Evening star., 1954-09-26
News of Music

EUI LIIC 11Iot L1lklC III tAAAo1
cal history a closed-circuit
telecast of the internationally
famed Metropolitan Operas
traditional Opening Night per-
formance will be seen on large
size motion picture screens in
selected theatres throughout
the United States. The Ma
tons Capital will take part in
this historic operate venture
on November 8 when music
lovers throughout Metropolitan
Washington-as well as many
fascinated television fans-are
expected to fill the great Capt.
tol Theatre in downtown
Washington to view excerpts
from four well known operas
which will be beamed directly
from the stage of the Metro
politan Opera House to the
stage Of the Capitol Theatre
This, in the very words of a
letter from the Snow Concert
Bureau, is what is going to
happen. Opening night at the
Metropolitan has always been
traditional, but this year it will
be quadruply traditional, what
with four operas instead
of one, bigger than life actors,
and high fidelity" sound that
will rival your favorite phono-
graph record. Tickets are a
bargain, too. They cost only
SO, 81, and IS, instead of the
$40 top that New Yorkers will
have to pay to be members of
the studio audience.
Bitter Reminder
The new show is being put
on for music lovers, students,
and television fans" The Met
ropolitan, of course, does not
welcome the movie audience.
which reminds it all too bit
terly of Hollywood, it's Grass
rival that has lured away so
much of it's handsomest tai
ent. Music lovers, on the other
hand, are rot uncommon in
the Metropolitan in New York,
and are expected to turn up
at the Capitol in their finest
gowns and most resplendent
tails and kummerbunds. The
pitch for the students is some
what confused, but television
fans will be made to feel quite
at home possibly by a man.
moth refrigerator in the lobby,
to which they can periodically
60 right now" for a glass of
that foamy lager or a bit of
pasteurized cheese spread.
The studio audience in New
York will have no opportunity
to see the fascinated televi-
sion fans of Washington; these,
on the other hand, in lieu of
the traditional intermission
will be treated to the "tradi-
tional first night audience
festivities and intermission
features" that will take place
at the Met.
No Word of Milton
Theatre Network Television,
Inc. CTNT), the boxing match
promoters who are bringing
the Metropolitan to Washing
ton, say nothing about the
part Milton Cross will play
in the evenings entertainment.
1t is in fact not at all certain
that he will be a part of the
show at all. It is clearly a deli
cate managerial decision to
make-no one can deny that
here in the provinces Cross
Is an inseparable part of a
Met production, yet some con-
sideration must be shown the
television fan. who not only
has parted with from three to
five bucks but also has for
saken his easy chair and
slippers.
The show will open with
Leonard Warren singing the
: prologue to an opera by G.
Targioni-Tozzetti and G. Me-
nasci, based on a story by
Giovanni Verga, with music by
Ruggiero Leoncavallo, and
named "Pagliacci." "Cavalleria
RuSticana" will have no place
on the program, however, as
the show then moves directly
into the first act of La Bo-
heme." The second act of III
Barbiere di Siviglia" will be
followed by three scenes from
Aida" The inclusion of this