Laurel outlook., 1946-02-20
TharalsOn Describes
Recent Visit To New
York, Attending Opera

oCllOOl SIduQdbC viz 10 HOW IN INT
service, had his first opportunity
last week to visit Americas larg.
est city, New York. Though ht
had but a few hours to spend there
before returning to camp and ther
embarking for overseas, he made
the best of the opportunity and saw
a number of interesting places he
had known about but had never
seen.
He gives a description of his visit
in a letter which his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. C. T. Tharalson, received
this week. 1t follows:
"This will be my last letter from
Camp Kilmer, as we board a Vic
tory ship this afternoon.
81 finally got to New York on a
short leave: from Thursday after
noon until Friday noon. 1 really
got a thrill when we reached the
top of the west bank of the Hud-
son, and Manhattan's skyline
lowered off across the river. The
Empire State building really looms
above everything else. In the river
itself, the West Point Former S. S.
America, largest liner built in the
U. s. was just steaming into a
pier, and that was quite a sight.
"After reaching New York via.
the Lincoln tunnel, 1 got a room at
the Lincoln hotel, and then went to
the Metropolitan to try to get a
ticket to Carmen, but they had
been sold out for three weeks. How
ever, 1 got a ticket from a scalper
outside the door. He wanted to
ccharge me $3.50 for a $2.7O ticket,
but 1 finally got it for 81. With
that settled l went back to Forty
fourth street, where Oklahoma was
playing at the st. James, and Ca
rousel at Majestic right across the
street-both on the legitimate stage.
Since they were both Rodgers and
Hammerstein shows and equally
good, l flipped a coin to csc which
it would be, and Oklahoma won. l
wish Mother could have seer it
it was splendid. The tunes were all
good; you probably haven't heard
all of them.
81 ate at the Automat, took a
look at the Times Square subway
station (what a mass of humanity
there!), and then went over to the
New York public library. 1t was
then time for the opera, so 1 hur-
ried over to the Met. That was
a sight. Of course I didn't
have the best seat (the balcony in
next to the highest tier), but l
could lean over the rail and see all
that went on. The cast was fairly
good. I liked Raoul Julian better
I expected to-, but Lily Jamel
as Carmen wasn't too hot. Swarth-
cut or Rise Stevens would have
been better. However, a new Met
ropolitan star, Fiorezza Quartararo,
Micaela, was the best part of the
show. Micaela's aria in the third
act brought down the house and
was by far the best part of that
particular performance of Carmen.
think they could have found a
better Escamillio than Robert Mer-
ill.
"There certainly is a big differ q.
nee between watching an opera or {
it over the radio, where :
'ou miss the setting, costumes, !
lcting and so forth. l really got a =
brill from Carmen. After the Met y
went to the Palace theater to see =
he Spiral Staircase very good l.
lystery. r
81 went to bed at 2:3O and got =
p at 1880, as l had a lot to see. :,
got to the Empire State building =
n hour before the observation ;
ower opened, so l walked toward N
ark and Lexington avenues, past y
lie Chrysler building, and into the z
News. There 1 found a globe
) feet in diameter, which took 10 ~
linutes to ~revolve. There were al 2
} maps and weather instruments NJ
very interesting. From there I IN
ent to the Grand Central station n
nd also walked through the Wal n
orf Astoria. Some place! l went M
the Rockefeller Center and y
the observation roof. All the p
lildings in this group are con- M
ected by underground corridors N
nd everything a person needs for q
wing is housed in offices on the "
ain floors or in the easements of N
lie buildings, so you could spend hS
our entire life there without see Z
g the sun. l could have spent the n
tire day, or more, in just going
Rockefeller Center. l want n
to go through N. B. C.'s studio, IN
1t I just couldn't do everything in
few hours. y
"Well, 1 finally got to the top of
top of the Empire State build
g at 10 o'clock. 1 was supposed N
catch the 1920 bus back to
mp, but 1 was still on the 102nd
nor of MON II uac c11cb n -. Nv