Evening star., 1923-11-07
BOXES REAL STAGE
WHEN OPERA OPENS
Singers and Music Lost as
Crowd Strains Eyes at
JeWeIed Patrons.
BY ROBERT r.. SMALL.
,ecial DISPATCH to The Star

Special Dispatch to The Star. !
! NEW YORK, November 7.-There is
something quite magical about the
| opening Of the opera season in New
York. The magic lies in the audience
and not upon the stage. 1t seems
almost as if the singers were acting
merely as accompanies to the real
players in the great spectacle.
The curtain rises at twenty minutes
after 8. A few moments before the
/ lights have been dimmed. But be-
fore the house" becomes dark 1t
i seems half empty. This is because
! the parterre boxes forming the dia-
mond horseshoe have no occupants.
Balcony and gallery are filled with
the true lovers of music, but they
| are SO far away as to be unnot1ceaoie
from the orchestra pit. The vacancy
! of the horseshoe is the most striking
| impression left upon the observer.
| Real Show Arrives.
The first act of the opera proceeds
! The stars appear. They get yoc1f-
erous greeting from the true lovers
perched up near the roof. In the
| Quieter moments OF the music one IS
| In the darkness the real stage is
being set. AS the curtain OF the
first act descends and the dazzling
lights are turned full on once more
the spectacle bursts upon you The
boxes are filled. Society's bewilder-
ing display is on. Another opera sea-
son has been ushered in; another
great success has been achieved. 1t
is a wonderfully dramatic effect, TINS
late arrival of the box holders. II
they We're all in their places at the
hour set for the beginning of the
performance it would all be so COM
monplace.
The holding of a parterre box at
the opera is tantamount to holding a
scepter in New York society. Opera
boxes are inherited nowadays. They
pass from one generation to another.
"Outsiders" may lease certain nights,
for "odd Mondays" or strange We'd
nesdays," or "unoccupied Fridays
and all that sort of thing, but to own
a box outright, ah, there is the test
of true blue -bloodism, and the circle
of owners is far less than 400, pc
cause there are no 400 cells in the
famed diamond crescent.
Three Boxes Change Hands.
Something of a sensation was
caused in opera circles this year by
the announcement that there were
three changes in the parterre circle.
Think of that, Three changes. 1t
seems that Mr.. James B. Clews has
purchased from the estate of his late
uncle, Henry Clews. one-half or box
No. 2. The late uncle had owned the
box for thirty years. There was also
another drastic change of this sort.
An ownet who inherited box from
his fathA, has given one-half of it
| to his daughter. Another owner VINO
held a box by the inheritance route
has parted with half interest 20 one
of his oldest and dearest friends.
This friend has long been just mere
lessee His friend could not stand
any longer to see him placed IN sucn
an awkward position. Now the friend
! is admitted to the inner circle. All Is
we'll with the social world.
/ Rain had been predicted for the
! opening night, but Jupiter PluVius
! could not find it in his heart to break
. up the show. The threatened down
! pour did not appear. So society ap-
/ peared in all it's ruff1es and finery..
;; Contrast to Old Times.
!! There was a noticeable contrast to
I the old-time jewel displays. Inc
| blazing tiara that once flashed it's
brilIiance through Metropolitan halls
! is no more. Once it was the crown
! of the reigning members OF NJ" YORK
society. the dowagers OF the sander-
! bilt. the Astor, the Morgan and the
other families of the moneyed no
bility. Nowadays the jewels are just
! as expensive, if not more so, as
/ they were a decade ago. But today
| they take quieter and more ehective
forms The rare jewels of the open
! ing night at the opera were priceless
) strands of perfectly matched pearls;
costly pendants dangling at the end
! of a slender platinum chain: diamond
! bracelets that did not force their
! presence upon you too famboyantly.
| or brooch so placed that 1T seemed
| TO serve a utilitaran purpose rather
| than one of mere display.
| Some of the casual observers at
] the opera Monday night attempted
/ to figure the wealth represented in
| the diamond horseshoe-not the cost
| of Jewels and gowns and sables, but
the wealth represented In the fam
lilies holding the boxes. 1t proved
an impossible task. One began with
the Bakers, the Whitneys. the Fricks.
the Harrimans, the Morgans, but
even before the first ten families
were exhausted the computation had
cot completely out of hand and the
mathematician began to chatter in
manner that suggested German
marks.
The opera? Oh. yes; 1t was Mas
senet's beautiful "Thais," and Jeritza
was in the title role. Jeritza has
taken the place of the once adored
Farrar in the opera circle, and her
! blonde beauty never seemed more
brilliant than it did on this opening
night of 192324.