The New York herald., 1921-12-18
Chocolate Soldier
Defying Age, Is No
Older Than in 1909
Men Responsible for Revival
at the Century Discuss the
Operas History.

nal Chocolate Soldier" at the Lyric in
1909 and who is responsible for the pro-
ducton side of the Messrs. Shubert's re-
vival of the light opera, with score
by Oscar Straus and the libretto based
or George Bernard Shaws Arms and
the Man" at the Century. sat the other
afternoon in the Lambs with Max Ben
dix, who had charge Of the musical
side of the revival and who conducts the
orchestra. To their friends. who drifted
by from time to time and Joined In the
discussion and with the interviewer. they
talked Of the revival, IN which the
score of Straus and the English libretto
of Stanlslaus STANCE are Just as they
were in 1903, with the exception OF a
few Straus additions to the music.
"Of course, the music Is the main
thing in a revival" said Mr.. BendiX.
IF you try to Jazz 1t UP or go through
a so-called 'modernization' you get a
sad result. 1t is all in the music"
Mr.. Sinclair laughed. Music is very
important part, Of course" he said, but
the staging Is thing which requires
careful study"
The actors, singers. composers and
stage directors who were In the group
laughed. and Mr.. Sinclair Joined them.
"The first requisite In making real
revival" resumed Sinclair seriously, "is
to have a singing cast who at their best
and highest moment are capable Of get
ting into the spirit of the book and
rendering It's true values. At the same
time, as Max says. the music Is vital.
So singers mist not only interpret the
spirit of the libretto but they must
interpret the music. In The Chocolate
Soldier Strauss score Is typically
Viennese. So it was necessary to get a
prima donna who was familiar with the
musical mode of Vienna. Miss Tessa
Kosta fit the '-ole exactly, both dramati-
cally and lyrically."
Here Is one Of tho strangest cases
of which / have ever known" broke In
Bendix. 1T Is almost case of atavism
"a sort Of inherited memory. Her
father was born in Vienna and her
mother also. Her uncle, Emil Sa-
vartchka, Bohemian Of the Bohem-
ians, was director of the Royal Opera
in Vienna. Her cousin, his daughter
Mazda, was one Of the principal artistes
at the Royal Opera. But Miss Kosta,
herself, was born In America, in fact
in Chicago. OF course, as girl she
turned to music. Her musical education
began very early, but she did not at
notion to do so professionally.
Naturally, she had learned much of
Vienna from her mother and father and
was more or less familiar with the
Vienna tradition in music. But she
made her stage debut as a member of
the stock company in Salt Lake City,
which was directed by Willard Mack.
For years she played In dramatic pro-
ductions and II was not until Raymond
Hitchcock engaged her for The Beauty
Shop that she began to sing"
Mr.. Sinclair took up the narrative.
IT remember the circumstances well, "
he said. She didn't want to sing at all
but she could not get the part unless
she did. She made hit over night and
then she went on from one success to
another"
"Andreas Dippel, who was singer al
the Metropolitan Opera House, became
active in productions Bendix broke in
HE heard Miss Kosta sing and engaged
her for The Love Mill Subsequently
she was prima donna In The Roya
vagabond,' and had the leading soprano
role in the Century Theatre production
! Of 'Chu Chin Chow She was Maria
nah. the slave girl. She had found her.
self at last and all the Vienna muslca
blood of her family came to the surface
1t is quite true that she sang Kitty
Mackaye In 'Lassie,' but the ViennesC
are very versatile. Her role of Nadins
in The Chocolate Soldier with us
viennese temperament and music suit.
| her fully as much as she is suited to it
| 1t is an ideal combination
Donald Brian was a real find fol
| The Chrocolate Soldier" Mr.. Sinclair
said. Brian had always been intensely
| interested in the role. He had wanted
| to play 1t ever since as a boy he saw
Mansfield play the part as play. II,
| studied Shaw's Arms and the Man anc
when the opportunity came he wa!
ready.
1.-The Chocolate Soldier Is oper;
! bouffe, in fact it might almost be called
opera comique. 1t partakes of the ma
ture of both. SO the rest of the cas-
required careful selection, both vocal!
] and dramatically. The role of Cdptdii
! Dtassdkroff is one which the late Jacl
Boyle, who died playing it some year
ago, made stand out. So IL was almos
| the feature OF that production. Detma
! Poppen was, ii seemed to me, wei
qualified. He has been known for year
| in the leading comedy roles of such pro
ductions as Pom Pom with Mitzi. Th
Shogun,' and with the Gallo GRAM
Opera Company. He was also promi
nent in Col Henry w. Savage's Englisl
production of Wagners 'Parsifal'
John Humbird Duffey 10 another for
mer member of the Gallo Grand Oper
Company, and he has sung leading role
in 'Sari,' The Rose Maid and in ligh
opera generally.
Virginia O'Brien is a prize gradual
OF an English Conservatory of Musi
in Boston. She has been on the stag
only n short time. During that perio
she has been seen in Her Regiment
The Girl Behind the Gun She's
Good Fellow. 'Buddies,' Mary and sh
followed Tessa Kosta in the prim
donna role OF The Royal Vagabond.'
"John Dunsmore. the Colonel Popof
gave every indication of being a spler
did PopoU in rHoneydew' during II
run at the Casino last season.
80 we have an ideal cast. Blu
Max like the way you interpret Strau
In his most Viennese moments"
Bendix beamed upon his colleague.
Charley. 1 compliment you on you