Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-10-01
AUGUSTA LOCALS
ADJUSTMENTS
"Ruddigore" Pleases
Augusta Levers of
Old Comic Opera


Augusta Levers of
Old Comic Opera
What Gilbert and Sullivan didn't
know about comic opera nobody else
ever knew, and IL they omitted any
thing when they collaborated on BUD
digore" nobody can imagine what 1t
is. This funniest Of funny operas was
given one performance at the Augusta
opera house Thursday evening, and
it's delightful possibilities were fully
developed by the members of the Bos-
ton English Opera Co. who presented
it. The principal roles were taken by
singers OF exceptional ability who
were able to add good acting to good
singing: the chorus was sprightly
and attractive and -capered through
the two acts as if they enjoyed the
fun as much AZ the audience; the
ghosts were properly gnastly. the
spooks were sportive and the thrills
were thrilling. really. All in all, the
performance was excellent and every
body had a good time-except when
the lights went off.
This happened inoppprtunely in
the middle OF the FIRST act. just when
Rose. the village belle. was having
the time Of her young life trying to
make up her mind whether to hold
onto the sailor she had just captured
or to throw him overheard and heave
a line to the bashful young farmer,
alias the bad baronet, masauerading
naL oh
off but the trio finished up their
song and did it over for good meas
ure but still no lights. After min
ute the leading man returned and eX-
pressed his regret that the show. hav-
ing been billed as light opera could
not be played in the dark. The In
PERMISSION proved to be brief, howev-
er. and the show went on.
The first act is laid in the little fish
ing village of Rederring IN Cornwall.
England and opens with chorus OF
professional bridesmaids who tuneful-
" and briskly bewail the fact that
they haven't had anything to do in
their line for weeks. Dame Hannah,
aunt to Rose. the belle of the village,
raises their hopes when she tells them
she is pledged, but down go the hopes
as il transpires that her Pledge is to
eternal maidenhood!
The part of Rose was played by
Marionne Godbout WHO was good to
look upon in = IoA:r: costume OF
many frills, fichus and panniers ana
whose fresh soprano voice was de-
lightful throughout the entire score.
She was a very proper early victor
ian maid. taking her manners and
her morals from the self-san,e book
which was always with her. Oppo-
site Miss Godbout was Dan Marble
as Robin Oakapple. the disguised
baronet' He had passed the buck
and the family curse to his younger
brother who was committing faith
fully his daily quota of crime, While
the real baronet was enjoying rustic
virtue in a quiet bashful way and
eating his heart out for Rose.
Just then along came Dick Daunt-
less, his foster brother. who was as
good a sailor as ever trod a deck
and whose hornpipe was the ad-
miration of the fleet. He agreed to
do the John Alden act for Robin
and it urned out for him Just as 1t
did for John. So there was another
mix-up.
And the plot went on as plots do,
getting more and more mixed and
adding to other complications Mad
Margaret. played by Alice Carley,
who by the way possesses and knows
how to use a really fine contralto
voice, Sir Despard Murgatroyd, the
acting william or william pro tenn, to
avoid ambiguity; and sextet OF
beautiful gentlemen who wandered
in and out of the chorus.
The second act is in the castle OF
Ruddigore, with the real baronet in
his proper place and doomed to
commit the daily crime, while his
brother who has upheld the family
honor CD for ten years, has become
free to be as good as he likes. An
effective scene was one in which the
newly installed villain meets his
ghostly ancestors and in heart to
heart talk is told by them what to
do. They stepped out of their full
length portraits and checked up on
the newest scion of wickedness and
found him wanting. After putting
the screws on pretty hard the an
cestors finally persuaded him to
promise to measure up to standard.
Another rich bit of work was the
duet and alleged dance by the re-
formed Mad Margaret and her re-
formed villainous husband, who were
as exemplary as wooden Indians.
But it would be Impossible to pick
out all the high spots in the produc-
ton, for it would virtually mean
giving the whole show over again.
and the best reporter on the force
couldn't do that. An editorial writ
err in the New York Sun said "Rud-
digore" is the best entertainment
that has ever been seen in New
York" And Augusta isn't going to
try to Guido New York.