The Washington herald., 1921-01-25

-, Nasns 's......,.. .Pac1e Ripple
c.. norake. .............. Gordon Baskerville
49, .'...-... George Ross
HSarquis de Mirepoi1. .YTan seryaIs
..'''' ......... Marjorie Burgess
Countess Of Greenbury Karen ngen
LADY Mary Carlisle. Nancy Gibbs
BY EARLE DORSEY.
There is a certain exotic. some
thing about the term romantic
opera that, nine times out OF ten
S4uses a culver to agitate the
Nhostrf Of your average free-white-
and-2l American citizen. When you
ada a title-like Monsieur Beau
care to the equation and mention
booth Harrington in the same
breath, that same American will
think Of the Edgar film comedies
ana irrelevantly ask when the Fol
Hes are coming to town.
All Of which is preliminary to the
statement that this supposedly cul-
Iured nation is boorishly Struggling
out or existence a musical romance
that is altogether too exquisite and
charming a thing for the North
american palate. That romance is
monsieur Beaucaire," the Gilbert
Miller production Of the opera that
Andre Messenger made of Booth
tarkington's now famous tale.
Ihere are many of US, no, doubt,
VINO find orthodox opera impossible,
largely because illusion and the
sense of romantic reality must be
sacrificed for tone.
1t is very difficult to enter into
the spirit OF a love scene when the
tenor walks like an ice-man and
the soprano resembles a Surlesque
queen. This sacrifice of realism
perhaps. is the very thing that
makes us balk at the word opera,
but easily the most fortuitous ele-
ment in the length of Monsieur
BeaucairS' is its happy selection OF
singers who enhance. not mar, the
telling of a thrilling tale of the
England and France of an earlier
day.
Here is a sturdy, frst-rate tale
Of a barber who invades the Eng
lish aristocraCy. fights with the
Verve OF a D'Artagnan. woOes with
the passion of a Romeo. schemes
like a Talleyrand, only to be un-
masked, in the end-as the Due
D'Orleans. His Royal Highness. the
first cousin OF His Majesty of France,
A high-soUnding. high-spirited tale
in the earlier Harrington manner,
full Of the salt of life, though Wat
teau-like in its delicacy and cast
like a BcIasco drama.
Hammer its music as you will
though I've heard no thunders in
that direction-and here is a tale
that takes on a lyric essence, a
subtle. delicate magic, from melody
that. rather than d attracting. seems
wholly natural thing at such mo-
ments as music takes up and assists
tn" narrative.
Nancy Gibbs. arch. demure and
irresistible, is the Lady Mary Car
'IisIe-the heroine-Of the tale.
I Marion Green. handsome. delicate
rs a rapier, lisping his English,
GaIlic- wise, from the tip of his
tongue. is the Beaucaire-the hero
of the narrative. Robert Parker
taU. saturnine, tunefUIIy menacins,
is Winterset. the villain. John
Clarke, the staunch Philip Molly
naux; PaCie Ripple, the droll and
adipose Beau Nash-aCtors all first,
and singers afterward.
Miss Gibbs and Mr.. Green, the
central characters, are possessed OF
tuneful voices. The local Hunekers
must tell you now tuneIui. Tor mu-
sic is no medium OF mine. But
around these two revOlves a we'll
balanced. skilfully directed COM
pany. always in character, always
convincing, ever delightful. And
Charles Previn, the dynamic in the
pit!
For the sake of ones reputation
as a scholar and a Person, it will
not be well to stand tongue-tied
and crimson when "Beaucaire" is
mentioned in days to CONF,
But perhaps the harm is already
done
Quien sabe?