,
which was self -corsetcd, slipped about
Miss Farrar like a Iong-protccting breast
plate Miss Farrar turned around and
faced the audience She was snuglv
garmented IN front The maid started
hooking the dress behind
The thrill was over and tho tension
audibIv relaxed II was the most daring
delineation Of the bold. passionate music
hall favorite any 'Zaza audience has
ever seen.
Leon CavaIio S opera has been waiting
20 years for an actress like Miss Farrav
10 make it q success The music, which
has never attracted enthusiastic critical
attention, was written eight years after
Leon CavaIlo wrote 'pagliacci The
operas few appearances outside New
Farrar's performance tonight no prIma
donna has feen able to make Ia2a ap-
pear real Guild Grim sang tho tenor
role Of Dufresne last night and Amato sang
Cascart But the honors were All for
Miss F.rrar
The most enthusiastic person IN the
audience was David Ralasco He made
Zaza a success on the dramatic stage
after its failure IN Paris 20 years ago
by training Mrs. Leslie Garter for the
part.