South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-10-09
Among the Stars i'm the
World of the Iheater
BY VII ". Fink

The first appearance Of Geraldine
Farrar grand opera prima donna. in
South Bend. promises 70 be a bril-
night Since her debut at the Metro
politan opera house. New York. IN
1906. on which occasion she sang
the role OF juliet. Miss Farrar has
been one OF the potent box office at
fractions az that temple OF song.
There IS yet no indication OF her
popularity waning. When she is
east as Carmen. Madame Butterfly.
Tosca. Marguerite. Mignon, ManOn.
juliet and in other roles. the audi
ences are invariably big. 4 New
England girl. IS years old. Geraldine
Farrar began singing in Berlin 20
years ago. after having studied there
under LII Lehman. Next Saturday
COct 80 viii mark the goth ami
versary OF her debut. After five
years Of success IN the German cap
ita.. she sang for the first time IN
New York. Her career since then Is
familiar 10 opera and concert goers
generally TIE the non-musical ele-
Inent Miss Farrar is widely known
n a motion picture actress field
That seems 20 have been avoided by
other grand opera stars.
Like Mary Garden. who was
heard in the Coliseum a year ago,
Geraldine Farrar combines the gifts
81 singing and acting. Her Carmen
s. to the Metropolitan what Miss
Gardens Carmen is 20 the Chicago
opera. Appearances OF these two
notable exponentg of Carmen here
recall that another Carmen. possibly
the best Carmen Of al time-Emma
C4lve-sanE I'm concert in South
Bend back IN 1908.
Not so many years ago South
Bend seemed almost hopeless from
the viewpoint Of classical music.
There was a time when public re-
Spouse 20 artistic effort was anything
but satisfying. But the desired
change came, as was evident by the
big audiences that heard Amellta
GaIli-Curci at Notre Dame gym
nasium and Mary Garden and Ernes-
tine Schumann -Heink IN the Coli
scum
Nineteen years ago Emma Ne
vada sang here. Then came Calve.
Lillian Nordica. Johanna Gadski.
David Bispham (who died a few
days ago in New York;, Marcella
Sembrich and others II has taken
a long time, but the list is now actu-
ally imposing.
Kubelik have played here and Paw
iowa and MOrdkin danced at the
Oliver. Some Of these things. ne
elected in the past. would meet an
npther fate now that the public has
y better understanding. With the
completion or the Palace. Fritz
Kreisler, John Mccormack and sim
liar offerings Will be possible.
The David Wark Griffith movie.
WAY Down East" returns TO the
oliver starting tonight A schedule
Of prices much lower than was i'm eff
feet at the first engagement is an
nounced
Coming 10 the Oliver for a week is
4
production. The Bat has been act
ed 500 times in New York and 400
times IN Chicago and Is still running
3n both cities. A specially organized
company has started n Philadelphia
engagement Before the end OF this
season The Bat will have been seen
L. nearly every city in the United
Estates
Failure Of South Bend TO patron
So the Ralph Dunbar Comic opera
90. at the Oliver to such an extent
shat the organization could be kept
here longer. IL cause for regret. The
performances. of course. were not
technically perfect. but they were
kfar better value for such charges as
Were imposed than the public has
4 been accustomed TO getting since war
greed made managers careless in
what they delivered. II ia quite ap-
|parent. however. that eight perform
Iarces of one musical comedy cannot
! be given probably in this commun-
responsibilities are overtaxed.
-
sam r. Harris seems TO have
: ruck a real gal, with Irving Ber-
Inns Music Box Revue and there may
1o danger OF ZiegfeId's FoIlies losing
the long established lead IN that sort
of entertainment. William Collier.
sam Bernard. Joseph S3ntley. Ivy
Sawyer. Wilda Bennett twhO was AT
the Oliver In The GirD. Hugh
cameron. Emma Haig. Florence
Moore and others are I'm the long
cast.
After having written several bad
70 avs William Anthony Mcclure,
formerly at Notre Dame. has en-
c1un,ered another fate. His six
cylinder Love" is one Of the current
New York hits. 1t is a comedy. Ern-
est Truck is featured in the cast.
Edmund Breese. who many years
ago toured through this section as "A
member OF a repertoire company. IS
.r support Of Ina Claire In Blue
boards Eighth Wife" Miss Claire.
made a star by David BeIasco In
polly With a Past and who star
red under the Belasco banner in