The final approach is announced and the United Airlines jet makes its familiar turn for landing at the Tulsa International Airport.  As I look out the window, I see the familiar landscape and layout of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I know the streets well and the various places to eat and play.  In fact this is my 23^rd such trip to “Tulsi-town” and my 21^st main stage production with the Company.  Yes, this is the start of a 4 ½  week process that I know will result in some incredible music making with Tulsa Opera.

I am writing this after the first performance, and in my opinion opening night was glorious.  The performers were all superb.  The Principals, the Choruses, the Ballet, the Orchestra, Banda, the Supers, the Stage Managers, the Stage Crew, the Costumers, The Wig and Make Up, Properties, The Dressers, all.

Rehearsals have always been my favorite part of the process of making Opera.  Don’t get me wrong – performances are right up there.  But, there is something about bringing several human beings together, all with different ideas, backgrounds, experiences and opinions, and seeing the results of that interaction.  The art that the public will see is made and shaped in these rehearsals.  The singers’ singing and acting, the director’s vision and guidance, the conductor’s leadership and musical nuance – all work and come together in these rehearsals to create a show never ever to be duplicated.  No one will ever get to see this AIDA at Tulsa Opera on Saturday, April 20^th 2013 again, or the 26^th, or the 28^th.  They are all different, every time.

What do I do when I’m not in rehearsal?  Yesterday I did a publicity photo shoot with an amazing local photographer, and today I will go have lunch with dear friends at an amazing local restaurant.  This weekend (Friday and Sunday) I will go back to the Tulsa PAC and perform in AIDA in Chapman Theater.  Then, on Monday I will get on a plane and fly back home to North Carolina and further reflect on another wonderful time in Tulsa.  I truly love this town and the time I spend here.

Oh, and if you’re wondering which 21 shows I have been part of at the Tulsa Opera, here they are  beginning with 1997:  PEARL FISHERS, MADAME BUTTERFLY, MAGIC FLUTE,CARMEN, MANON, TURANDOT, TOSCA, TANNHAUSER, MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, RIGOLETTO, CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN, LA BOHEME, I CAPULETTI E I MONTECCHI, DON GIOVANNI, MADAMEBUTTERFLY, ARIADNE AF NAXOS, TOSCA, DON QUICHOTTE, LA TRAVIATA, DEAD MAN WALKING and AIDA.

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Tulsa Opera is closing out its 65th season in grand fashion with a production of Verdi’s “Aida” that is at once sumptuously grand and surprisingly, searingly personal.

Few places and times inspire artists to such heights of excess as ancient Egypt – all that space, all that wealth, all those pyramids, all those enigmas. Tulsa Opera’s production certainly has its epic aspects, with more than 100 singers, supers, dancers and musicians on stage for the Triumphal March of Act Two, and gigantic set pieces that loom impassively over the action.

But director Stanley M. Garner and his fine cast understand that what is truly epic about “Aida” is its emotional content – the very personal dilemmas of a few people in extraordinary circumstances. Without that, “Aida” can simply be pomp without any circumstance.

That was not the case at Saturday’s opening night performance at the Tulsa PAC. From start to finish, this “Aida” was a winner, filled with beautiful, emotive singing, accompanied by an orchestral performance that was sumptuous and dynamic, all working together to bring forth every possible nuance in Verdi’s music.

For example, as Amneris, the Egyptian princess who has everything except the man with whom she’s infatuated, Dana Beth Miller makes every mercurial mood change palpable.

From Amneris’ craftiness at drawing out why her slave Aida is so distraught, then exulting in that knowledge, or from her desperate pleading Radames to save himself from the judgment he faces to her fury at being scorned yet again, Miller embodied this character so completely, so believably, that one hardly needed the surtitles to know exactly what Amneris was thinking and feeling.

And it was all expressed in a voice of great, yet precisely wielded power, able to cut through the densest ensembles.

Adrienne Danrich’s Aida was equally good – her first scene seemed to be a bit underpowered, but as the evening unfolded, so did Danrich’s voice, growing more nuanced and focused. She was especially strong in Act Three, with its elegiac “O patria mia,” the harsh dialogue with her father, and her duet with Brian Landry as Radames, “Pur ti riveggo, mia dolce Aida,” which culminated with Danrich floating the final high note perfectly.

Landry, in his debut as Radames, was especially good in the more forceful scenes – the dreams of military glory, the defiance in the face of death, even in his efforts to convince Aida to escape with him, music that allowed his muscular, exuberant tenor to have free rein.

On the other hand, his performance of the ruminative aria “Celeste Aida” had all the notes in place, but the tone was not as delicate, as tender – as “lovestruck,” if you will – as might be expected. It was a rare moment when one of the singers was telling the audience what he was thinking, rather than showing it.

Peter Lindskoog brought a nicely nasty edge to Amonasro, Aida’s revenge-minded father, Harold Wilson’s resonant baritone made for a magisterial high priest Ramfis and Michael Ventura was a stately King of Egypt.

Phena Hackett gave a wonderfully ethereal voice to the High Priestess and Stefan Barber declaimed his message well.

Garner’s staging was deftly economical, even when there were a hundred or so people on stage.

Crowd scenes were arranged in artful stasis, to evoke the pictographs on ancient temple walls, while the more intimate scenes allowed the music to do the majority of the work.

Tulsa Opera artistic director Kostis Protopapas conducted the Tulsa Opera Orchestra in a most colorful and perfectly balanced performance, that featured standout moments by cellist Kari Caldwell, oboist Lise Glaser and bassoonist Carolyn Beck. Protopapas also prepared the Tulsa Opera Chorus, which gave its collective voice to the Triumphal March as well as the more enigmatic music of the Temple of Vulcan scene.

Ma Cong choreographed the dances – a stately religious display for Act One, a fast-paced whirl of celebration for Act Two, all performed by dancers of Tulsa Ballet II.

Mark Stanley created the lighting design that bathed the sets and costumes, on loan from New Orleans Opera, with a bronze glow.

“Aida” continues with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Tulsa PAC.

For tickets: 918-596-7111, tulsaworld.com/mytix

Photo: Adrienne Danrich sings the title role in Tulsa Opera’s production of “Aida,” at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The opera has two more performances. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

Link to original article: http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Review_Tulsa_Opera_captures_the_emotions_of_Verdis/20130422_272_D2_CUTLIN242031

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In 2013 the opera world celebrates 200 years from the birth of my favorite composer. Giuseppe Verdi injected dramatic thrust in bel canto, forging his own classically restrained yet enormously expressive operatic style.  Later he assimilated influences from French Grand Opera and Wagner, bringing Italian opera to the apex of its glory.  He was also a renowned patriot, who gave poetic expression to Italy’s struggle for independence and served in the first Italian parliament.  More than just a composer, Verdi was a profound dramatist who is often compared with Shakespeare both for the eloquence and power of his works and for his penetrating and compassionate view of the human condition.

For the Verdi bicentennial, opera companies around the world are organizing Verdi festivals and cycles of Verdi performances, or at least mark the anniversary with productions of his greatest – or in some cases his rarest! – works.  Tulsa Opera in its 65-year history has had a great relationship with Verdi’s works, with landmark productions not only of popular standards like La Traviata and Rigoletto, but even some of most splendid and formidable ones, like A Masked Ball (1956,) Otello (1971) and Don Carlo (1984.)

As we started planning our contribution to the bicentennial, the question I was asked over and over was: which opera will you pick?  It had to be something special, and something we don’t produce as part of the regular “rotation.”  It also had to be a late-Verdi opera, as those mature works are more dramatic and more musically opulent.  A Masked Ball was a great option, as it is probably Verdi’s most tuneful and fast-paced score and the title itself is so intriguing!  Otello was a strong contender: the Verdi-Shakespeare ticket is hard to beat!  Don Carlo is a “Holy Grail” for Verdi fans, and any artistic director is anxious to try their hand on that iconic historical drama.

Ultimately, I decided on the title that would draw as many people as possible to the theater, so they can be exposed to the splendor and power of Verdi.  Aïda, Verdi’s third-to-last opera, is the grand opera par-excellence:  it requires a cast of thousands, ballet, sumptuous scenery and costumes and voices of super-human capabilities.  True to its Egyptian theme, this opera looms as large as the temple of Luxor itself.  It is a feast for the ear and eye that I hope music and theater lovers won’t miss, especially since this is a work that we only put on every twelve or fifteen years.

Opera experts and enthusiasts often bemoan the purported “shortage of great Verdi voices,” i.e. singing actors whose voices not only possess power and beauty, but are capable of conveying the deep humanity of Verdi’s characters.  I regularly travel and hear operas all over the country, at companies large and small, and I am thrilled that in soprano Adrienne Danrich, former Studio Artist, tenor Brian Landry, mezzo soprano Dana Beth Miller, baritone Peter Lindskoog and basses Harold Wilson and Michael Ventura, Tulsa Opera has as extraordinary a cast of Verdians as you will hear anywhere.  I hope that this production, and the Verdi bicentenary, will whet our public’s appetite for more Verdi, and we will soon have this great cast back to sing another of those great operas which (sigh…) we had to pass on this time!

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An evening of family tradition, elegance and beauty awaits those attending the 53rd annual Tulsa Opera Debutante and Squire Ball on Saturday at Southern Hills Country Club.

Calling it a “once in a lifetime experience,” Kristen Kenneally, who is ball co-chairwoman with Cindy Wheeler, noted, “This is the most elegant family event in Tulsa before these young adults depart for college.”

“Memories like none other are made at the Tulsa Opera Ball, and they last a lifetime,” Wheeler said. “It truly is a family affair where parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and family friends take part in this important stepping stone in the lives of the high school seniors whose parents are Tulsa Opera supporters.”

“This is so much more than just a series of parties and activities,” Kenneally said. “The debutantes and squires learn to waltz, have lessons in etiquette and are exposed to arts, particularly opera.”

The evening’s entertainment will be provided by SquadLive from Norman.

Wheeler and Kenneally’s children – Margaux Wheeler and Dominic Kenneally – will be among those presented.

Ball patrons are Mollie Williford, and Mark and Cinda Marra.

The ball culminates a six-months-long journey of parties and preparation. These included a welcome party at The Summit Club with entertainment by Tulsa Opera; a bowling party at the downtown Dust Bowl; a video scavenger hunt at Girouard Vines Urban Winery; and a fathers-and-squires and mother-and-debs dinner hosted by Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse. They also attended Tulsa Opera’s “The Most Happy Fella” and were the guests of the Eric Davis family for Cirque du Soleil at the BOK Center.

Bruce G. Weber Jewelry will continue its tradition of presenting each of the debutantes with a pearl necklace, which will be worn at the ball. Each squire will wear engraved cuff links courtesy of Moody’s Fine Jewelry.

Debutantes and squires, and their parents include: Madeleine Auffenberg, daughter of Jan and Dan Auffenberg; Taylor Davis, daughter of Tricia and Eric Davis; Aubrey Downing, daughter of Kim and David Downing; Connor Doyle, son of Karlyn and Kevin Doyle; Hannah Frizzell, daughter of Kelly and Greg Frizzell; Katie Girouard, daughter of Jan and Chris Girouard; Abby Jordan, daughter of Shawn and Patrick Jordan; Dominic Kenneally, son of Kristen and Timothy Kenneally.

Also, Lauren Langholz, daughter of Alyson and Larry Langholz; Matthew Marra, son of Cinda and Mark Marra; Grant Murphy, son of Cheryl and Steve Murphy; Philipp Piplits, son of Barbara and Martin Piplits; Reid Stinson, son of Sherry and Charlie Stinson; Cameron Taylor, son of Lee and Dr. Jordan Taylor; Richard Allen Williford II, son of Louise Williford and Richard Allen Williford Jr.; and Margaux Wheeler, daughter of Cindy and Larry Wheeler.

Schools represented at the Tulsa Opera Ball this year include Bishop Kelley, Booker T. Washington, Cascia Hall, Holland Hall, Memorial and home school.

Tickets are still available for the ball by calling Tulsa Opera, 918-582-4035.

Photo: Lauren Langholz (left), Hannah Frizzell, Aubrey Downing and Margaux Wheeler are among the debutantes attending the 53rd Tulsa Opera Ball on Saturday at Southern Hills Country Club. ERVING PHOTOGRAPHY / Courtesy

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TULSA, OK – For the finale of its 65^th season, Tulsa Opera will present Giuseppe Verdi’s Aïda, considered the grandest of all operas, April 20, 26 and 28, 2013, at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

In a story of love during wartime, Aïda tells the story of an enslaved Ethiopian princess who serves the Pharaoh’s daughter, Amneris. When she falls in love with Radames, leader of the Egyptian forces, Aïda must choose between her devotion to him and her duty to her people. Radames also struggles to choose between his love for Aïda and his loyalty to the Pharaoh. To further complicate the story, Radames is loved by the Pharaoh’s daughter but does not return her feelings.

“It is a bitter love triangle that plays itself out against a backdrop of war and cultural oppression in this compelling tale of conflicting loyalties and forbidden passion,” said Kostis Protopapas, Artistic Director for Tulsa Opera. “It is precisely the type of dramatic, complex theatre for which Verdi is so famous.

Last seen in Tulsa in 1996, this timeless classic opera is considered the grandest opera of all time 130 years after it was first produced in Cairo. Combining voice, symphony, color, costume, drama, dance and spectacular sets, Aïda provides audiences with 360-degree experience. Members of the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and Tulsa Ballet II join forces with Tulsa Opera for this spectacular production. The production also coincides with the 200^th birthday of Verdi, considered to be the one of the greatest opera composers of all time.

The production of Aïda in Tulsa is also historically significant. Thirty-five years ago, Aïda was staged by Tulsa Opera at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center after it opened in 1977. Additionally, Aïda was produced eighty years ago at Skelly Stadium, making it the first outdoor opera performed in Oklahoma. Pre-dating the formation of Tulsa Opera, the 1933 production was staged by city officials to uplift the Tulsa community during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. It brought together the entire Tulsa community as musicians, performers, crew members, the University of Tulsa, the City of Tulsa and underwriters collaborated, filling Skelly Stadium with estimated crowds of 6,000 on each night it was performed despite a storm which nearly dashed the efforts.

Tulsa Opera’s production of Aïda features Emmy-winning Soprano Adrienne Danrich, who returns to Tulsa to perform the title role. Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Dana Beth Miller returns to Tulsa Opera as Amneris.  Former Tulsa Opera Studio Artist Brian Landry, often compared to the tenor greats of yesterday, will perform his debut role as Radames. Baritone Peter Lindskoog returns to Tulsa Opera in the role of Amonasro.

Tickets for Aïda are available starting at just $25. To purchase tickets or for more information about Tulsa Opera, visit tulsaopera.com or call 918-587-4811.

About Tulsa Opera

Founded in 1948, Tulsa Opera is the 18th oldest opera company in the nation and enhances the cultural landscape of Oklahoma by providing high quality, locally produced opera. Tulsa Opera places special emphasis on contributing to the future of the operatic art form by educating the community about opera and its role in our culture. Tulsa Opera is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization presenting productions made possible, in part, by generous funding from our patrons, the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information about Tulsa Opera, visit tulsaopera.com.

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I woke up the morning of the Milnes Master Class about as nervous as I have ever been.  I stayed paralytically, nauseatingly nervous from the moment I arrived at the Lorton Performance Center until the moment I introduced myself to Sherrill, and something about his manner put me immediately in a state of focus and excitement.  He’s the kind of man whose tremendous handshake speaks volumes about his character and ability.  His manner of speech and interaction were typical of the way my father’s father’s generation sees only what’s important and disregards everything else. As an opera singer looking to advance in my field, that is just what I was looking for.

His critiques were no different from his manner.  He had an incisive way of cutting right to the heart of things and expressing esoteric concepts in simple terms.  It was extremely exciting to experience the powerful energy he projects on stage directed at me in his comments and conducting.  Seeing the way he negotiates the verismo and bel-canto styles has made me think a lot about what made the American Verdi singers of the ’60′s, ’70′s, and ’80′s so special and so different from their European counterparts.  The whole experience has left me feeling energized and hungry to perform. We are so fortunate to have had this opportunity to learn from Mr. Milnes. I look forward to Tulsa Opera providing this kind of outstanding training opportunity in the future!

This Master Class was made possible by a generous gift from Scott and Margee Filstrup, and was presented by the Rotary Club of Tulsa International Crescendo Music Awards; Joseph A. Bias, Founder; and Tulsa Opera. A Five-time Grammy® nominated, three-time Grammy® winner and 2008 Opera News Award winner, Sherrill Milnes is internationally recognized as the leading Verdi Baritone of his time.

To support more events like the Sherrill Milnes Master Class, make a donation to the Tulsa Opera Education department today by clicking here.

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World renowned opera baritone Sherrill Milnes will conduct a master class for young professional singers before a live audience on Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 2 pm at the Meinig Recital Hall in the Lorton Performance Center at the University of Tulsa. The class is presented as part of the Rotary Club of Tulsa’s 15^th Annual International Crescendo Music Awards and in cooperation with Tulsa Opera. Both singers and audience members will benefit as Mr. Milnes shares valuable insight on vocal expression and explores the unique qualities of performance that make for world class professional vocal careers.  Audience members will also have the opportunity to meet Mr. Milnes during class intermission.

A Five-time Grammy® nominated, three-time Grammy® winner and 2008 Opera News Award winner, Milnes is internationally recognized as the leading Verdi Baritone of his time.  A world renowned opera star who sang for over four decades, Milnes has conquered all of the great opera capitals of the world, including the Royal Opera, Covent Garden; La Scala, Milan; Berlin’s Deutsche Opera; the Paris Opera; Buenos Aires’ famed Teatro Colon; the Liceu in Barcelona; the Bavarian State Opera in Munich; the Salzburg Festival; the Hamburg Opera; and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre.  Milnes is Commendatore of the Italian Republic and a Chevalier of the French Republic and was inducted into the Lincoln Academy, the highest honor the State of Illinois can bestow. He has had the honor of performing for every United States President since Gerald Ford.

Milnes has worked extensively with young singers throughout his career.  He has led master classes at the Juilliard and Manhattan Schools in New York, at most major universities throughout the country and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.  More extensive teaching has been done in education institutions around the world including the Yale University School of Music; Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow; the Northern Royal College of music in Manchester, England where he is also a fellow; the Israel Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv; Montreal; Puerto Rico; and the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Italy.  The legendary artist and educator is now Distinguished Professor of Music Emeritus from Northwestern University and continues to teach and judge vocal competitions around the world. Having founded the VOICExperience Foundation with his wife soprano Maria Zouves, they have mentored singers through training programs and built opera audiences throughout the nation, most recently creating the Savannah Voice Festival, launching in the summer of 2013.

The event will feature performances by Tulsa Opera Studio Artists and other talented young artists. Doors open at 2:00 pm with class beginning at 2:15 pm. Q & A during Intermission. Class runs 2.5 to 3 hours. There is no cost to attend.

This Master Class is made possible by a generous gift from Scott and Margee Filstrup, and is presented by the Rotary Club of Tulsa International Crescendo Music Awards; Joseph A. Bias, Founder; and Tulsa Opera.

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In its staged premiere, All Wounds Bleed retells the passionate – and tragic – myth of Echo and Narcissus. Echo and Hera are both tortured in their mutual love of Zeus. Throw in a stolen Cupid’s arrowhead and a mortal who has sworn off love forever, and things get a little crazy on Olympus. All Wounds Bleed was written by composer Christopher Cerrone and librettist Tony Asaro under the auspices of the Composer Librettist Development Program at American Lyric Theater in New York City. Cerrone and Asaro are making a special trip to Tulsa for the performance. Both will participate in a Question & Answer session with the audience and performers following the production. Watch a clip from the American Lyric Theater and learn more about this modern chamber opera.

At the Statue of Venus, by Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally, the creators of Dead Man Walking, reveals a woman awaiting a blind date in a museum. Her thoughts and emotions are a jumble of hope and uncertainty, all while she lingers near a statue of the goddess of love. The opera was originally commissioned by Opera Colorado to celebrate the opening of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Read a program note from Heggie and McNally about At the Statue of Venus and the team’s commitment to contemporary opera.

Admission is $10 for members of Philbrook and $12 for non-members. Admission is taken at the door, or available online through Philbrook.

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At the Statue of Venus, a musical scene for soprano and piano, is our first collaboration since the opera Dead Man Walking in 2000.

When we were commissioned by the Opera Colorado to write a new piece to celebrate the opening of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, we were both deeply honored and hugely challenged. In these perilous times for the arts, the opening of a major new arts venue is an occasion for rejoicing, of course, but reflection, too. What is the vitality of a new opera house if it is only a museum for works of the previous century? The arts must continue to explore who we are, not just who we were. Yes, a work of art is eternal and timeless, but the artists who forge them are not and these men and women must be nurtured as avidly as the great works of art of the past are preserved and/or re-examined.

We are both humbled by the boldness of Opera Colorado to commission us to create something new on this profound occasion. A performance of “Casta Diva” would have been so much simpler for everyone concerned – the opera house, the artists, the audience itself. New music, new anything, is challenging. “Casta Diva” is not – only the note are.

At the Statue of Venus was inspired by the great concert scenas of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Britten. An attractive woman waits in a museum by a statue of the Goddess of Love to meet a man she has never seen. Her thoughts and emotions are a jumble of hope, uncertainty and self-doubt. Will he like her? Will she like him? Why did she – a proudly successful modern woman, probably divorced – allow her friends to convince her that they had found Mister Right for her? We all know that Mr. Right doesn’t exist – or does he? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. To be willing to be judged by another person – does anything make us more vulnerable but human, too?

We identified with Rose. We hope you will, too.

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Join Tulsa Opera on Saturday, March 16, 2013, at the Boulder Grill at 7 pm as we present The Face on the Barroom Floor, a thirty minute, one act cabaret opera inspired by the poem (below) written by Hugh Antoine d’Arcy in 1887 and a painting (right) by Herndon Davis in 1936. The Face on the Barroom Floor is a tale combining modern-day Central City and a 19th Century gold camp. Just thirty minutes long, the opera is regarded as a showcase for rising talent and has enjoyed a cult-like success, being produced every year by the Central City Opera since its premiere as well as numerous American and international opera companies.

Commissioned in 1978 by the Central City Opera and written by Henry Mollicone, the opera tells two tales, separated in time, but parallel in character and theme. Present-day Isabel is a singer in the Central City Opera chorus who dreams of singing Violetta in La Traviata. The beautiful Madeline is a saloon girl in a 19th-century gold camp. Both are loved by two men, and as the opera moves between centuries, the parallel plots come to the same tragic end of – a timeless tale of love and jealousy.

photo courtesy of centralcitycolorado.com

Reportedly, the poem was inspired by an actual happening in the 1800s at Joe Smith’s saloon at Fourth Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan. Subsequently, Herndon Davis was inspired by the poem to paint an actual face on the floor of the Teller House bar in 1936. While staying at the Teller House after being commissioned by the Central City Opera Association to do a series of paintings, Davis remembered D’Arcy’s poem and felt the scuffed Teller House barroom floor to be just the sort of place that the artist in the poem would have used for his sketch. Though the Teller House manager and the bartender did not agree, Herndon could not resist and painted the face secretly by candlelight with the help of the bar’s busboy.

In addition to Davis’s painting and Mollicone’s opera, the poem has inspired many works including a 1914 film of the same name starring Charlie Chaplin, a Mad comics illustration in April 1954 and two songs (in 1959 by Tex Ritter and in 1968 by Hank Snow).

We hope you will join us for Tulsa’s premiere of this gripping and entertaining tale performed by our very own Studio Artists Elizabeth Fischborn as Isabel/Madeline, Stefan Barner as Larry/Matt and Alexander Elliott as Tom/John.

The Face Upon The Floor
by Hugh Antoine D’Arcy

Twas a balmy summer evening, and a goodly crowd was there,
Which well-nigh filled Joe’s barroom, on the corner of the square;
And as songs and witty stories came through the open door,
A vagabond crept slowly in and posed upon the floor.

“Where did it come from?” someone said. “The wind has blown it in.”
“What does it want?” another cried. “Some whiskey, rum or gin?”
“Here, Toby, sic ‘em, if your stomach’s equal to the work –
I wouldn’t touch him with a fork, he’s filthy as a Turk.”

This badinage the poor wretch took with stoical good grace;
In face, he smiled as tho’ he thought he’d struck the proper place.
“Come, boys, I know there’s kindly hearts among so good a crowd –
To be in such good company would make a deacon proud.

“Give me a drink — that’s what I want — I’m out of funds, you know,
When I had cash to treat the gang this hand was never slow.
What? You laugh as if you thought this pocket never held a sou;
I once was fixed as well, my boys, as any one of you.

“There, thanks, that’s braced me nicely; God bless you one and all;
Next time I pass this good saloon I’ll make another call.
Give you a song? No, I can’t do that; my singing days are past;
My voice is cracked, my throat’s worn out, and my lungs are going fast.

“I’ll tell you a funny story, and a fact, I promise, too.
Say! Give me another whiskey, and I’ll tell what I’ll do –
That I was ever a decent man not one of you would think;
But I was, some four or five years back. Say, give me another drink.

“Fill her up, Joe, I want to put some life into my frame –
Such little drinks to a bum like me are miserably tame;
Five fingers — there, that’s the scheme — and corking whiskey, too.
Well, here’s luck, boys, and landlord, my best regards to you.

“You’ve treated me pretty kindly and I’d like to tell you how
I came to be the dirty sot you see before you now.
As I told you, once I was a man, with muscle, frame, and health,
And but for a blunder ought to have made considerable wealth.

“I was a painter — not one that daubed on bricks and wood,
But an artist, and for my age, was rated pretty good.
I worked hard at my canvas, and was bidding fair to rise,
For gradually I saw the star of fame before my eyes.

“I made a picture perhaps you’ve seen, ’tis called the ‘Chase of Fame.’
It brought me fifteen hundred pounds and added to my name,
And then I met a woman — now comes the funny part –
With eyes that petrified my brain, and sunk into my heart.

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