The Sunday herald., 1881-03-06
COULISSE CHAT.


Cavala2zi, the danseuse of the Mapleson
Opera Company, and wife Of Charles Maploson, telsa
Chicago writer that Tagllon Is stlll living In Lon
don, quiet little. gray-hared old woman, who
Fanny Elslcr Is somewhere In Austria, the wife OF
the Emperor's nephew; that Cerlto, Grain, AID
Eeole are de1d and that though Il may be true that
pie, "great artists are from higher families"
Henry Irving has succeeded In becoming
in London the pattern OF the young and the Idol
OF the young women. At the universities the cultus
OF the long haired tragedan has succeeded the rage
for medieval ritual The class that used to he Pusey
ties Irvngltos. Instead Of oratoros and mssals,
incense and oxford frames, the boys ad0ri their rooms
with scenes and characters illustrative OF the IA
Voriies most tctent success Tho youth of to-day
affects loug hair tucked behlud the ears, cult,vates
eyesbrows and wear n pince.nss with ancctlotate
regularity. The actors are borrowing the actor E
pecuarties. They walk like him. stride like him,
and talk like him. The Irving manner will soon lie
as pronounced on the stage as the Macrcady groan.
Arthur Sullivan has resigned his position
at the Kensngton Training Scnool OF Music. He has
fessional engagements VIII not permit him 10 perform
his school duties satisfactorily. lie can well afford to
give up his more aborious work as he must he making
money very fast More than 200 900 copies OF 'Pina-
fore ~ have been sold. The sale Of the "piratcs Of
Pcn,anco ~ has already reached AZ, 600. and Mr.
sullivan Is well advanced with the music Of the nist
present English folly Of exaggerated estheticsm. It
is said that the subject has nhtou Mr. Gbetts sar-
musical satire will outdo Its predecessors In
popularity.
The Books of Billee Taylor" the new
nautical absurdity have reached this city and prove
that the light meodiors trhe does hot or. on "" side
shown on the eve Of his marriage with pretty charity
girl. when he Is suddenly carried on 10y press gang,
mot newspaper men, but the old fashioned instru-
ment for recruiting In the British navy.) This is
through the mnchination Of the daughter Of the town
magistrate who loves him, the schoolmaser and the
a se prey Mh bos oss e ,s nfe o
the ship with a the u'atity gtl5 Of the parish dis
gu'sed as sailors, In pursuit of the icke hero who
has become n lieutenant and engaged himself to the
lady Of high degree. After some lively episodes IN
which the volunteer movement In England is sat
irzed, Bilee's peridy and cownrdicc are exposed e
only asks to be regarded as Il "virtuous coward ~
and Phoebe wcds the captain. odd costumes Of the
beginning OF hecentuty seem to MI out the attractive
ness OF the piece
II is evident that Edwin Booth has at last
been accorded In London rank second to that OF no
living English. speaking actor. The New York Her.
airs despatch last Sunday said: '' Booth has
achieved another marked success in King Lear. '
The critics. who at first were cold and severe are now
almost unsparng In their praise Great curiosity is
aroused as to his acting In every new character in
which he apIeais, The pau Mail Gazette last night
said: No English speaking actor is master OF a
method fine as that of Booth This fact was never
shown more clearly and ndspntably than in the later
touching. ny admirably subtle traits the influence Of
old associations upon the brain Indicated The
ight oil thought and observation was fully revealed
by means Of faculties too weak to transmit CON
secutive MESSAGE and Wild and ntoe fancics
terrupteu the records of past experience In pahos
the scene was narrowing. From this point the art
OF the actor triumphed over all obstacles. In the
delivery OF tho lines commencing Praydo not mock
me, the cnl,ninntng point of the performance was
reached, AMI the audience fairly carried away by
enthusiasm The Saturday Repis,o says; 'Booth's
King Lear thus far surpasscsnny performance he has
given to- London audience Itistrnc there single
quality displayed In 1t of the possession Of which he
has not before given evidence, hut no former oc-
casion has so much been demanded of him at once
on no former occasion has his genius been unnag
Cling. The word genius is one against the toe
bounteous use of which have often protested.
There are few words which lose their value more by
being scattered broadcast. II we had hestated to
apply 1t to Booths acting before he appeared as
OtheHo and King Leor should have
hesiacd no longer after he Ind done So his reu
dering of both characters there apparent that
native sense OF grandeur and poetry which not even
the highest talent can achieve, but combination oi
which with all that the highest talent can acquire In
the direction OF art and artce may certainly lie said
| TO deserve the name Of genius Mr.. Booth will
| leave the Princess Theatre about the middle OF
March. ns every one who has witnessed his dficuies
there Will he glad to learn. With bad manager and
viainous support and an out of the way theatre Mr..
Booth has struggled against every element that could
| assist failure. All his Is his own. lie will
probably play hng Lear to the end of the season and
VIII then take rest. lie viii aterward play some
better theatre under better manager and with bet
ter support. Mr.. Jennings also writes from London
| to the lI0rld as follows: edwin Booth perfor-
| nance IN King Lear crowns his success In Eng
land His reputation Is now greater than Irving IN
when such warm praise has been unanimously be.
| slowed by the critics. Last night the house wa,
densely crowded, and the enthusiasm very great
irving will certainly have to look carefully to hi
laurels. Booths achievement istle remark kab,
| because the company supporting him is the creates
| collection of sticks in town.