Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

For Barnstorming Opera: 'Hearty Approval' W„ hen the curtain came down on the NBC Opera Company's performance in Newark, New Jersey, one night last month, the capacity crowd applauded en- thusiastically. It was a rousing finale for the Company's first barnstorming tour to bring top-flight "opera in English" to cities and towns that had never seen it before. The rroupe of ninety-five singers, musicians and staff members covered more than 10,000 miles to stage fifty- four performances in forty-seven cities. There were thirty-five showings of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly," the tragic story of the beautiful Japanese girl and the American Naval Officer, and nineteen performances of Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro," the satiric comedy that epitomizes the 18th Century's light-hearted classic approach. The Opera Company's reception was overwhelmingly favorable — in large cities like Atlanta and New Orleans and in small towns like Pittsburgh, Kansas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana. In South Bend, Indiana, floats lined the streets, bands played and the townsfolk turned out in crowds reminiscent of a homecoming celebration for a victorious Notre Dame football team. The music critics, too, were lavish in their praise Adelaide Bishop, Phyliss Curtin, and Ralph Herbert in scene from NBC Opera Company's "Marriage of Figaro." of the Opera Company. "A smartly mounted, carefully cast production," The New Orleans Times Picayune called the NBC group's "Madame Butterfly." "The attention and the applause of the huge audience in- dicated hearty approval." The Fort Worth Press hailed the performance as "one of the highest professional caliber, beautifully staged, lighted and costumed, with colorful, stylized settings." The Waterloo (Iowa) Courier described it as a "magnificent performance." In Norfolk, Virginia, The Ledger-Dispatch said the NBC Opera Company demonstrated convincingly "that opera in English can be successful. The well matched and expert company achieved a real ensemble performance in which the English translation by Edward Eager was a particularly happy one." "Operatic Missionary Job" The NBC Company's objective of bringing opera to the grass roots was lauded by the critics as "a crusade of major proportions," and "a highly com- mendable operatic missionary job." Bookings for next season's tour already are under way. Both of the operas in the first tour will be re- peated, and a third — Verdi's "La Traviata" — will be added to the repertoire. The producer was Samuel Chotzinoff, and the music and artistic director was Perer Herman Adler. Mr. Adler himself staged "The Marriage of Figaro," and Bill Butler staged "Madame Butterfly." Conducting honors were shared by Mr. Adler and Herbert Grossman. Commenting on the tour, Mr. Chotzinoff said: "When we set out on our eighr-week tour of forty- seven cities, we did so with the idea that 'opera in English' was what the American public wanted and would enjoy. We felt that doing these operas in a Theatrically effective way with casts of fine singers who also could act and who looked their parts, was going to bring us great success. And we are gratified that this turned out to be completely true. "The audience laughed uproariously at the comic lines in 'Figaro' and was moved to tears by the pathos of 'Madame Butterfly.' The old idea that opera is a wedding of the arts including music, drama and decor was given living validity by our opera company. And the thousands who came to see us showed their appre- ciation with tumultuous applause." 12 RADIO AGE