National Republican., 1881-09-17
STAGE DOINGS.
NEWS FROM THE DRAMATIC WORLD.
To-Day and Next Week in washiugton-The Re.
vlVal OF Old Comedy-New Plays and
Operas-Some OF the Managers OF
American Theatres.


The revival OF old comedy by Joe jefferson and
Mrs John Drew at the Union Square, New York,
has been rewarded by tremendous houses, COM
posed Of cultivated play.goers, who lave become
disguised with variety business and specially y
plays.
"Lo Voyage en- Suisse" with which the Hanlon-
Lees opened at the Park in New York last Monday,
is said TO be nothing moro nor less than the genu
inc old. fashioned pantonime, supcrbly donc re.
calling the palmy days o; the Ravels and George
l.. Fox.
quits" Ausustin Days new adaptation, has
not met with instant success. II is said to be very
broad and indelicntc. ora kind that savors
more # hc afler. dinner narratives among party
Of gentlemen than of elegant comedy" says the
Dramatic Nt,cs and adds "it is not even good Of
It's kind" At the end Of the second oct Mf. Le-
moync and Laura Joyce dance the can.can "in q
manner worthy of The variety theatre"
Mr.. and Mrs. George s. Knight drew large houses
to the Grand Opera. House in New York last week.
They presented their new play Baron Rudolph"
and scored n success
The Kira!fys open at the Academy in Phadel-
rhia Monday, with the great spectacular piece,
Michael StNgou."
"a Child Of the statc.' presented by the Hocy &
| Hnrdic Combination. drew remarkably well at the
Windsor in New York last week.
Mr. aud Mrs. Mckee Rankin open at the Stand.
ard In New York next Monday IN their new yer-
sion OF "DNok- Eyed Susan" called william
| and Susan"
The Mascot" competition continues with nm.
| abatcd ZEAL and both the Bjou Opera. House and
the Fifth Avenue Theatre are prohtlng by It. This
opera has taken such hold upon the New York
public that i seems that nothing could shake II.
| II will find disputed field next week, however
as the Wilbur Company gives place to MADAME
Favar" on Monday night. Mt the Fifth Avenue
and the London success, Patience" Is to be pro-
duCed at the Standard, on next Thursday night
| Dramatic Neirs
on the 1st of October lies Clockes dc Corne.
Vile" will be produced at the Metropolitan Con.
cert Hall, New York. and from that date this place
of amusement will be devoted to light opera.
The new opera, Claude Duvall." alleged TO be
| comic by Stephens and Solomon, the authors OF
Dillee Taylor" was produced in London the lat
ter part OF August, and is pronounced failure. A
| London correspondent says: "lf anything can
save IT, II will be the bright and lively Qf rather
commonplace music which is a great advance
| upon Billce Taylor not only in the way of mel
| ody, but In the young composers more complete
| mastery of orchestral capabilities. There Is
| scUrccly laugh In the piece from beginning 20
end, and the poverty of the dialogue is acutey felt
when II is compared with the brilliant fancy and
cpigramma,ic .martness of Giberts really humor.
GUS librettOs." Perhaps the explanation lies In
the fact that in Billee Taylor" the authors copied
everything that had proven popular in Plnafore,'
while In Claude Duyal " they had no model to
work upon-no pronounced success to initiate and
| steal from.
Colonel John A. McCaull, the proprietor and
manager ofthe B!jou Opera. House in New York,
has quite history. lie is of Scotch birth, coming
TO this country when II child and settling in Vir-
| gini6. At the breaking out of the rebellion he
was living ut Salem, and although he was only
fifteen years old, he enlisted in the confederate
| army. Before the war closed he held high rank
in the artillery, which he won by his gallantry
and dash. When hOstilities ceased he went into
the newspaper business aud subsequently prac.
ticed law, becoming General (now Senator) Ma
homes legal adviser in all his great railway opera
tions. He was twice elected to the Virginia legis
lature, where he made his mark as a parliament
tartan, skilful debater, and hard worker. Two or
three years ago he went TO Baltimore to practice
law. Here he was retained by fohn T. Ford to
manage the legal side Of that gentlemans the
atrical business. About eighteen months ago he
avaed himself OF his opportunity, and with Mr..
G. L. Ford took the Bljou. few months later he
bought ou, his partner and has since then been
sole proprietor and manager OF the house. His
management is characterized by dash and shrewd.
ness, and he has established the Bijou as the New
York home of light opera.
1t is singular TO note that some of the most sue
cessful theatrical managers dropped into the busi-
ness by accident. Mr.. A. NJ Palmer of the Union
Square, Is another instance He had formerly held
the position Of librarian of the New York Mercan-
lie Library. His health failing, he resigned, in
tending to go to Europe. lie had made all his ar
rangcmens; had purchased his ticket &C., when,
in some way not clearly explained he was per.
suaded TO take temporary charge of the Union
Square, As O result he was successful from the
beginning, made q neat fortune established the
reputation Of his house as par excellence the
home Of the legitimate drama in that city, and his
trip TO Europe was postponed for more than ten
years,
Mr.. Morley, proprietor and manager of the Chest.
| nut, in Philadelphia, is q merchant tailor.
ON the other hand John stetson began as the
manager of varieties theatre IN Boston. He is
very literate and furnishes great fun to the pro-
iession by an occasional display Of his ignorance
try, and II is related that being in quandry as 10
| the proper handle to the great tragedian's name
| he slapped him aiiably on the shoulder and asked
II say, old fellow shall bill you as Mon or
Colonel Jack Hayerly started in life with one
horse company Of barn -storming "ham- fat
| tiers "-mnstrclS
Lester Waliack was born to the business, and in
herited his fathers theatre.
| Augustn DAILY was newspaper man.
| Shed Shook, Palmer's partner, was q wholesale
| commission merchant and retail politician OF
| Republican proclyities.
binder, as was also his brother Dan, now with the
Minnie Palmer. Graham combination. During
the war Dan rose to the rank of brigadier- general
| and after the war was for many years mayor oil
Indianapolis, lie is one of Gods noblemen-his
weak point is that he is too. good hearted, and
parts with his money too easily. This theatrical
taste is catching, and runs in families" Jack, a
| younger brother of Dan and Barney, manages the
| Opera House in Louisville.
| viii English, Il son of the late Democratic can.
didate for Vice. President and himself at one time
| a member Of the indianapolis Legislature, man
ages Englsh's Opera House in Indianapolis.
| Jesse Williams, the musical director and stage
manager Of the Bijou Opera House. has also a HIS
tory. He is Of English birth, and at the age of ten
made his debut as chorister q part by the way
unions and things Of that SORT in London thea
| tire. When he came TO this country few years
| ago he was poor and unknown The first engage
nient that offered leader ofthe orchestra in
| Foxs Varieties IN Philadelphia. He didn't like
| II, but he had family TO support aud he went al
| II like n man. lie soon gave the orchestra such
training that gained reputation as the best by all
odds In that city, and people went TO the house ia
hear the music who would never otherwise have
entered its doors. His reputation grew, and he
] was subsequently engaged as leader and stage
| manager for The Alice Oates Opera Company. This
was before the organization fell into disrepute IN
its best days and II Is said that then owed its ex-
cellence TO Mr. Williams skill aud energy. Last sea-
son he was engaged as leader Of the orchestra foI
| Comfy & BattOn's Comedy Company, of which
| combination his wife CknoWn on the Stage as Miss
Hetty Tracy was leading lady. When the merits
It, John Duff engaged the Park and Comfy & Bar
ton the Biou at which 10 produce II. Dulfspent
and il was failure. Mr., Williams brought it ou
in ten days aud II scored tremendous success
Afler time II was transferred from the BiJou tC
the Fith Avenue, where II ran for weeks u
crowded houses This Is the opera which MOlen
hauer, the thick headed leader Of the Orchestr,
at Days, advised Mr. DAILY not to produce, sayinl
that It was good for nothing and would not take
DAILY ought 10 double his salary and then find hin
an engagement Us piano FOUNDER in u beer. gar
den Molenhauer once wrote an ALLEGED
comic opera himself and it enjoyed a sue
cessful rrn for Que consecutive night. o
course his Judgment very valuable. This season
found Mr.. Williams in demand, his reputation a
a director and manager making II desirable TO sc
cure him. Weiherell wanted him Tor the Abbot
Company; Hess wanted him for his company Col