New-York tribune., 1921-01-23
By II. E. Krehbiel

"The Beggar's Opera" at the Green
vich Village Theater is no longer
novelty to the seekers after new things
ca the New York stage, nor has it at
isined to commercial success-whch is
dsplorable, since art must needs 60
hand in hand with prosperity if it is
70 survive in these days. Degenerate
days we might truthfully have said
lad the phrase not invited the inter-
probation that it was once different in
the thester. .Indubitably we owe the
circumstance tfat Gays comedy sur
wives after two centuries of existence
(less seven years. to the fact that it
SC caught the fancy OF the British
people when it was first brought for
ward that it made Gay Itch and Rich
gay" as an almost equal; old b0n mot
mas it. For hundred years and more
Il was stock piece in American the
aters as we'll as British, and despite
the fact that the little theater at Sew
enth Avenue and Fourth Street has not
Jet found its seating capacity strained,
ws believe that the tide may turn and
the delightful comedy come again into
It's rights. Delightful it is in every
respect and profitable for reproof and
Instruction in artistic righxe business.
especially az regards its music, which
alone brings it into the province Of
inis department Of The Tribune ex-
espt from a purely historical point Of
new. 1t is not an opera but comedy
VITA songs, but in those songs lies its
Chief charm for music lovers, and in
me rebuke which they administer to
'ae taste Of to-day its value as a re-
0uke and (we wish we could believe
aad hope) corrective.
1t Is not easy to conceive why writer's
On the history Of the opera should have
nlied so many pages with discussions Of
III effect ir 1923 as satire on the
italian opera. We do not believe that
mad any considerable influence in
esrsir, the downfall of the luxurious
entertainment which even the support
o. the court and aristocracy Of London,
sne prestige OF Handel's name and the
quality OF mis- perforrra',Hs could not
save from ruin. That ruin was, after all,
oaiy temporary, and has been paralleled
ohcs or oftener in the case Of every
esort 10 habilitate the exotic growth in
Iendon and, let us add, New York, gince
'as hrss efforts TO transplant 1t to for
sgn soil. Years ago Mr. Sutherland
@aTasds in book on the prima donna
saa her history called attention to the
ises that in 1928, the year In which
ua;'s satirical comedy first saw the
s'oslights, the sum of $4,000 sterling
saoseribed six or seven years before TO
cable Handel 10 carry on italian opera
lesa direcsed by him had been ex-
asassed, and without fresh funds the
esSrprise could not have been kept
snsg, even IL "The Beggar's Opera
Ad asssr oesn heard Of. 1t fattered
- vanity Of Gay TO think that the sue.
'ss OF his play had injured the bust.
asss of the opera, and in letter te
s"iis after the comedy had run gort-
AsSht he write: t@The outlandish las they
a W opera has been 80 thin OF late
.ss some hsve called that the Beggar'i
ysefa; and II the run continues I feai
mai have remonstrances drawn NJ
sssss me by the Royal Academy o.
Aasse" In the notes 70 Pope's Dun
- Il expressly stated that "'rh'
sesrs Opera drove out OF Enxlan'
~ that ssasDn) the italian operi
sNs'a had carried all before 1t for tsf
The check was only temporar7
- n amply explained by the exhaus
1a ef the funds put at Handeps dis
~ by tins London aristocracy. Hov
sa5 managerial sxchsqusrs hays been
sssd since in London, New York, Il
~ nastropoIss Of the woridi Ys
y opsra sttli lives and battsns o.
eazde vanitsss and foibIes that hay