Evening star., 1948-06-22
Opera Fund Dispute
In Court After Mixup,
Cancelled Presentation

An internal difference of opinion
over handling finances of the Chi
cago Opera Company was thrown
into Municipal Court today, as
several thousand disappointed mu-
sic-lovers made plans to collect
refunds on tickets for last nights
Cancelled Water Gate performance.
The confusion was almost COM
plete last night. Many of the pa
irons had tickets for Bizet's Car
men," They found Carmen" had
been presented Sunday night after
having been postponed twice be-
cause of rain.
Many others had tickets for Puc-
cini's Madame Butterfly" 1t, too,
had been postponed twice-once be-
cause of rain, again because Of the
lae-hour decision to give Carmen"
Sunday night to accommodate a.
member of the company who could
not remain longer in Washington.
No Reason for Cancellation.
Both groups were dismayed to
learn they would hear neither
Shortly before performance time,
Managing Director J. Franklin
Viola announced the performance
had been Cancelled. The audience
was not given the reason, but was
told refunds would be given at the
Snow Concert Bureau, 1108 G street
NV, through the close of business
Saturday.
The musicians packed their in
struments and began to leave. A
harpist who had struggled halfway
up the Water Gate steps. was hailed
from below. He struggled down.
believing the show was to go on.
That was not the case. After a
! violent vocal outburst, he began
carrying his bulky instrument up
the steps once more.
The singers sat about uncertainty
for time, then struggled away.
Director Is Jostled.
Ticket takers and usherettes clus-
tered around Mr.. Viola, wanting to
know when they would be paid. A
ticket man joStled the impresario.
Mr.. Viola removed his glasses and
made plain he was ready either to
do battle or to talk reasonably. The
man decided to talk.
After taking some money from
his pockets for the usherettes agent,
Mr.. Viola told a reporter he had
Cancelled the performance after
learning a court order had been
served on the concert bureau, tying
up the box office receipts. He ex-
planned if he had said "On with the
show" under such circumstances, he
would not be sure of obtaining funds
to pay the singers, musicians and
staff.
The court action, he said, was
taken by Bagio dAngelo of New
York. Mr.. Viola identified him as
one of the hackers of the company,
who was related to one of the
singers.
Suit Filed by Backer.
A suit charging the opera COM
pany owed him $4,000 was filed by
/ Mr.. d'Angelo in Municipal Court
yesterday The suit charged that
Mr.. d'Angelo loaned the company
50 900 this spring, receiving in re-
turn a post-dated check payable on
June 21. When the check was pre-
sented for payment, the suit con-
tinued, Mr.. d'Angelo learned that
payment on the check had been
stopped
The management Of the opera
company has until July II to an
swer the suit. After that it would
be sent to the assignment commits
sioner to be placed on the court
calendar for trial. Attorneys AL
bert E. Steinem and Harry Saidman
are representing Mr.. d'Angelo.
Mr. Viola, in statement, said Mr..
d'Angelo was unduly worried about
his money.
Mr.. Viola said, even with post
ponements, there would have been |
enough to pay everybody and little
more-and he would have gotten his
share of the little more Now it's all
going back in refunds. I'll pay the
bills out of my own pocket-for
moving the scenery and so forth
The patrons didn't know what it
was all about, however, and many
milled about for more than half an
hour before deciding to go home.
AS special buses arrived a dis
patcher called out the bad news:
Concerts Cancelled, folks. Leave
by the rear door, enter by the front
door and pay your fare for the