Thais without Modesty

Thais Without Modesty

A provincial city got an operatic shock last week unequaled since Geraldine Farrar, as Zaza, in Atlanta before the War, changed her clothes onstage. At Cincinnati's famed Zoo Opera, Soprano Leonora Corona was singing the Bravura title role in Massenet's Thais. A fair-sized audience, not overtaxed by the explicit music, followed the Monk Athanael out of his desert retreat toward Alexandria, where he piously hoped to reform the beauteous and notorious Courtesan Thais. Act I ended innocently enough.

In Act II Thais appeared, began trying to unsettle the holy man's complacency. All other means failing, Soprano Corona dramatically flung open her long red cloak. My stars, gasped Cincinnati's ladies, didn't the hussy have anything on at all? Male members of the audience quickly assured themselves that the diva was wearing something--two bits of gauze here & there. "Miss Corona is physically attractive and she managed to acquaint the audience with this fact," primly observed Critic Nina Pugh Smith of the Times-Star. "Shades of Anthony Comstock!" cried the Enquirer's George A. Leighton. "Practically incandescent," remarked Frank Aston of the Post.

Clearly, decided Cincinnati's reporters, Miss Corona (Cohrone) would have to be interviewed on the subject of her startling exposure.

"I am too faithful to my art to do the part without abbreviating my costume," explained the Texas-born artist, a member of the Metropolitan Opera for six years and Rosa Ponselle's understudy. "There is nothing vulgar in art. . . . I purposely enquired before the performance and was told Cincinnati operagoers were ready for Thais. As a matter of fact, I still believe they are, and that those who come to see the remaining performances will appreciate our attempt to give them Thais just as she was--a beautiful courtesan. . . .

"They must not think of me as Corona; they must think of me as Thais. On the stage I must live the part. If Thais had no modesty, I must have none. If Thais bared her body, I must do so. Imagine how ridiculous it would be for Thais to throw open her robe before the holy man and confront him dressed in ballet costume. . . . "If they don't want to see me as Thais, tell them to come back later when I play in The Girl of the Golden West. There I wear lots of clothes--even boots." Two nights later when Thais Corona swept her cloak apart again there was not a vacant seat in the house.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.