Show V i 1 i i i iy y yOne One Kiss Nearly Wrecked An Opera Opera But But Won a a. a Bride e S SS S S SS S f 1 S e. e 4 I k I MARIO CHAMLEE AND RUTH MILLER Ruth Miller Was vas So 50 Upset She 5 Sang ng Off Key C By By HORTENSE SAUNDERS N NEA EA Service Writer NEW EW Y YORK RK July 24 Mario Mario Charmed was vas responsible for tor th the worst Ruth Huth Miller ever g gave ve as an o opera era singer It was en rely his laWt that her Marguerite usually s so perfect and so satisfying lost poise floundered among tile shar sharps s and fJ flats ts and couldn't couldn t make retake the high I gave her a kiss leiSs which every ha has a perfect right and even ven a 11 duty to bestow on Ite He according to tho libretto but the kiss he ho gave her wasn't t MarguerItes MarguerIte's Marguerite Mar Mar- guerito's B casual stage kis at auIt ail alia ali au- it a was tas a very real one urte iron from Mario Mado Chamlee to Ruth Kuth Miller and it ft ie revealed re- re to her her- her w what hat she had lead n not t suspected sus sus- jcl V thal d-thal thai sue lJ him Only a carping critic would not forgive ner for singIng ringing off key then CHAMLEE REJOICES As for Chamlee when he lie ob obServed observed observed ob- ob served the ct of his kiss and heard her singing off olf k key y and saw ho how liow v her performance I tagged sagged th then n nhe he ho v his love was answered He lie sang better than he ever over had before and and saved the evening for the audience was in Detroit Chamlee had load heard Rut Ruth Miller sing one other time tini on the occasion o of his first visit to New York when he had chec checked ed his bags at the station and bought a ticket for the opera before he knew w where he was going to sta stay H He lie had admired her v voice ice so much that he had begged to be presented presented pre pre- to her afterwards so he might tell teU her so But he had never neverseen neverseen neverseen seen her since until several months I later wh when both bOUl had been engaged I to sing in the same company that I was sent to Detroit I But not only had her clear soprano eo- eo tones registered in his mind mindin In in his heart he carried the image of her wistful face with the very large blue eyes yes and the soft brown halt hair that framed It so delicately Seeing her d daily ily at rehearsals had only fanned the flame one sight of her had Ignited He fell more hopelessly in love dally daily One af afternoon afternoon af- af f- f he warned her Tonight we are arc playing opposite each other In Faust and I am go going to to- ing to kiss you rou squar squarely ly on the mouth mouth that's that's my privilege you roU know She had r received the news casually cas cas- enough but she couldn't be casual about the thC kiss So after that performance they were wera engaged But the marriage was delayed for years Along came the war and into khaki went Chamlee first to a training camp then to the trenches in France Meanwhile 1 Ruth Miler Milder er went ahead and while she was singing In the M Metropolitan tan Chamlee was playing cymbals In itt a regimental band listed as t a fourth-class fourth musician He had never played any Instrument instrument instrument ment until this time and was al allowed allowed allowed al- al lowed to be the cymbalist because his voice made him a desirable addition addition addition ad ad- to the band His spare time was spent writing wilting to Ruth Miller I suffered more from on writers writer's cramp than from shrapnel nel h hs he laughed But while she was vas getting getting getting get get- ting on professionally she didn't hav have e a chance to forget her suitor In the trenches Wh When n the tho war was over they were married Th Then n Chamlee studied slaved and nd sang and eventually he too tao won the distinction every singer sing sing- er cr craves craves admittance admittance Into the I Metropolitan Opera com company pan Today Today Today To To- day he is one of the leading t tenors nors SING IN CONCERTS Since th the birth of their son Mrs lIra Chamlee has r retired tired from opera but bitt she often n appears pe In c concerts with her husband Incidentally both the are lire American born and trained and are good arguments against the theory that America cant can't produce opera opeia singers Both are re Westerners she from front Oregon Oreon and he from California but they make their home in in New ew York during the opera season and in Connecticut on their farm at other times rhe The most pleasing feature about this American romance is that it has that sturdy pere perennial quality which is not considered indigenous to operatic soil And they are so supremely supreme y hal happy PY that Mrs Chamlee has long since forgiven en her husband husband husband hus hus- band for throwing her hei off key in Detroit |