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Vol XXXIX. No. 64. ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1928

TWELVE PAGES

Introducing

The

1928

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Opera

"Rainbow's End," Twenty-Third Annual Union Opera Opens Week's Run at Whitney Theatre Monda-
Said to Be Most Original and Spectacular College Musical Show Ever Produced
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EXT Monday night will mark
the opening of "Rainbow's End,"
the 1928 . Union Opera which
has been hailed from all sources
as a distinct departure from any-
thing ever attempted before by collegiate play-
ers in the way of a musical presentation. Elab-
orate beyond description, clever in composition,
dazzling in splendor, the twenty-third annual
production is said to be as distinct an innova-
tion as "Cotton Stockings" was several years
ago when it set a high standard for other col-
lege operas to attain.
"Rainbow's End" is the story of a young col-
lege man who owns a dude ranch in the West,
the Rainbow's.End Ranch. Crippled transpor-
tation facilities result in a traveling company
of players being stranded with no place to stay
but at the ranch. One of the players formerly
knew the owner of the ranch, while the leading
lady falls madly in love with him. The former
acquaintance of the hero plots against him
aided by the manager of the company. The
situation is made tense by a neighboring widow
who has a passionate love for him. In addition,
the show boasts a jealous Mexican who madly
adores the widow. A tribe of Indians living
nearby further complicate the romance by in-
terfering with the actions of some of the char-
acters. In -the end, the entire plot irons itself
out much to the complete satisfaction and
pleasure of the audience with ingenious meth-
ods of conclusion.
The part of the beautiful leading lady of
the theatrical troupe is played by William
Browne '31 who is hailed as E. Mortimer Shut-
er's newest discovery for a leading opera part.
He shares "feminine" honors with Daniel Buell
'30, who plays the comic lead, namely the role
of the hero's former acquaintance who plots
against him.
Sidney Straight, spec, plays the leading man
in "Rainbow's End" and is said to have a splen-
did baritone voice. He is entrusted with the
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to certain tribal functions, he was able to ob-
tain ideas for weird and original costumes, the
like of which have never before reached the
stage. In addition, he brought with him spe-
cial notes on the staging of certain ritualistic
dances which he conveyed to those in charge of
the opera. The opportunities afforded to the
costumer and his staff of designers by the un-
usual and novel nature of the settings have
given him many new fields for exploitation and
his creations are said to be delightful.
splendor.
E. Mortimer Shuter, director, has the distinc-
tion of placing Michigan operas on a recognized
high plane of artistic endeavor, setting a stand-
ard for collegiate productions all over the coun-
try. Since 1918, Shuter has developed the en-
tire presentation of Union Operas, including
the selection of books and the training of the
cast and choruses. Since his affiliation with the
Union, he has directed ten successful operas:
"George Did It," "Top of the Morning," "Make
It For Two," "In and Out," "Cotton Stock-
ings," "Tickled to Death," "Tambourine,"
"Front Page Stuff," "The Same To You," and
now his outstanding effort of all the operas,
"Rainbow's End."
The trip arranged for this year includes Chi-
cago, Toledo, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New
York, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit (three per-
formances), Saginaw, Lansing, Grand Rapids,
and Kalamazoo. Special entertainment has
been arranged by the social leaders and prom-
inent alumni in the various cities.
As the finished product of more than eight
months continuous work by the many persons
engaged in the staging of the current Mimes
show, "Rainbow's End" is submitted for the
entertainment of Michigan students, their
friends, aluinti, and the general public. The
Union has sponsored twenty-two Operas thus
far, but the rise of the curtain Monday night
promises the most original, dazzling, colorful,
and novel college presentation ever staged.
Since the first Opera changes have been notice-
able each year. The dressmaker and the make-
up box have served to soften the discrepancies


U1PPE1R: Left, Richard C. Kurvink. '29, as Senora Mercedes, wealthy Mexican widow. Center, William
B. Reed '30, Harlan P. Cristy, '29, William J. Browne '31, Arthur H. Smith, '31, and Philip S. Cochran,
'30E, four "dude" cowboys and the leading lady. Right, William J. Browne '31, the leading lady.

LOWER: Left, Daniel
- iading n.
ard; Hugh Claney '30 as Slim, a young cowboy;
Harlan Cristy '29 as Ike, an old cowboy, who
detests the female species; William H. Denler
'30A as Santiago, chief of the tribe of Indians;
Edward M. Heyman', grad, as Hop Lee, chinese
cook of the ranch; John D. O'Neill '30 and
James C. O'Neill '30 as twin sisters in the

I. Buell 11 '31, Rita LeDoux, lady villain. Right, Sidney F. Straight, spec.,

rent show. "Cotton Stockings," which has been
known as the best opera to date, had only 75 in
the company making the tour that year. The
girls' and men's choruses each have 16 in their
ranks. The orchestra has 21 members, while
there are 17 in the actual cast. Moreover there
are 2 5 singers in the special chorus being added

devised and personally demonstrated here by
Roy Hoyer, formerly leading juvenile with the
Fred Stone shows and now leading juvenile with
the Schuberts' latest presentation, "To the
Queen's Taste." Hoyer spent several weeks here
last spring drilling embryonic chorus "girls" and
men as well as those trying out for the leading
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