San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

2 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW September 16th, 1899 Correspondence and ^ fp, Comments FROM NEW YORK Special Correspondence. Although all of the roof gardens have not closed for the summer and but few of the regular theaters have yet opened, enough business has already been done by the preliminary attractions in the metropolis to warrant the prediction that the season of 1899-1900 will be one of the most prosperous in many years. Managers in general realize this, and they also bear in mind that a year from now the first half of that season will be disturbed somewhat by the excitement which usually accompanies a Presidential campaign. Hence they intend to make hay while the sun shines. Many new enterprises will be launched and some managers are likely to win large profitu this season. When the manager wins out on a new play what he makes is his own. Bat when he loses, the actors generally share his loss and take lessons in pedestrianism. Nearly all of the well-known players have been engaged for the season, and most of them are rehearsiugin the city or studying their roles in their summer quarters or on their way from Europe. The theatrical season here is necessarily broken by the sultry summers and all business connected with the playhouses accommodates itself to the climatic conditions. It is hard to say what would be the effect in dramatic circles if the Eastern summers were as mild and pleasant as those of the Pacific Coast. Farces of all grades of merit and moralityare running in New York this week. "Why Smith Left Home" is a rollicking American farce which has settled down to a long run at the Madison Square Theater. It is of interest to any young married pair who have ever been bothered by too many visits of their dear relatives. "His Excellency, the Governor" which was one of last season's successes at the Empire gave way this week to John Drew in "The Tyranny of Tears." The questionable morals of "The Girl From Maxims" has not impaired the popularity of the Criterion Theater. There can be no question about the morals of "The Rounders" at the Casino which has been running all summer. Friends of Minnie Seligman who is now separated from Robert Cutting, think she made a mistake in re entering the drama in such a ragged-edge play as ' In Paradise," which might more appropriately been called "In Pajamas," since those garments seem to have taken the place of feminine lingere for the purpose of this play. If the play live to get to California the manager who gets it will probably have to get out an injunction against the pajamas. In striking contrast to Miss Seligman's broad drama at the Bijou is " A Little Ray of Sunshine " in Wallack's across Broadway, which is not in the least offensive. "Mr. Smooth" with Willie Collier at the Manhattan is not too good and not too bad. * Daniel Frohman has succeeded to the management of Daly's theater. New Yorkers know of no one better qualified to duplicate the Daly successes. He started the season at Daly's this week with E. H. Sothern, in "The King's Musketeer," in which he achieved success last season. Mr. Frohman modestly says that he will do his best to uphold the Daly standard in art. * * * Annie Russell is winning favor at the Lyceum in Jerome K. Jerome's new comedy, " Miss Hobbs," and Lillian Russell, who is of the operatic breed, is preparing to make her first venture in burlesque at Webber and Field's. Lillian Russell has been slowly losing everything but flesh in the last few years, and the Queen of America light opera is about ready to abdicate. She will no doubt prove a fit subject in the house of the kings of burlesque. Californians who come East next winter will hear once again Emma Nevada, the Californian, who has achieved such marked success in grand opera in Europe and America ever since the early eighties. The great prima donna will no doubt endeavor to visit the scenes of her childhood while in this country. Lillian J. Rollins who went to school in Oakland, Cal., and who won considerable notoriety on the Casino stage as Sylvia Gerrish ten years ago, has been the cause of having Henry G. Hilton cut off with only $25,000 of his father's % 10,000,000 estate. They live on Sedgwick avenue near 177th street in a house which stands in her name. Her mother and sister also live in the house. Mrs. Henry G. Hilton lives on Fifth avenue, and has persistently refused to get a divorce. It was on account of Henry G. Hilton's attachment for Sylvia Gerrish that his father took him out of the firm of Hilton, Hughes & Co., formerly A. T. Stewart's, and now Wanamaker's. Henry G. Hilton is now 42 years old. He and .Sylvia Gerrish sowed wild oats together, and unless he succeeds in getting his brother and sister to divide with him, the old-time Casino favorite may be forced to return to the stage. A press agent worked up a good advertisement for his show last week by announcing that Frank Gould, youngest son of Jay Gould, had married Lulu Sheppard, an English ballet dancer. The story gained credence because George Gould had married Edith Kingdon, the actress, and Howard Gould had married Buffalo Bill's protege, Katherine Clemmons who, before she tried to be an actress, was Viola Dayan of San Francisco. Before Howard Gould married, his name was frequently linked with that of the ingenue, Miss Odette Tyler, now the wife of R. D. Shepard, known on the stage as R. D. McLean. It turned out that Frank Gould had not married the ballet dancer. He had merely sent her many valuable presents out of his income of 512,000 a week. If he does not marry a stage beauty it will not be because his brothers have not chosen congenial companions from the footlights. * * * Ruth White of San Francisco, who started out four years ago singing "Ben Bolt" behind the scenes in the now almost forgotten "Trilby," is doing as well as one of her limited capacity could expect. She was assisted last season by Jack Raphael, the old Tivoli favorite in San Francisco, and she has done well on the roof gardens this summer. Among her best songs is a relic of Sands Forman's Sandwich Island opera which never did get a fair hearing in this city. If Miss White's mezzo-soprano voice had had the necessary volume, she might have stepped into the place in the Castle Square Opera Company made vacant by the sudden death of Lizzie Macnichol, which place still remains unfilled, though possibly occupied. Jessie Bartlett Davis is about the only woman who could really make the Castle Square audiences forget the loss of Miss Macnichol, and it is not likely that a woman w7ho has made as much money as Miss Davis would ever consent to work as hard as Miss Macnichol did. San Franciscan. next week. He recently received many letters of condolence on the occasion of his little daughter's tragic death in Los Angeles. Miss Maud Lillian Berri, one of your charming "native daughters" who is in private life Mrs. Fisher, made a phenomenal hit during the summer as prima donna with the Spencer Opera Co. She has received several flattering offers to star in vaudeville opera-bouffe. GaTV Pallen. ST. LOUIS Special Correspondence A hot wave that is remindful of the warm zephyrs of the Mojave received the traveling thespians and ushered in the theatrical season of 1S99-1900. The summer gardens, with interesting vaudevillians, still retain the favoritism of the theater-goer, though all of the local theaters have rung up their curtains, save the Century Theater which will ignite its calciums on "Hotel Topsy Turvy "September 17th. The Olympic opened last week with George Boniface, George Ober, and a clever coterie of clever players in "Dear Old Charley." It is a clever farce. Jake Rosenth il, who popularized it, managerally speaking, is at the helm for "Charley." This week we are the recipient of a visit from "The Purple Lady" and the farce is — not misnamed. The Grand Opera House and the Columbia threw open their doors the 10th, the former with Richard's and Pringle's minstrels, whilst Mme. Hermann heads the vaudeville at the Columbia. The Watson Sisters Extravaganza Co., a scintillant aggregation of abbreviatedly-gowned ladies, are popularizing themselves this week at the Standard. "At Piney Ridge," a melodrama replete with gore, knives, and Evans and Sontagism, is "shooting" itself into favor at Havlin's, whilst "The Prodigal Daughter," a racing drama, with a vaudeville bill sandwiched in, headed by Papiuta, is enjoying a profitable week at Col. Hopkin's new Theater that was formerly the Imperial. Lawrence Hanley and his own Stcck Company who have been playing at one of the Gardens all summer will go on the road CURTIS SNEAKED AWAY. New York, Sept. 10th.— There was great excitement in the Colored Professional Club, at No. 114 West Thirty-first street, owing to the receipt of a cablegram from Sydney, Australia, addressed to Mr. Mortimer, President of the organization. The cable was read and inwardly digested, and half an hour later telegrams were being dispatched to various parts of the country, asking for aid for forty-five Senegambains, stranded in the Antipodes through the heartlessness of M. B. Curtis, better known, perhaps, as the creator of " Sam'l of Posen." The cablegram was from Ernest Hogan, author of that touching ballad, entitled "All Coons Look Alike to Me." It was prepaid, and worded with corresponding economy, but Mr. Mortimer had but little difficulty iu deciphering it to read: Curtis sneaked out of New Zealand. Stranded here. Cable money, fo' Gawd's sake. Ladies suffering. HOGAN. This was as much as the members of the Colored Professional Club knew, but it was quite sufficient. Crap games were interrupted, and but little interest was manifested in the drawings at Frankfort. The news spread with the rapidity of a praire fire throughout Seventh avenue and its environs and many a little soubrette failed to receive her clean lingerie last night, owing to the fact that the lady who does the washing was hustling along the Tenderloin, trying to raise subscriptions for the unfortunates ten thousand miles away from home. "I tol' dat Er'st Hogan not to make no fool trip like dat to de Antipodes," said Big Jim Johnson. Sydney, Australia, with a population of less than 400,000, has the following play-houses open: The Royal, Her Majesty's, the Criterion, the Lyceum, the Opera House and the Standard, with an average nightly attendance of 6,000. In addition there are two variety theaters — the Tivoli and the Palace — which average 1800 nightly. Katherine Bloodgood, the wellknown San Diego singer, will replace Mine. Schuman-Heink, at the Worcester festival, in September, singing selections from the Ortruda music of "Lohengrin," preceded by "O Mio Fernando," from "La Favorita."