San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

January Q, 1909 THE SAX FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW Maud Adams and Eddie Foy Are Strong Broadway Amusement Hits New York. Jan. 3. — That the drawing power of Massenet's Thais is undiminished was proved last Monday night by the large audience present in the Manhattan Opera House. Mary Garden sang the title role, and Maurice Renaud gave again his fine interpretation of the monk. Athanael. Mr. Campanini conducted. At the Metropolitan the double bill of Cavalleria Rusticana and Le Villi was repeated. In Mascagni's opera the cast included Emmy Dcstinn as Santuzza, Maria Gay as Lola, Enrico Caruso as Turiddu, and Pasquale Amato as Alfio. Both Miss Destinn and Mr. Caruso were in excellent voice. The cast of Le Villi was the same as at the previous performances, with Frances Aldo, Alessandro Bond and Pasquale Amato. Mr. Toscanini conducted at botb operas at tbe Metropolitan. * * * The grand opera war broke out in Baltimore last week, when the sale of seats began for botb the Manhattan and the Metropolitan opera companies. Although the Metropolitan company does not open until several days after the Manhattan companv has gone, its seats were placed on sale along with those of the other companv. This action has aroused the ire of the Manhattan management, who declare that the other people should have waited a while. Will J. Guard, who represents Mr. Hammerstein, said : "We are astonished at the Metropolitan company opening its sale when its season does not begin until ten days after our second performance, and it is regarded as unprofessional and very strange that this companv should adopt such tactics. Mr. Hammerstein is not seeking an operatic war and is coming to Baltimore as the result of a year's solicitation on the part of the Lyric management. There is no axe to grind and if the public responds as it did in Philadelphia Mr. Hammerstein can probably be persuaded to visit here regularly during the season." It is noticeable, too, that the Metropolitan has made some changes in its casts so as to bring the most popular stars in its earliest production. It wouldn't surprise me if, out of two first-class companies fighting for business here in the East, San Francisco might get a taste of opera before the song birds go home. * * * Like all the other Belasco productions that have been warmly welcomed when in the course of their journeys they have come to the Academy of Music, The Warrens of Virginia, which arrived there last week for an engagement of two weeks, was no exception to the rule. The breadth and depth of the Academy stage give room for two splendid pictures in the wildwood of the first act and the rose garden of the closing scene, and the beauty of these settings was applauded, as well as the fine achievements of the actors. Frank Keenan, as General Buck Warren, retains all the distinction which made his presentation of that character so notable at the Stuyvesant Theatre last winter, and the charm of Charlotte Walker in the part of the General's daughter is undiminished. The cast in all important respects remains unchanged. * * * It was hardly to be expected that Maude Adams could efface the memories of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan in a single night, even in a new play from that same gifted author's pen. Yet in spite of that exquisite idyl and its beautiful blend of humor and fantasy, of pathos and the tender emotions which spring from the depths of human nature, she easily made her way last week to pinnacles of coined}' equally high and not less lovely in Mr. Barrie's wonderfully acute and subtle study of Scotch character. What Every Woman Knows. The event at the Empire Theatre was what might have been anticipated for Miss Adams's return to Xew York in a play, the praises of which have been on the tongue of every recent visitor in London, where it has been running four months. The initial audience was as large and as fine as any Broadway playhouse could assemble. The applause was almost unending, and it was as sincere as it was long. It became impossible to keep record of the number of times the curtain rose and fell. It seemed that the crowd could not have enough of Mr. Frohman's most gifted star and of her new leading actor. Richard Bennett, who made a long stride forward in his profession and established a new mark in his career. * * * A crowded house welcomed Eddie Foy at the Casino Theatre last week, when for three hours it laughed over and applauded the latest musical success of the season, Mr. Hamlet of Broadway. The book is by Edgar Smith, the lyrics by Edward Madden and the music by Ben M. Jerome. It contains many novel features and should remain on Broadway for an extended run. Theatregoers will recognize in it the type of musical mixture of farce, extravaganza and simple comedy, famous on the Casino stage in the past. From the rise of the curtain there is constant action, the flimsy plot of tbe piece being swept along by a sort of musical hysteria. The songs are uniformly good. Eddie Foy, a comedian by nature, won new laurels both as Joey Wheeze, the clown, and as Hamlet, the melancholy Dane. His song] Everything Depends on Money, in the first act, made a hit. As Hamlet he succeeded in making the sublime ridiculous. A particularly winning feature of the performance is the song and dance of Mr. Foy and a children's chorus, entitled When I Was a Kid Like You, and the efforts of the children to dance like the grown-up chorus was extremely amusing. Maude Raymond, both as Molly Brown, the Adirondack belle, and as Ophelia of Broadway, deserves great credit for her performance. James F. Cook as Amelie, the trained bear, merits honorable mention. * * * Liebler & Co. have definitely arranged for a play in which to present \ iola Allen this season. The new play is to be called The White Sisters, and has been written by F. Marion Crawford. It is an original play in four acts, and while it follows to some extent the same plot as the author's novel, now running serially in a magazine, the play was written first and the novel prepared some months later. Miss Allen will be seen in the new play about January 25 in this city. The company has already been engaged and rehearsals will begin next week. * * * Olga Nethersole is preparing to branch out as a theatrical producer in addition to managing her own tour in The W riting on the Wall. One of her first ventures as a manager will be the tour of Mary Mannering. who will star next season in a new play. Miss Xethersole has in reserve, it is said, a new play by Asa M. Steele, which is as yet unnamed. Miss Xethersole has also sold the Western territory rights to The Writing on the Wall to her brother, Louis Xethersole, who will send out a second company as soon as he arrives from Australia, about February I. * * * The Shuberts have announced that after the conclusion of his present season in The Pied Piper, De Wolf Hopper will abandon the field of comic opera and musical comedy to devote all his efforts to legitimate comedy. The Pied Piper has one more week to run in Xew York, and Mr. Hopper will continue to star in this piece until next summer. Mr. Hopper returns to the field in which he already has made a success, for he began his career as the star and manager of a "legitimate" comedy company and won his first laurels in a "legitimate" comedy role. He has at different times played Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor and David in an all-star production of The Rivals. Ron Roy. Spotlights The Minstrel Maids company closed week before last and a part of the company left for their homes in Seattle. Will Burnham, the clever agent of the company, has signed to do concert work for Impresario Niemann, who has several big attractions ready for the road. The music incidental to the four acts of Prince I lagan, Upton Sinclair's new play to be produced at the Valencia, will be one of the striking features of the production, and is from the fluent pen of Herman Heller, the talented leader of the Valencia orchestra. Wagnerian themes from Siegfried, Das Rheingold and (iotterdamerung have been developed in a most surprising way by the young composer and will be interpreted by an orchestra of twenty picked men. A SCENERY We make Special Designs for Special Scenery. Modern Construction, Diamond Dve Scenery painted right. Write for Prices. Front and Sheridan Sts. Portland, Oregon Wanted When in Southern California write the MMI'IKH THEATKI0, SAX I'IKCo. Good acts and singers wanted at all times. Salary no object. Address H. II. BOSEKY, Manager. NOVELTY MOVING PICTURE CO. Moving Picture Machlnea, Film* and Song Slides, Phonographs and Records. Renting Films Our Specialty. 418 Turk St., San Francisco. Phona Franklin 2313. GOLDSTEIN S CO. COSTU M ERS GoWsteln^Hafr and Wig Store, Make-I'p. Play Books. Established 1876. 819 & 831 Van Ness Ave., San Franolaoo quartet for strings at the opening of the second act is said to be particularly beautiful. A fire that broke out at 12:15 o'clock Wednesday morning in the Baldwin Theatre and office building in Springfield, Mo., completely destroyed that structure and a number of other buildings in the business district and badly damaged the Colonial Hotel. The total loss is estimated at $250,000. The fire was caused by the explosion of gas in the basement of the theatre. There is a starry season ahead for the patrons of the Van Ness Theatre, for the bookings for the near future will bring out E. H. Sothern, Richard Carle. Lillian Russell, Marie Doro. Ethel I'arrymore, John Drew and Maude Adams. WANTED Good Acts and Singers Wanted at all times. C. M. BOCKOVEN. Manager Regal Theatre. Eos Angeles Wanted Central Comedy Company JUVENILE WOMAN, WITH SPECIALTIES PIANO-PLAYER, LADY, WHO CAN FLAY FARTS A GOOD ADVANCE MAN — MUST BE A WORKER Others write, those doing specialties given preference. Address as per Route — Angels Camp, Jan. S, 9, '0; Jamestown. 11; Tuolumne, 12; Soulsbyville, 13; Sonora, 14. Majestic Theatre ....Chico.... The best show town in California, bar none; 15,000 people; Diamond Match Co. headquarters; payroll $250,000 per month; three railroads; magnificent theatre. Booked by Great Western Theatrical Circuit. C. F. Weber & Co. Formerly ol 526 Market St.. San Francisco Opera Chairs School. Church, Hank and Lodge Furniture, Po«t Office Cabinet!, School Supplies. 1151 POW SI., tor. Sutter SAN FRANCISCO 210-212 No. Main Street LOS ANGELES Monroe Salisbury Mrs. Temple's Telegram Leads