The Washington times., 1921-10-23
), Impresarios, Managing Directors,
moned to Court to Lift the Curtain
tails of What Has Been Going On

result Of the Cochrsn-wslska domestic
row may be. there is very promising
outlook for lively times for Gamma Walska
I'm the forthcoming Chicago opera season.
When the Polish prims donna fed in
fury from the company in Chicago last
sprins. II was said that she attributed her
humiliation TO the jealous intrigues and
machinstions Of Mary Garden. the famous
star.
II Is said that Mr. Mccormick. the fnan.
cial support Of the company. has from the
first been the friend and backer Of Gamma
walska. 1t is promised that Gamma Wal,
ska viii return to the Chicago Opera Com.
pany this Winter and be given an oppor.
tunity to play an important role.
But Mary Garden 10 sttll the director of
the opera company. II II is true that
Mary Garden saw to 1t that the Polish
prima donna was crowded out last season
will Mary Garden fail to see to It that
Gamma Waiska's career" skids into the
ditch again this coming season! The story
OF Gamma Walska and her aasco last
Spring may. perhaps, be repeated here
briefly for the sake Of those who may
have missed reading of this interesting
exploit.
It was Zaza that Gamma had selected as
the part that specially fitted her genius
and voice.
Zaza!
Has the reader ever seen Geraldine
Farrar play Zaza on the stage of the Met
ropolitan Opera House?
Whatever the reader may have read OF
love-making IN novels, or whatever warm
scenes he may have watched in the movies
or on the stage, the violent, tropical pas.
sionate love-making Of Farrar would be
revelation of possibilities unsuspected 1t |
was understood that Nine walska hal
promised to eclipse Nine. Farrar's love-
making and show the grand opera audi
ence Of Chicago a Zaza that was really
worth seeing
In such an inspiring role as the notori-
Gus. abandoned creature Zaza, Nine Gamma
Walska-C Cochran would show the adoring
public how wonderful thing is career"
and why II was much more worth while to
play Zaza on the stage than to play wife
in her own home.
The opening night Of Zaza had been
fixed for Tuesday. December 21. Every
seat had been sold and the musical worlI
OF Chicago awaited the great event of the
season. That long-looked forward to eve
ming came and passed-but the Chicago
muSfc lnvorc uoyor co,u tho rroo& rnn.o
Walska and her overpowering presentation
Of wicked Zaza.
Something happened
But exactly what It was that happened
seems shrouded in mystery. Perhaps
some OF the various lawsuits now in the
courts VIII soon reveal the true solution
Of the mystery OF what so suddenly hap
pened to Nine. walska- Cochran's career
and her Zaza
A few things are known with certainty.
1t is established that the prima donna
packed up and left Chicago the day before
she was to make her debut. Arriving in
New York the next day she applied for
passports to 60 to Europe.
What happened! What could have hap
pened?
Who and what interfered with Gamma
Walska's career Just on the eve Of her
greatest effort and most ambitious achieve
menty
From behind the scenes at the Chicago
Opera House came whispers that the
prima donna could not sing the role.
When the final rehearsal was called Il is
said that the singers voice Cracked" on
the high notes to the dismay of Gino
Marinuzzi, the director of the opera com.
pany. and to the petrifaction of Titta
Ruffo, who was to sing the other leading
role.
But was this merely a vague pretense
put out to cover the disappointment OF
the Chicago audience and save the face Of
the opera MANAGEMENT
What really happened to Nine. waiska
and her career7 Did Mary Garden tor.
pedo II? e.,
VIII Gamma walska really try again.
And II Gamma walska buys her costumes,
selects her Jewels studies her part and
rehearses for a new operatic triumph
Will Mary Garden be on the Job, as Il has
been said she was the last time Gamma
thought she was. about to reach the pin
nscle OF her "career"7
But the departure OF Maestro Marinuzzi,
the conductor, and the collapse of Gamma
NValcIs aod h>v vv,s,rb h~~ "A ~rDnaranca