The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-01-03
Donizeffi' S
Opera Given
Elixir of Love"
Broadcast Saturday

Elixir of Love"
Broadcast Saturday
II you are one Of those persons
who does not like music that for
want Of a better word In called
heavy" you will get plenty Of
light" music when the Metropoli-
tan Opera Guild broadcssts the
Elixir Of Love" on the Texas
program Saturday at IL a. m.
Bidussyao will appear as Adina:
Bruno Land as Nemorino. Fran
cisco Valentino as Belcore: Bac-
caloni as DR.. Dulcamara: and
Mona Psulee as Gianetta.
Elixir Of Love" sntedates the
medicine shows which once bilked
the American public out of mil
lions OF dollars but II worked the
same way. The principal char
acters are DR.. Dulcamara, a
quack who from his open car
riage In the public square ex-
pounds TO people as gullible as
Americans the virtues OF his
nostrums and 'love-philtres." II
was sure-fire cure for GOODNESS on
the part OF either the maid or the
man.
Among those who heard DIR.
Duleamara tell Of the efficacy
of his product were Adina, q
wealthy and independent
young woman; Nemorino.
young peasant very much in
love with Adina: Belcore, the
dashing sergeant Of the VII
lage garrison.
The story begins on a glorious
summer day when Adina enter
tains her friends by reading the
legend OF Tristan and Isolde in
which the knight won the lady's
affections by drinking a wonder
full elixir Of love. The lovesick
Nemorino gazes from distance.
He sings "Oh, How Lovely" but
hasn't the courage for ardent love-
making. While he gazes duly at
the party, Sergeant Belcore ar
rives with a bouquet for Adina.
That settles il. Nemorino IL go
ing to quit and find a quiet place
somewhere and nurse his sorrow.
But first, Nemorino is going to
visit his rich uncle who IL not ex-
pected to live. The rich uncle,
near death, Is one of Nemorino's
chief assets but he is so duh and
backward that even the prospect
OF riches not yet acquired doesn't
put him over.
On the way to see his uncle, Ne
morino comes upon a great rumpus
on the main street. DIR. Dulcamara
has arrived in his splendid car
rage and begins to tell of the
wonderful nostrums that will cure
everything from ricketts, TO apo
plexy. Hemorino timidly asks If
he has a love elixir. Thinking as
quickly as his modern prototype,
he says that he has a special wine
containing the love that is guar
anteed to work in the most ex-
IRENE cases.
What Nemorino buys Is
bottle Of fortified wine and he
acquires a glorious drunk that
gives him a superiority COM
pick. He goes 10 a party given
by Adina for the sergeant and
becomes the gayest of the
gay. He Ia so sure of himself
that he even snubs Adina and
she decides then and there TO
marry the sergeant.
The wedding is about to take
place when Nemorino RECEIVERS from
his jag and starts again to see his
uncle. Just as the notary is pre-
pairing the marriage contract he
comes back again gay from the
effects of a second bottle of elixir.
What is more puzzling he is being
followed by a group of the vii
lage girls who never had paid any
attention to him.
Adina. inquiring. learns that
his uncle has just died. leaving
his entire fortune TO Nemorino.
Adina, being only human.
sends the sergeant on his way
and the contract IL made out
for Nemorino.
II might be supposed that the
sergeant would be downhearted at
the change in his affairs but he
tells .Adina that she isn't the only
woman in the world and goes off
with the village girls.
In the meantime the story OF
I the justification OF the love elixir
has gotten around and DR.. Dull
eamara does a business that would
make the American fakir greer
with envy.
The story Is written by Felic'
Romani. The sparkling music
that goes with it is by GaetanS
Donizetti. It's the kind of musi'
that chases away the blues anC
will even drive out thought of th'
war.
adapted for any high school audi
forum. II Is designed to be easil,