The New York herald., 1921-01-26
Garden a ccLaimed
in "MOnna Wanna
at the Manhattan
Singer Manager and Mr.. Mu-
rat0re Are Welcomed With
Tremendous Applause.

Henry Fevrier's "Monna Wanna" was
given by the Chicago Opera Company
at the Manhattan Opera House last
evening. The opera had not been ppre-
sented in the company's visit in 1920.
Its last previous hearing was at the
Lexington Theatre on January so. 1919.
when John O'Sullvan endeavored to gall
vanize the deadly Punishable into SEM
blance of life. Doubtless Miss Gardens
experience on that occasion persuaded
her TO omit the role Of Monna Wanna
from her repertEy till Lucien Muratore
returned to the company He was as
sociated with her last evening. when she
made her first appearance in the dual
role of the extremely lightly clad heroine
and the heavily burdened manager.
Discussion of the opera and its per-
formance is entirely unnecessary. The
work is u wet lyric sponge. All the
robustious pealings OF Mr.. Muratore and
all the feline lures of Miss Garden cam
not give IL life or interest. Why 1t is
retained In the repertory must remain q
matter for conjecture. The performance
was in all respects like those of three
years ago. Even Mr.. Baklanoffs life
like impersonation OF the unfortunate
husband was lugubrious and sorely de-
pressing.
But there is Garden cult ON faut
cultiver notre Jardin,'' as Mr. Huneker
frequently reminds us), and all dolngs
OF the famous cantilating actress are
sacred to 1t. Therefore the perform
ance was received with demonstrations
OF great, Joy. and the audience passed
out into the night apparently convinced
that it had witnessed a revelation.
However. this revelation was one to
rar rNyta
two such artists as Miss Garden and
Mr.. Muratore in the cast aroused, prob
ably, as much interest in star COM
bination a-s will any such attraction the
company is likely to offer during it's
present visit here. There was plenty of
enthusiasm. In fact the applause at the
close of the second act was tremendous.
Among the other singers We're Messrs.
Cotreuil. Paillard and Nicolay IN minor
parts. Henri NORM. the new French
conductor, led the ensemble with skill
and showed consideration for the sing
ers' voices.
There was n representative and bril-
liant audience for the second night of the
season. Bishop Henry Darlington was
in one Of the boxes and In his party
were the Rev. and Mrs. Gilbert Darling
ton and Mrs. Joel Ellis Fisher. Jr
hTS. ftuHt SidteT. hTs. CnaTlcS Nd
ther MacNeill. Mr. and Mrs. Henry J.
Whigham, the Marquis di Sonlmi and
the Duke de Richeelieu were with Miss
Elsa Maxwell.
In the party with Mrs. Charles l..
Mitchell were Mrs. Oren Root. Mrs. A.
Stewart Walker and Mr.. and Mrs. Abram
Poole
With Mrs. Charles II. Truax were
Mrs. Dan Hanna, Mrs. Edward Rickett,
Mrs. Arthur Marks. Miss Rhoda Truax
and Mr.. Alfred Outland.
Among others in the audience were
Mrs George w. Vanderbilt, Mrs. Harry
Payne Whitney, Mrs. w. II. Osgood
Field. Justice and Mrs f. X. Pendleton,
Mr.. and Mrs. Lewis Iselin, Mr.. and Mrs.
John II. Henshaw. Miss Grace Helen
Talbot, Mrs. Frederick Pearson. Miss
Anna Evans. Mrs. Frederic Van Lennep.
Mrs J. Robinson Duff. Miss Robinson
Duff. Baron and Baroness de Meyer,
Mrs. Charles Cooper and Mrs. Schuyler
Schieffelin. ia