, 1879-05-25
NEW YORK.
THE FIFTH AVENUE THEArRE.


Just Ike those ancestors Of theirs who destroyed
fhe eoiden~eeg. laying goose For the second time
since they built the Fifth Avenue Theatre, they
have made an exceedingly fooliAh move with regard
to Its rental. Augusrin DAILY, TO- whose untiriug
energy ia due whatever reputation the house may
posaess, and who had paid the Gilseys more money
in the shape Of rent than theT likely ever to
zee again from the same building, WAS allowed ia
60 bis way Immediately he stopped putting up the
money. His successor was Stephen Fiske, yho
proceeded to '.eet into" the Gilsey estate In the
most approved fashion. Fiske remained in pos
session until the beginning Of tho season which has
just closed, when he took to his bosom partner,
In the person OF Dan Harkins. Later, 'owiug to
circumstances over which he had no control, -
Fiske withdrew from the house, with great ab-
ruptness. Then Harkins took the reins Of govern
ment unto himself and in the face Of tho mos: ad-
verse fortune possible to imagine, has kept the
theatre open and its reputation high.
The other day, backed by one OF tho so11dest
men II New York, he offered the Giseys $22, 600
year for the Fifth Avenue Theatre, for q term Of
three Jears. His hacker. who. by the way. is q
prominent politician, volunteered to secure the
payment OF the rent with United States bonds, II
required and 1t WAS scarcely to be believed that
the owners would reject such an opportunity. But
they did. For just then
MAX sTRAKosCH AND MAURICE .oRAU
came smilinely to the front with an offer OF s 600
for the theatre for one year. The Gilseys jumped
at It as 4 hungry man jumps at delicious beef
steak And they were pretty badly aold, too I'll
tell you why.
The slate which the new lessees have made pp
for next season contains four attractions Upou
these four rest the hopes OF the managers. First,
there Ia Nelson. who ia to open in the autumn for
= stay Of several weeks. She will receive, - her
share OF the receipts. go per cent OF the gross
There Ia NO money in that engagement at those
terms, for out OF The remaining 40 per cent the
firm must pay their exceedingly heavy expenses
Miss Nelson will play but four nights week.
am given to understand but. for all that the ex-
penses Of the theatre will 60 right along.
After that comes salyini. another star who phys
but four times in overy week. There never was
any profit to be nada ont o I this actor In New
York. American audiences have, beyond all ques-
tiou, seen enough Of stars who play IN foreign
tongues They all admit that Salyini is q great
actor, but they won't put up their money for the
privilege OF observing his greatness in Italian.
There wasn't any money in him before, aud there
won't be any In him now. an told that be Ia to
get SIS per cent OF the groas receipts his share.
When bis season Closes capoul will be intro
duced in opera bouffe. He gets Il. 500 week,
and has the privilege Of Withdrawing If ha chooses
to pay over certain sum Of money. This is
TIE WORST SPECULATION OF ALL.
Playing Capoul In opera bouffe Is about u silly
scheme as it would be to put Edwin Booth into
George L. Fox'H version OF *HAnlat." Tho
great tenor has made all his reputation by the in
tensity Of his acting and singing in grand opera,
and when you come to put him into grade Of mu-
sic where intensity is OF no ose, where does rho
charm come ins There will be aome curiosity to
see him At trst, but that will soon wear of, and
there can be no profit in the engagement after-
wards.
Still later the new management proposes to put
On an italian opera company Of which Ltta is TO
be the feature. Cary is also engaged, and there is
= new soprano from the other side who is to join
the combination. forget her name, but know
can sing. bul there is no - dtaugbt' to her. For
references uefersntially point to Di Murska.
Lucca. and one or two Others They have unde-
niabls strenGth ~ artists bnt they do not draw |
the people, either because they are too old or too
ng1y Ag;, n,rt, st,a.o,cn and Gran ,n,,na tn mt IN
after Aapleson shall hare given us his magnificent
i don't think need expatiate upon their
chances Of success. The musical people OF Amer !
companies which would be called rdiculously weak
- across the water" But Aapleson Rava them |
|afnt Whit OF the genuine weed, anT don't be- |
icve they'll have cabbage afterward. |
But to get back to the Gilseys. They have let |
heir theatre for year ~ An unsecured rental Of
s2, 600 above the secured rats which they might ]
nave had for three years. And beyond the possi- |
,ility that the new lessees are not men who are
n the habit of losing money very long without !
change OF base there is jnst possibility that the
1ouse may close suddenly, they risk the utter |
'masn-up OF the Fifth Avenues character through |
TOO frequent change Of leesees. By and by peo~
,le will begin TO look npon the place as they now
10 upon Booth's-which
Is CALLED ssNAp 1uRArRE."
1aly originally gave the house reputation as
lrst-c class stock theatre 1t ruined him. to he !
uze but the Gilseys could better afford to pay him
big salary to run the house for then. than to let
i'm ~ a
reasons rent by his successor. Harkins kept
he house up rs 4 fIrst-class theatre, and the
Wiling to keep at it until be made 20 Of It or
vas eternally smashed himself. And think 1T
would serve the proprietors jolly we'll right for
o first Kill the house with s'snap" engagements.
md then close M the middle Of the season with
3ut paying any more rent
Dion Boucicau1t'F new yacht, tho ShauEhraun, |
vas launched 1t NeWbnrg Tuesday noon in tho
presence OF about 3, 900 snectators. The Sylvan
,ore q number Of Dion's friends from here, and
hey had high old time Of it during the trip.
among the party were Fred May: the chap who
lay. When the ShaughEaun Slipped, from the
Enya Miss May cracked quart bottle Of Irish
his yacht shaughraun.'' Fhe vesse1 slid grace
ully into the water. and shot outward from the
about 5p 5qS fss gnon Shs sss st stres sd
verybody, Was very cnthusfastic about her.
ftcr destroying q quantity OF Extru Dry, the |
3pnchiug party returned to New York. The en- |
ines sof the Shaughraun have yet to be put In, |
nd her furniture, which is ordered from England, |
expected to arrive here shortly. When COM |
ieted. the vessel will cost S150, 600. and the ex
ense Of running her will be about S., 000 month. !
q you see Doueey has got hold Of
RATHER An EXPENSIVE PLAITuMG.
he trial trip is to be made about. July /. when |
le great dramatist will take brief cruise with
And snea}dng Of Boucicault reminds me to say
lat bis lesseeship OF Booths for next season il !
ow an assured fact The arrangements OF Strak-
sch in regard TO the Fifth Avenue Theatre will
Ike away from Dions house the opera party, but I
scarcely think that fact is likely to weaken his |
,ason to IN appreciable extent John McCul-' ]
ugh will in all probability play brief starring
At Booths, bnt With the exception Of !
,st and one Two other special attractions, Bou-
calflt proposes to run stock theatre on big |
:alo. lie has already prepared Two new Irish |
ays, and will probably finish third during the
tm1ner, He IS nov selecting the people
! will require as chief members, Of his
.9anfzation. Marie Prescott the juvenile lady Of
e California Theatre, has been engaged, and |
.fteys- Lewis is also expected to come on. Bonci-
ut himself will p1ay the principal characters in
q new pieces. Should the dramas prove remark
,lF successful they will probably be kept on the
,arGs straight through the season. Otherwise :
,n1e Of the plays already made famous BY Kouci-
ult viii Be revived. There IL good deal OF |
ouey in the scheme as it now stands, think.
IS Aarrah ma pogne.' al described in my dis
Itch to TUESDAYS TRIBUNE opened Monday night |
the Grand Opera House to IN audience which