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Across the street from the Metropolitan Opera House, in the musty theatre leased by the traveling American Opera Company, another debutant made an appearance last week. Although lacking the international prestige of Soprano Ohms, he had an audience far more determined to exhibit a friendly attitude. For he was Frank Michler Chapman Jr. of Englewood, N. J., Princeton University and Florence, Italy; the only son of Dr. Frank Michler Chapman, curator of ornithology (What Bird Is That?) and Dean of the Faculty at the American Museum of Natural History; divorced husband of Elisabeth Cobb, only daughter of Funnyman Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb. He left college early to serve in the Marine Corps in France in the same company with James Joseph ("Gene") Tunney. Back at Princeton after the War, having a deeper voice than most of the boys and a fine stage scowl, he sang villain parts in Triangle Club shows.

With all these facts most members of his audience were well acquainted. They were Chapmans and friends of Chapmans, Cobbs and friends of Cobbs, or fellow Princetonians. Detached critics were glad to join them in pronouncing Debutant Chapman's singing smooth and well-styled, above the American Opera average, though as a stage figure he seemed to lack the physique required of Valentine in Faust.

Baritone Chapman, the 16th* singer to join the American Opera ranks this season, will not continue with the Company on its third national tour. He will make a concert tour of his own, will sail in May for Italy where he has several operatic engagements, will rejoin the Americans in the fall.

They proceeded last week from Manhattan to Washington, thence to visit Baltimore and Richmond. Yolanda of Cyprus, opera by Composer Clarence Loomis of Chicago and Librettist Cale Young Rice of Louisville, added this year to their repertoire, continues to provoke critical argument. Throughout the Midwest it received effusive praise. Manhattan critics found it dull, derivative.

*The other 15: Sopranos Nancy McCord, Wantagh, L. I.; Eunice Steen, Auburn, Ill.; Rose Bachova, Boston; Marion McAfee, Quincy, Ill.; Mezzo-Sopranos Geraldine Ayres, Buffalo; Maria Matyas, Chicago; Tenors Charles Kullman, New Haven; Louis W. Yaeckel, Manhattan; Colman Sargent, Rochester; Baritones and Basses Thomas Houston, Tom Williams and Kempton Searle, Manhattan; Lu Talbott, Portsmouth, Va.; George Gove, Windom, Minn.; Willard Schindler, Flint, Mich.

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