4
SUNDAY
FEATURE
SECTION
SUPPLEMENT
FEATURES
THEATRES
music
LITERARY
kirian hahntt
SECTION
TWO
VOL. XXI. No. 117 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 1921 PRIC FIVE CENT
"Top
O,
Th'
Mornin
Emerges
Direction
From
,e...
Chaos
Under
The
Of Shuter
Hundred To
Travel With
Union, Opera
CITIES
TO BE VISITED ARE NOT
/YET DEFINITEIT
ANNOUNCED
(By M. B. Stahl)
When the Union opera special train
pulls out. of the Michigan Central sta-
tion at a little past one o'clock Friday
afternoon, April 8, the longest trip
ever taken by the organization will
have begun. The return to Ann Arbor
will not be made until late Saturday
night, April 16, after "Top o' th' Mor-
nin'" has been on the road for eight
days. In the past the trips have been
five and six days in length, but the
cancellation of the J-Hop this year
will enable the company to start Fri-
day instead of Monday.
Although the itinerary at this time
is not complete, it is definitely known
that neither Chicago nor Grand Rap-
ids will be played. The impossibilityj
of getting theaters in those cities made
it necessary to look elsewhere for
stands.
w -I
r rs
, r
ii-
, r
n t.rry. GrD-su ya H r m s.
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S vany, proprietor of the Blue Goose Inn are the other two comedians. =
wliillilllililfllilliiliilllliliil~ lillilllll
BeterThan 1920
.tUnioon Opera, Say
Promoters Of Show
MANY FORMER STARS WILL TAKE LEADING PARTS IN PRODUCTION;
NEW TALENT WILL ALSO ADD TO SUCCESS;
BROMEL PAINTS SCENERY
(By Brewster P. Campbell)
The Union Workshop, cluttered with odds and ends. Pieces of colorful
scenery standing erect and lying prostrate. Shirt-sleeved youths, some de-
claiming, some gesticulating, and yet others engrossed in intricate dance
steps. Chaos, organized under the eye of a director, debonair, nonchalant,
yet watchful.
So, the impressionist might describe the nightly scene at the Workshop
in the old Union building, where E. Mortimer Shuter is drilling the cast and
chorus for the 1921 Union opera, "Top 0' Th' Mornin'," which will be pro-
duced for Ann Arbor theater-goers March 29 to April 2, at the Whitney
theater.
"Top 0' Th' Mornin' " is something new in the way of University operas.
It is the work of Russel Barnes, '20, who also wrote "George Did It," last
year's Union production. That Barnes learned much from his first real
Hundred on Trip
More than one hundred people will
make the trip on the special. The
company numbers 55 and th'e orches-
tra 20. Committeemen, stage hands
and others will constitute a' group of
about 20, in addition to two authors,
E. Mortimer- Shuter, opera director,
Homer Heath, manager of the Union.
Earl Moore, music director, and a rep-
resentative of the faculty.
Headquarters of the organization
enroute will be in three sleepers and
a baggage car, transportation costs of
which will amount to approximately
$3,000. It is likely that a special loco-
motive will pull the cars most of the
way, but when in making special
jumps they are attached to regular
trains, fares must be paid for every
person on board.
The cost of the trip will be about
$12,000 which is an estirated increase
of $2,000 over that of a year ago. 'In-
creased railroad fares, and living ex-
penses on the journey account for the
greater cost. An average of from
$1,700 and $2,000 must be taken in
each day to make- the trip financially
successful.
Y
t
e
-: FIRST THOUGHTS AFTER A FIRST REID0IISOf THE OPERA
Alumni Entertain
That opera men will be royally en-
tertained while away is vouched for
by alumni in all of the cities which
are proposed to be visited.
Dances and parties after they per-
formances are anticipated almost as
enthusiastically by the players as the
show itself, and hours which other-
wise might be dreary are made more
than full of pleasure.
Enthusiasm for the Union opera is
said to prevail in even greater amount
this year than ever before, and "Top
o' th' Mornin"' is assured of receiving
large and cordial audiences every time
a stop is made.
SAULT STE. MARIE BECOMES
STATE'S "CONVENTION CITY"
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.-Several
state conventions are to be held in
Sault Ste. Marie this year. The Mich-
igan State Firemen's association will
convene July 12 for a three-day ses-
sion and the Michigan Pikes associa,
tion meeting will take place late in
July. Meetings for which the dates
have not been fixed are those of the
Michigan Postmasters' association, the
Upper Peninsula' Development Bureau
and the annual meeting of the Clover-
land-Fair circuit.
(By Stewart G. Beach)l
As far as the book of "Top o' th'
Morning" may be considered, this1
year's Michigan Union Opera will be;
one of the most successful in the his-
tory of the annual ventures. Filled
with catchy lines, and a quantity of'
real humor, the piece is clever from;
start to finish, and what is more, there
is a plot whose interest will serve to
keep the interest of the audiences up
to the highest pitch.
As a general rule, a rusical comedy
doesn't rely to any great extent upon
its plot for its success. There are too
many other features to hold the atten-
tion of the spectators, and many shows
fall down because of this very fact.
There is no danger of such a calamity
in "Top 0' Th' Mornin'." Russell
Barnes has written a book which i-s
even better than his success of last
year, "George Did It," and the lines
leave plenty of room for the humorous
touches of, "business" which rehear-
sals are perfecting.
Locale in Ireland
Of course, the locale of the story is
Ireland-the traditional Ireland which
we know-"the land of fair colleens,
of whiskey, pigs and bricks, potatoes,
fights and Irish cops," to quote a line
from one of the songs, catchy music
for which has been written by George
H. Roderick, '21E.'
The plot is quite up-to-date, too, by
the way, considering all of this talk
'which we hear of the freedom of Ire-
land. But there is no political propa-
ganda. By setting the time at before
the war, Barnes will escape any alle-
gations which might be put upon him
of propounding the Irish question, and
in fact, all he does is to weave a
pleasant little tale around an old le-
gend which claims that when a certain
fountain turns green, the kings will
return to Ireland.
Centers Around Fountain
It is a great temptation here to tell
all about the clever way in which the
fountain is made to act-notice, there
is nothing really said about whether
it really does turn green or not-but
in all fairness to E. Mortimer Shuter
who is producing the opera, and to the
cast and chorus who are working
hard for its success, and lastly, of
course, to yourselves, perhaps it would
be better to just let it go at that.
By the way, though, it might not be
telling too much to say that there are'
some mighty clever lines slipped in
here and there which bring out the
laughs at the expense of Ann Arbor
traditions, and that there are some
real comedy characters who know just
how to bring these lines oqt to their
best advantage, and that there is a
love element running through the en-
tire book, and that you will enjoy
every minute of the opera. There are
lots of other things about it too, such
as-but perhaps it would be better to
let those go for now. Let's not spoil
it by giving out all of the things which
will make the 1921 Union Opera the
. best of them all.
experience with play writing is evi-I
denced from the first of the present
opera, for at no time does "Top 0' Th'
Mornin'" want in humor or lag in
interest.
George Roderick, '21E, who has
written practically all the music this
year has outstripped his effort on last
year's tunes by far. There is not a
song in the entire number which will
riot stay in the memory and set one
to whistlinrg (nc% it has been heardt
Roderick's work has been supple-
mented by that of Myron Chon, '2Z
and Edwin Meiss, '23, who have b9th
contribute I catchy tunes.
Bromel Paints Scenes
Little need be said concerning the
scenic effects after it has been stated
that Carl Bromel, who did this work
for last year's opera, is at present en-
gaged in making the sets for the com-
ing production. The interior of the
Irish inn, where the first act is laid,
has already been' completed, and it is
more elaborate than anything which
has previously been seen in a Union
opera.
Chorus work, both singing and
dancing, will be one of the principal
features of the performance, and Mr.
Shuter has been putting much time
in with the various choruses, giving
them daily drills.
Duet and trio dances, which proved
so popular in "George Did It," will
be used again this year, and Philip
Ringer, '22, whose duet dance with
Matthew, Lamport, ex'22, received such
an ovation last year, will be seen again
in a duet dance with William Turner
Despite the fact that two or three
last minute changes were necessary
in the cast, Mr. Shuter expresses him-
self as being unusually satisfied with
the principals for the production.
Kemp Keena, '20, will play the lead-
ing male part again, which is assur-
ance that both the songs and acting
for this role will be capably handled.
Marlowe Stevens, '21E, who will be
the leading "lady" gives promise of
even surpassing Paul Wilson, '23L,
who took the feminine lead last year.
Rosenthal, a New One
To Hilliard Rosenthal, '21, and How-
ard Ramsey, '21E, belong the leading
comedy parts. Both are new to the
opera, 1ut have had experience. Prac-
tically the entire cast has an oppor-
tunity to do comedy work, however,
for the lines are replete with humor.
Other principals who will figure ex-
tensively in the production are: Al-
bert Schirmer, '22E, George Duftteld.
'24L, Thomas E. Dewey, '23, W. Lloyd
Berridge, '21, Earle C. Kneale, '22.
(By Barney Darnton)
Chiliconcarnish is about\ the only
adjective that is qualified to describe
the Union opera, for in the opera there
is a bit of everything in just the right
quantities to make la well-spiced offer-
ing.
Wait till you watch 'em, they're a
gang of singing and dancing fools;
and you will have politics, and revolu-
tion, and a Rosenthal black-face act,
and a Kemp Keena love scene, and a
lot of the "Oirish," God bless 'em.
Gets Under Your Skin
Something about this "Oirish" stuff
gets under your skin; you start think-
ing about Mother Machree, and the
city council back home, and the Black
Tyrone, and Burke's (bottled in Dub-
lin). All these are noble thoughts and
they are slung in with each admission
ticket to the main tent .Of course too
deep concentration of the Burke's may
result in a rather corpulent expense
account next month ,and perhaps an
unpleasant interview, but then, ideal-
ists always did have a hard row to
hoe.
Speaking of idealists, this business
of producing an ideal opera is frought
with a lot of gross materialism. That
sweet young thing you are going to
see in another week, the; one over
there on the right end of the star
chorus, doesn't look so high-powered
in the rehearsals.
The acquiring of these League house
ways by a red-bearded stripling of
184 pounds means a bit of work. In
the work shop they work, and occa-
sionally the place takes on the atmos-
pheremof boc May's tea parties.
Chamelon Effect
The opera you see will have an at-
mosphere too. It wil e oplxi
the manner of the economic situation,
and that complexity will be the result
of a bevy of fairies, a fountain of the
genus lizard which can change its
color without the aid of the painters'
union, and one of the kingingest kings
you ever saw. All these will work in
co-operation with a young American
and an ex-bar maid, and a mean set of
stage properties.
It is announced that the "Oirish"
setting for the "Top o' th' Mornin'" has
nothing to do with the proposed Tur-
ner-MacSwiney debate.
"C'hiliconcarnish"
Says Scribe of
'Oirish' -Opera
I
1. 1
I
F
I
Roderick At His hest, Aided Iy
Comers, Writes Mlany Catchy Tunes
(By Thomas Edmund)
If music makes an Opera, the 1921
Opera will be the biggest hit in years,
for variety, pep, originality and
catchy tunes have combined with good
lyrics to make the music something
which will not readily be forgotten.
Such songs as- "Fairy Fountain,"
whose light air is heard throughout
the show, "Peggy O'Care," a love song
of great beauty, and "Honey," the
latest addition to the music of, the
Opera, a song which promises to be
one of the biggest hits of all, are
going to be sung for a long time to
come and will run through the minds
of those who hear them, for week
after they have forgotten their names
Many Comedy Numbers
"Love songs ain't all the Opera," ei-
ther by any means'for it will probably
be the best production for a long time,
in regard to comedy songs. "Paris
(Continued on Page Two)
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CABELL'S NEW BOOK
"Figures of Earth"
s
Two Stores
GAHA A
Both Ends of Diagonal Wllalk