The daily times., 1921-11-30
ROBIN HOOD

The Comic Opera Robin Hood is
we'll known to the American public
For many years it has been Il favor
ite-such favorite that We will not
approach it in the way of introduce
tion but rather in the manner of
new welcome for an old friend.
Reginald Dekoven and Harry
Smith are the artists who wove the
charming little opera into shape and
wrote the words and music but his
tory and the traditions of Merry Old
England contributed much of the
plot.
There is a never failing romantic
appeal in the care free. wild. half !
villainous, half noble life OF Robin
Hood and his Green Wood Men in
the old forest of Sherwood. Their
traditional doings have been depict
ed by England's cleyerest writer's i'll ,
verse and in prose. and a glamor has
been cast about them that ill fits the
outlawry.
Robin Hood . adventurer. forest
roamer, robber. gallant, t1ourished
many centuries ago. Those of us
Robin was contemporary of Rich
ard the Lion Hearted, and that at
the time Richard was returning from
his captivity following one OF the
CrnS16as ha hot
by Robin Hood The meeting and
resulting friendship of these two has
furnished material for the pens of
imaginative writer's.
However. the opera does not deal
with this episode in the life of Rob
in. Eat it does deal with intrigue.
with adventures, with rollicking com
panionship, with love and it's inevi-
table Nicissitudes. Limited space pre-
vents my giving the tale about which
the opera is built.
Much of the music of the opera
has become our friend of every day
life. The Anvil Song, the Black Crow
Song, 20 Promise Me-" the song of
Brown October Ale, and many of the
others are thoroughly familiar to u.s.
These We're given II: again last night
with new beauty. Ralph Dunbar ev-
identity selected his cast with care
for with trifiing exception here and
there all the voices were excellent
and where acting was really required
it was good. Harry Hermsen, as the
Sheriff of Nottingham will be long
est remembered by those who love
laughter best. Mr. Hermsen acted
his role, which has had a tendency to
become conventional in a different
and individual way. Miss Elsie
Thiede, was a delightful Maid Ma
rian. I am not competent to Judge
of her lyric soprano but to me it was
entirely pleasing. Her voice, her
acting and her personality served to
make the part brilliant and capti-
waiting. Glenn Shauer, handled the
bass of Will Scarlet marvelously
well. and perhaps his song of the
Black Grow, assisted as he was by
the ensemble, was the real hit of the
evening. Frank Harsh, in size was
the real Friar Tuck. In fact he
brought the good humored, villain
Gus old Friar back to us in sootb.
His portray of this famous old
churchman and outlaw was one of
the best things of the opera. Ralph
Brainard was a pleasing Robin Hood
as George White was a Little John,
but somehow their presentations
lacked the dash of flavor that in the
originates gave them romance and
popularity.
Those of you who in years past
have listened to this opera, must, l
feel sure. have detected, certain mod
ern interpretations, bit of jazz and
such like. I daresay this is neces-
sary in order to please some in the
audiences of today but somehow we
feel that we would have preferred
that it had not been done.
With the above exception the opera
was as clever1y and delightfully."- pre-
sented as one could wish.