Evening star., 1948-09-02
This and That
BIZ Charles z. TracepeH


: One often is torn between fascination and
mild shame when reading something written
many years before.
Here was an old copy book" as the school
children called notebooks years ago.
1t was titled, on the first page, THE Summer
Opera Season of 1909"
That was long time ago, as lives 60.
One was 16 years old, interested in writing
and music.
One hundred pages Of written manuscript
were devoted to the musical comedies and
operas given by the old Aborn company
The musical plays were Robin Hood THE
serenade" THE Highwayman," Princess
Chic" "A Chinese Honeymoon" THE Sultan
of Sulu" 1T Happened in Nordland," "F1oro-
DORA Tar and Tartar" THE Yankee Con-
sul,' "The Belle of New York. and "The Bo-
hemian Girl"
There is real music there, folks.
You don't get that sort nowadays IN the
era of iron curtains, Russian school teachers,
atomic bombs and 50-cent magazines.
The opera company in 1907, according to
the preface, gave such works as FRA Diavolo, -
Mauritania" THE Mkado,' "Pinafore' and
"Cavaleria Rusticana." ttogether), I'll Trova-
tore" and Dolly Warden"
The next year they gave among others,
"The Wizard of the Nile" Martha" !" 1.-The Belle
of New York" THE Runaway Girl" "Erminie," !"
San Toy Tales of Hoffman," THE Fortune
IeIeT, RODln f1OOQ ana flOTOQOTd.
1t may be realized that the latter were great
favortes of the summer light opera seasons
with the Washlngtonans of those days.
All of these were given at the National
Theater. Eugene Cowles was there, with his
fine bass Jesse Bradbury, with "a peculiar,
but beautiful low voice." according to the old
book Rene Dietrich, as Cleopatra, in THE
Wizard of the Nile" was Incompatible. a
dainty and sweet voiced princess" Agnes Fin
lay, in THE Runaway Girl" was some class,
both as to looks and voice"
The preface says, in part, with the suficiency
of high school boy: "It shall be my purpose
to give chatty reviews of these plays in the
way choose to write about them.
Il will deal in great part with the music,
as this is thing which most of the news
paper reviews deal lightly with, thereby per-
verting their function as reporters. will right
this wrong"
Ouch!
The melodies of Reginald de Koven and
Victor Herbert always were favorites of the
summer opera seasons.
Their shows drew big audiences, and to look
over the names of some of the hit songs reveals
the reason.
Radio has made scores of Herberts melodies
well known today to millions of people, but
it unaccountaby has left scores more totally
unknown, most of them as good, or almost, as
| perhaps.
. AS for the music of Reginald de Koven. with
the exception Of the interpolated song, 20,
Promise Me-" none Of it Is known today to the
radio audience
The old book reveals poem in praise Of one
of the stars Of that old company, and then, on
the very next page, the following revision of
opinion-one is capable of many things at
sixteen!
Saturday matinee saw this show, Tt Hap
pened in Nordland' again, downstairs in the
third row. This closer view OF l. D
showed me that she isn't as pretty as thought
she was. Truly. distance lends enchantment, in
stage matters.
Her jaw Is too fat, and she looks older when
you are close to her. Still she Is very pretty.
From the gallery, might fall in love with
some girl on the stage, but never from down.
stairs in the first rows. where you get good
| look at them. Then all you have to do is to
glance around the audience and see dozens
| Of prettier girls than are on the stage before
you"