Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
BY RING LARDNER.


T@O THE EDITOR: 1t may seem
kind Of late to bring this sub
ject up, but any way the day
before the Chicago Opera com.
pany broadcasted the garden
scene from Faust. the radio editor OF
q New York paper made the remark
In print that he did not see why 1t
was anything for people to set excited
about because opera was opera wheth-
er you set In the parquet or the gal
lery of the opera house or listened TO
1t in the privacy of your own love
nest except that maybe they was
slight advantage in the last named
method because man wouldn't have
to dress but could loll around In the
ease and comfort Of bedroom slippers.
kimono and nightgown. He might
have added that when you get IL
over the radio there 10 no ushers or
firemen to keep you from smoking ali
through the performance and when
ever the music 10 either too dull or
too exciting you can reach for
bottle and freshen yourself up. And
you don't have to pay no $40 for
your seat.
But that amt the half Of 1t. dearie.
The great big edge that the radio
{ audience enjoys liz that they can't see
the singers. They can forget that
most of the chorus gals has got legs
that is eight laps to the mile and
faces which it is hardly fair to call
by that name. and the chorus men has
to wear boards so people won't think
they are Mr.. Rockefeller. and their
acting in pretty near az realistic as
the worlds series Of 1919.
And as far as the principals is
concerned, well in the Faust garden
scene, which was the frst of the
broadcasts. the only two of them
ever seen on the stage was Irene Paw
loska and Maria Claessens. AS / re.
member her, irene was peach and
would make just as cute heroine as
you could ask for, but In this opera
she plays the part OF Marguerite's
male fiance and does her love max
ing in soprano and II would take
strong imagination to watch her and
believe she was anybody but Irene
Pavloska, whereas Ii you don't watch
her YOU can just pretend she is one
Of Marguerites girl friends come to
call. Madame Claessens plays a
duenra which can he any age from
Is up 80 1t don't make no difference
If YOU see her or not. You can bet
she is made up to look old enough
~ that Is the least of opera stars
troubles.
The same may he said Of Mr.. Vann-
Marccux who sang sMephistopheles
and probably had no difficulty in
looking like the devil. Miss Mason.
the Marguerite. has got one Of the
prettiest voices ever heard, hut
just the same Marguerite was sup
posed TO be a fapper and inasmuch
as Miss Mason has been singing
leading roles for several years and
probably took at least two or three
months lessons before she started in.
why bet you wouldn't never mistake
her on or off the stage for Helen
Hayes. Ditto for the Faust, MIR.
Hackett In the story, Mephisto lifts
his face and renews his youth and yet
] will wager that when he made his
entrance in Act 2, nobody said. Why
there's Jackie Coogan"
won't never forget my first at.
tenda nee at Madam Butterfly. | read
up the story before ! went and
was looking for cho-Cho-San to he d
beautiful little Jap gal and Suzuki
another Jap gal and Lieutenant Pink
erton the kind of Q young, slim naval
ofleer that all gals goes crazy over.
Well. the two gals turned out to be