San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

DlXKMBKR 23rd, 1899 6 Correspondence and Comments NEW YORK Special Correspondence New York, Dec. 17.— Wheels Within Wheels, a drama by R. C. Carton, was introduced at the Madison Square Theater last week by Daniel Frohman's Company. The wheels all revolved around the familiar hub — the frustration of a silly wife's elopement from her staid husband. The cast includes Hilda Spong, John B. Mason, Grace Elliston, Grant Stewart and Philip Cunningham. No moral was taught. The motives for the best behavior were often bad. But the play upon the whole was a refreshing rehash of the old topics and as the best tastes in New York and London generally agree, Wheels Within Wheels will in all probability repeat in America its Knglish success. The Right of Self, which was produced in German at the Irving Place Theater last week shows Prince von Wrede, the author, to be a promising dramatist. His theme in this, his first drama, was a novel one. It shows a woman who had, before her marriage, been unjustly convicted of a crime. She will not tell her husband. He learns of it from another. Still she will tell him nothing, preferring to attempt suicide, feeling that every person who has been wrongly treated has the right to keep his secret. The play showed some very strong situations. Let all singers take warning from the fate of D. M. Reis, a tenor of the Yerdi trio, who while trying to reach his top C on the roof of the New York Theater, ruptured a bloodvessel in the brain. Singers not only run the risk of killing themselves with too vigorous work, but they are in this city of flat houses in constant danger of driving their neighbors into insane asylums. Max Freeman, the veteran stage manager, is the latest applicant in the Federal Court to be relieved of his obligations. Mr. Freeman did not consider the Federal Court a necessity but he thought that unless he got in quick he would not be popular. A day or two before that, Joseph K.Emmet, (young Fritz Emmet) filed his little petition in bankruptcy, with liabilities at $17,070, and no assets — not even a scarf pin like Thomas Q Seabrooke had. By the way, Seabrooke seems to have been playing in hard luck again. His latest company has just walked back to town. * * Frank Daniels has more of the outward requisites for success than Seabrooke or Jefferson De Angelis. Mr. Daniels is a four-foot man with a six-foot voice, and that incongruity alone is enough to make a comedian of ordinary reputation. But in addition to his physical peculiarities Mr. Daniels has the genuine unctuous humor which we have a right to expect from the opera comedian. His latest vehicle for the display of humor is The Ameer. The opera is not strong in principal singers. Helen Redmond, the soprano, has a splendid figure, dressed as a boy in a manner which could deceive no one, and her voice is pleasing though not so well cultivated as we expect to hear in a first-class light opera organization. The tenor, George Devall, has a small voice which he strains to fill the requirements. Kate Uart is a soubrette contralto. It is evident that Kirke La Shelle did not intend to surround Mr. Daniels with any expensive singers. He believed that with Mr. Daniels, assisted by W. P. Rochester and Will Danforth as singing comedians, the audience would get the full worth of their money. And judging by the attendance thus far at Wallack's, Mr. La Shelle knows his business both as manager and as collaborator with Frederick Ranken in writing the words to Victor Herbert's music. The Ameer ought to succeed well on the road after a good run in this city. * * vSignor Giovanni Tagliapietra, the famous grand opera baritone, was terribly shocked the other day by the reasons which had induced a new pnpil to go to him for lessons. A baritone with an international reputation who has supported the best prima donnas, including Patti, and who now has pupils from all over the country, from Maine to California, naturally feels that when a pupil comes to him he comes because some one has recommended him as a capable and painstaking master. Imagine his surprise then, when, after the new tenor's first lesson, Sig. Tagliapietra asked, as a matter of pleasantry : "Well' how did you happen to come to me ?" ''It was this way," said the new tenor. "I live up in New Rochelle and sing in church there where Francis Wilson lives. I asked him who would be a good singing teacher and he said: 'The nearest one you can find You can't get to him any too soon with that voice of yours.' So I came to you because you were the nearest to Grand Central Station." "My boy," said Tagliapietra, when he had recovered from his astonishment, "you are running a great risk proceeding on that principle." * * # This is the last week of the Kendals' in The Elder Miss Blossom at the Knickerbocker. Their engagement has been artistically and financially a brilliant success. I don't know exactly when Mr. and Mrs. Kendal will reach San Francisco this season, but whenever they do, The Elder Miss Blossom will be a treat. Ignace Jan Paderewski, he of the lion mane, appeared one afternoon in Carnegie Hall last week to an immense audience. If it hadn't been raining, the speculators would have cleared handsome profits, but as it was very wet, they had to dispose of their seats at the last at ruinous rates. Some speculation was indulged in before the concert, as to whether the marriage of the great Polish pianist since he was in America three years ago would have any effect upon his reception. It must be confessed that although Paderewski played with all his former etchnical skill and sympathy, he was not as enthusiastically received as could have been hoped for. But after the concert hundreds of young women in the audience which contained few men, crowded around the stage and compelled the pianist to play another encore. * * * William A. Brady is out of Koster and Bials. The syndicate which owns the house objected to the £1,000 a week salaries he was paying to Jefferies and Sharkey for posing in Around New York in Eighty Minutes. Mr. Brady will take the burlesque on the road soon. Corbett was getting only $250 a week for his nightly performauce, but that was all velvet for him, as the play-house was only around the corner from his prosperous cafe. * * Nat C. Goodwin and Maxine Elliott will follow The Elder Miss Blossom at the Knickerbocker in The Cowboy and The Lady. This is Mrs. Fiske's last week at the Fifth Avenue in Becky Sharp. It is also the last week of John Drew in The Tyranny of Tears at the Empire, which will be followed by My Lady's Lord. * * It is now very evident that Jean de Reszke is slated to appear at the Metropolitan Opera House this season as the press agent who accompanied Edward de Reszke to America has already started a good duel story. Rob Roy. ST. LOUIS Special Correspondence. St. Louis, Dec. 9— The success of the Castle Square Opera Company at the Exposition has startled not only the lyric loving people, but the local theatrical managers. St. Louis is a peculiar showtown and the idea of giving our people "stock" opera for an entire season seemed preposterous to those conversant with the theatrical situation. But I can candidly say that Manager Southwell and the Castle Square Opera Company are fixtures in St. Louis. Their box office receipts have been marvelous. Our old friend, Nat Goodwin and his pretty wife, Maxine Elliott, are renewing old acquaintances at the Olympic theater this week. They are giving us Nathaniel Hale, An American Citizen and their new play The Cowboy and the Lady. The advance sale promises a profitable engagement. Manager Short is giving us Kellar the "hocus pocus " man at the Century. He has many new tricks which are very mystifying. Ryley and Dunne's production of A Milk White Flag is pleasing the patrons of the Grand Opera House, whilst a clever melodrama, On the Stroke of Twelve, elicits much applause from the patrons of Manager Garen at Havlin's theater. Managers Tate and Middleton have an excellent bill at the Columbia headed by Robert Downing, The Rosinos, Francilli and Lewis and other clever vaudevillians. The War of Wealth, Zeno, Carl and Zeno, Armstrong and Cassidy, Dorothy Drew and Stover, the artist, is the theatrical menu "chefed" by Manager Sam Gompertz at Hopkins this week. Manager James Butler of the Standard is serving his clientele with The Gay Masqueraders and this sizzling bunch of beauteous fetnninity are giving us a caloric performance entitled A Day at Hotel Waldorf. Bohemian Girl is being beautifully sung by the Castle Square Company. Maud Lillian Berri is making the hit of her life as Arline. The uuderlinings are Maud Adams at the Olympic, The Rounders at the Century, Camille and vaudeville at Hopkins, The City Sports at the Standard, A Guilty Mothurat Havlin's, and Murray and Mack at the Grand, and A Merry Christmas in San Francisco for the Dramatic Review. CATV Pai.i.kn. DENVER Special Correspondence. Denver, Col. Dec. 12.— The Broadway Theater opened Sunday night, Dec. 10, with The Telephone Girl. This is the first Sunday-night opening of this house during the season, and there were many doubts among the theatrical "prophets" as to whether business would be good enough to justify the venture. Much to the surprise of the said "prophets," however, a splendid audience filled the theater and the musical comedy, full of witty dialogue, catchy music, pretty girls handsomely costumed and clever actors, made a decided hit even with our local critics who are considered by many of the profession as being decidedlysevere. Will Sloan played one of those Germans whom you never meet, in a way that almost convulsed the audience. He was what the gushing matinee girl would call a "gorgeous hit," if you know what that means. Miss Jessie Merrilles is not only beautiful, but a most accomplished actress. Every part in the play is well played. Business is big and will undoubtedly continue so for the remainder of the week. The Christian follows Monday night, Dec. t8, for five performances only, and I predict an enormous business. Mile. Fifi opened the Tabor Sunday night, the 10th, to "breathing room only," and pleased ninety-nine out of every hundred present; and the odd one was shocked and said it was dreadfully immoral, and couldn't understand why Manager McCourt would book such an indecent play. The other ninety-nine all say to their friends, "It's great, don't missit." The result is a packed house at every performance. Personally, I am opposed to immorality on the stage, but even that is preferable when handled byartists, than some of the "good" plays that have been assassinated here by would-be Thespians. Maude Granger deserves great praise for her clever work, and never loses an opportunity to score. Edward Abeles is a decidedly good light comedian, and has won many admirers already. A change was made in the cast Monday night, when Miss Leon Harrold, a clever amateur of this city, assumed the part of the maid and gave a most creditable performance. She will leave the city with the company. The balance of the company all deserve mention, especially Miss Lottie Mortimer who played