Evening star., 1926-11-08
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
AUDITORIUM-"The Cannibal
King"

"The Cannibal King" little
operetta with Hawaiian settings,
written by Harry Wheaton Howard
of Washington was presented in a
special performance previous to it's
formal opening" tonight in the
Immaculate Conception Auditorium,
for II benefit of children in Roman
Catholic orphanges. yesterday after
noon. Although it is understood that
tickets for the four regular per-
formances this week are selling well.
II is doubtful If on any night the
young performers will have more
rows of briEht-eyed little tots The
young folks participating in the
operetta are the choir boys and girls
Of the Immaculate Conception
Church In the past few Years they
have put on eight semi-annual op-
cratic performances. Some of the
works presented have been by Gil.
bert and Sullivan: others by Mr..
Howard, who is their director.
This newest production, THE Cam
nibal King" has a long history and
when Mr.. Howard was in Berlin,
Germany, in 1882, and finished be-
fore the writer had reached his
nineteenth birthday. 1t was not
originally written for children, and
the characters were first American
Indians. 1t was given production
a quarter of century ago in Wash
ington by the children of the
Henry. Bolt. and Morse Schools
with Emma Mott Brewer as business
director and Halstead p. Hoover,
head Of the music department of
Central High School. as musical di
rector. For the sake of more ef-
fective scen,C and costume effects.
Mr.. Howard states that he changed
the locale I" Hawaii, rewrote the
music with Hawaiian themes in
mind
The story OF the comic operas plot
tells of Ha-u-a, a fisherman in a
Hawaiian village, who is in love with
Wlll-o- the Wisp, the cheftain's
daughter. whom Ha.u.a has rescued
from drowning. :. She returns his af-
lection. but their bliss is short-lved
Afar-famed Cannibal King arrives
on the scene and the heroine Is be-
trothed 70 him by her ambitious
father, In the end. however, as in
all operettas, everything turns out
we'll
Frederick Nolan as Ha-u-a is very
good. His voice has fine quality.
His enunCiation is excellent and he is
at ease on the stage. Eleanor Hop
kins. who sings the heroine's role, has
a pretty voice. but sings too nasally
much of the time: she makes a
charming young Hawaiian damsel in
distress. Adelaide Yocum, in a
Katisha type OF role. has a lovely and
very individual quality in her voice.
which is small but evenly developed
and rounded. Perhaps the best voice
Of all Is that OF Teresa Behabetz, who
sings Golden Sunshine's role. 1t is
a voice with real possibilities
George Neuman is clever come.
dian and gives the role of the chief.
tain individuality and a professional
air. Philip Hannah Is the misunder-
stood Cannibal King. Agnes Dowxi han
dies the sarcastic lines of her role
we'll and shows poise and clever in
terpretation in her comic song about
'Heinie der kleine"
The music of the operetta Is attrac-
tive. The outstanding song is Under
the Soft Hawaiian Moon" which is so
catchy in its melody that one 5-year-
old In the audience began singing 1t
with those on the stage before the
performance was half over. Hear,
Pelee. Hear" also was an especially
interesting musical number. The
Hula dancers gave really musical
comedy touch to the performance and
they do their dances very well. The
girls in the group are Irene Bontz.
Kathleen Curtin. Margaret Driscoll,
Margaret Fallon. Dorothy Graham.
Violet Hambleton and Margaret
Nealon. The small Hawaiians"
(about years old each) are as cute
as can be They are Agnes Miles.
Catherine Murphy and Jane Nolan.
The setting is very good and the
costumes are even better. The light
ing effect at the beginning of the
second act is beautiful.
The first real performance will be
given tonight at Sis o'clock. 1t will
be repeated tomorrow, Thursday and
Friday nights.