The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-07-25
The Jersey Lily.
WHAT MANAGER ABBEY SAYS OF MRS. LANGTRY
AND HER AMERICAN TOUR.

WHAT MANAGER ABBEY SAYS OF MIS-. LANtIRI
AND HER AMERICAN TOUR.
Especial dispatch to the Philadelphia Times.J
New YORK, July 23.-One Of the first
questions asked of Henry f. Abbey, the
theatrical manager, who returned from
England to-day, was what his opinion OF
Mrs. Langtry was? Notwithstanding the
fact that he has engaged her to act here, he
gave frank answer. .'She is not great
actress" he said, "and could not stand
criticism as such; but she is perfectly at
ease on the stage, notably ladylike, and SO
unassuming that she gets the goodwill OF
an audience right away; at least that has
been the case in England, and she has
drawn tremendously during her provincial
tour in that country. She will sail for New
York September 30th, and probably open
October Odd, but at what theatre has not
been decided. After her season in this city
she will make round Of the large cities,
PLAYING In She Stops to Conquer 'The
Unequal Match 'Rosalind,' and 'The
Honeymoon The supporting company
will come over with her. l should have
preferred an American organization, but
aside from the difficulty OF getting one to-
gether at this late day, it will be better for
Mrs. Langtry 20 be surrounded by actors
with whom she is familiar. She is little
more than an amateur, you know, and must
be given every possible help in the ordeal
of facing strange people.
GAS beauty, do not think she will
disappoint reasonable expectation, though
some of her charms are OF no practical
value on the stage. Her wonderfully clear
complexion, for instance, has to be painted
over, and her beautiful hair might as well
be wig. Ii she is greatly admired by
American audiences 1t will not be because
she is the most beautiful woman ever seen
on our stage, for she is not, but because
she is both beautiful and winsome. She
all the while has a manner Of wishing you
to like her, and OF doing her best to please.
think she is the most unaliectedly LADY,
like woman | ever saw, on or oil the stage.
CHER husband will not accompany her.
Her travelling companion will be lady
distinguished in London polite society, but
| am not at liberty 10 divulge her name
possibly Mrs. Labouchere, wife Of the edi-
tor of the London Truth. My lips are
sealed positively. Kate Payson, the iuve-
nile actress of the company, is proteqe OF
Emily Faithful, who will make the tour
with her"
"What about NlssOn?" was asked.
"She sails October 14th, and is to sing
fifty times through the country in concerts
and oratorios. The company is not COM
pleted. A young Swedish nobleman, who
has sung with Nilsson in Paris, will proba-
bly, be the tenor and Del Puente the bari
tone, and the Boston Quintettc Club will
be the instrumentalists. Nelson's voice Is
not as girlish as it was ten years ago, OF
course, but rounder and fuller. | heard
her in London. She appeared in deep
mourning on account of the recent death
of her husband, and will do the same here.
The black was exceedingly becoming along
with her light hair and delicate face"
"And Irvingf"
"He doesn't come until the fall OF 1888.
He has given up his contemplated pleasure
trip to New York this summer. | have
taken the Lyceum Theatre, London, to
manage while he is here and during his
subsequent tour in the English provinces.
My plan is to introduce American stars
and companies TO London. That is about
the riskiest of my proposed ventures.
Don't you think sop ?"