New-York tribune., 1880-02-15
GREENROOM GOSSIP.

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN HARD AT WORK.
RFUEApsAIs AT THE FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE AND
THE BROADwAY OPERA UOUsE-INTEREsIlNG
INcrppSTs-TBE COMPANIES THAT ARE TO GO
ABOUT THE CoUNTRY-A TALK WITH MR.. SUI
LIvAN.
The arrangements that are in progress under 'i,o
direction of Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan Ior senu
ing out new companies to play lhe flra'e' u
PepZanceD in various parts OF the country Ao'p
up an activity on the stage OF the run hFoh"0
Theatre during the day hardly less IN degree Una"
that seen at night, although different III o""'
acter. Both there and at the broadway op'i"
IJouse which has been obtained for purposes OF re-
boorsol two and three companies are drilled daily,
Mr. Gilbert and Mr.. Sullivan taking them i'll '.'ir
for instruction in the stage business and the musici
score The scene the stage at such ti'IV
would be a novel sight to those who had only Dcnoiu
the Pirates in costume. A stage full OF youhe iiS"
and women in street Dress uiterng the now Ia
milar nonsense of the text. singing the eI"sNe
melodies rushing to the foot-hghts in trios ana
ouartets. and taking an imaginary audience '"'o
their confidence presents kind of absurdy diverse
from that offered to the general public at the regi-
lar performances but hardly less amusing. MI
Gilbert standing in the centre directs the choruS
here and there and impores the speakers to rcieih
Der that he is responsible for the words OF inc pay
and TO do him the justice OF occasionally niaNinS
his points tell. The rarity of the combination III
the same performer of the ability to sing ana 'he
ability TO act makes good deal of training neces-
sary TO produce satisfactory result.
A TRInrSE reporter recently called Mt the theatre
IN oct some information about the travelling COM
panies. for whose appearance the puDhc ou'
side of New-YOrk is impatently wal'ine'
Mr. Gilbert was striving to make the f"""
hat I
King to say he had " known what "
was IN he an Orphan" often" IN the
proper wav. MIR. Sullivan, at the Broadway Opera
House. had reached the same point, and passed to
the mournful melody cOmmiserating ian orphah
bow The rehearsal over, there were conferences
with performers who wanted better parts, WIN
singers who wanted songs transposed, WIN y Oyly
Carte about the thousand and one detalls Oh ilan,
agement, with candidates who tired thclr Voices pr
and got their parts to learn and finally Win lHE
TRIBUNE reporter who had his questions to ask.
81 see The TRIBUNE calls on us 20 get our oO,n, OH,
panies ont quickly" said Mr. Sullivan, ana you
can see how hard we are working To do ~. III IL
like this every day from 10 IN the morning 10 ~ = ~
the afternoon. We began 10 form the new compa-
nies about week after opened, or so soon az we
saw how things were going, ana nave Deen ~ u
ever since. We opened with one COMPANY Iast Sloh-
day in Philadelphia; on Saturday, February II, we
omen III Buffalo with a company that VIII
90 West from that point; and on MOD
day. the 10Th, we open with still another company
i'm Newark, This last company we call the Sklr-
mishers, TO have "A name, and because they VIII go
from placc TO place III New-Jersey, Pennsylvania.
and further South. where they may he wanted. We
mean TO give the performance III great may small
places where we shall not make ANYTHING, rather
than have imperfect versions gwen by the
pirates-the real pirates. We shalt take the New
York company to brooklyn for week, toward the
last OF this month"
. DO you hear anything further about piracy of
your piece y ;. VI.
have again lately got the very best legal advice.
and are sure oil protection. III there had been any
move we should have heard of u from our agents,
whom we have everywhere. We rely somewhat
mon the good feeling of the people, WHO Know lhat
QUO of PInafore we did not get a ha'penny, and
will not consent TO have us imposed upon III the
case of the Pirates"
" VIII YOUR travelling compane:s. give the piece
as 1t has been gwen in New-l York =
Precisely the same All the costumes and prop
critics will he exact duplicates OF those IN use here
and in no respect will there he any nferorlty IN the
details Of the performances"
What kind of material do you find for your COM
panlesp 80
"how is 1t as compared with what you have in
EngandP
. In many respects quite as 4good'
"In voice I In culuvatIOnW
d" In voice, yes; but not IN cultivation. l find
very great lack OF what m music Is called
accent. Very few OF the singers know accent. They
do not seem To know where bar or pl rase be-
gins or ends. With so many to select from, we get
good voices; and ! suppose We do not find them 80
we'll cultivated as those we have at home,
because III the first place, you have not
30 many c0nseryatOries of music M we,
nor so many choral societies. Why, In England,
every town, every village, even, has ~ choral
society that gives The Messiah at Christmas
time and the result Of that is the production ot
large number of well-dIied singers. am not
sure but the deficiency here III what call accent
may he partly due To the fact that You are not so
largely military nation accustOncd constantly To
hear strongly accentuated music
"DO YOU find II difficult 10 get actors that can
sing. or singers that can actp
"Yes. When an actor can sing he is apt To go into
opera opera boulie aud we get large number oi
amateurs. But get very intelligent ones. There
many young persons who see III the present
opportunity good opening for them 10 20 on the
stage. They know that they VIII receive the most
conscientious training from Mr.. Gilbert and myself
We find them very quick TO learn and willing To
work. They are very obligng. too; those who
were i'm the original company frequently come IN
when We are drilling new performers. and show
them bow to doit. Ii Is very pleasant, ana very
good of them.
" suppose the wide extent to which Pinafore
was produced here has prepared good deal oi ma
teriq of which you can now avail yourselves y
" Unquestionably We find a great many who
have had parts liz Pinaiore. and we know then
something of what they can do"
When are you going tO give MS some OF the songs
from the Pirates to sing at home T.
" That Is what would like to know. We are IN |
very embarrassing position with regard 10 that. |
Musc-dcalcrs all over the country are receiving |
calls for the music and ere asking Us fori:. But II
we publish IT, we have no further control over our
opera. 1t is rather amusing. You are all wanting |
music, and we anxious to give IT To you, but
cannot do so and be projected. hope sometime to |
see a sensible copyright law IN America"
DOyly Carte, the manager for Gilbert and Sulli- |
van, gave the casts tor leading parts in the COM
panles as follows: Ia the Philadelphia company. |
Miss Sall;c Reber, Miss Brandram Mr.. MacCrery Mr.
Seymour, Lewis Fink, FurneauX Cook lwhO is also |
stage manager and Stuart Harold play respec-
lively MaJc Ruth Froderick Go,eral Sidnloy Pirate
King, Police Sergeant and Samuel. In the . Sklr- |
msners " the Mdbel will be Miss Minnir Walsh, |
who took the part IN Ncw-York one days notice.
aud has recently relieved Miss Reber in Philadei
phia. Madame Moth is Ruth. Miss Conrau Is the
Mabel for the Western company.
"REMINISCENCES OF a COIFFEUR.
CURIOUS STORIES OF TIE PECULIARITiEs OF IA
NOUS OPERA sINGERs-How GRIsI, LAGRANGE
MARIO AND OTHERS ACTED BEHIND THE SCENES |