The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-25
SIX WEEKS "ON THE ROAD"
hrs. Ida Hood Talbott's Experiences with
the Jules Levy Concert Company.


had hardly begun it's ravages in the West. First
there WAS the Tall Soprano who was thought to
sing. She herself had doubts upon the subject
at times think. Then came the basso, who
really could sing, the pianist, myself in my
sketches, the sopranos maid, the agent and last
the great cornetist. Jules Levy, born Isaac Levy
London cockney.
II knew that was among foreigners when we
first sat down at table together by the way they
ate though they spoke not Foreigners, as a rule,
make q great noise when they eat, and it
is astonishing what direful sounds attend
the swallowing of soup land they
The soprano was Stella Costa a tall girl, fair
and slender, head and shoulders above Levy,
whom we soon saw was in love with her. His
demonstrations were not only marked, but pecu-
har- He would rush at her in the presence Of
members of the company, when she would be
seated on chair or sofa, and, Selling one OF her
feet would raise it 10 his lips and kiss it raptur
ously, crying, My queen, my precious! Oh.
this is divine kiss, kiss, kiss, Oh, my God, my
queenr
''Mr Levy my-godded the goddess on all occa-
sions when he was not by-godding the agent or
che company But soon found that everybody
IN the company my -godded, though not with the
rapture Of love as Mr.. Levy did, and with some
of the members this was varied with 'Ach Gott'
''In truth, Mr. Levy had no difficulty in find
one of the poor girls feet whenever he felt in an
osculatory mood, for she dressed them in light
A,olored shoes, and they were about as big as
klillows
II called our journey the Tower of Babel
The pianist spoke eleven languages, the basso
four, the soprano two smoke only one. Mr.
Levy would only speak English, and that very
badly. The soprano was to be the great card
next to the great Levy. She had three or four
high notes, and he expected great things of her.
He would stand at the wings when she was on
the stage, and at times wiring his hands and
howl and impreeate, My God, she has fatted,
or, My, God, she has sharped,' and when tears
would come into her round fawn-llke eyes ne
would relent and cry: oh, my queen, my dar-
ling. my precious3
'"The basso, Mr.. O'Mahoney, was Spanish
Irishman, born at Cork his mother being a
SPANISH woman He was educated in Milan,
and was refined and eentlernarly artist and SO
devoted TO his voice that he would not give a
baritone note for all the wealth of Asia. He was
above it. or rather far below it, for he spoke as II
his boots were implicated in the vocal effort. He
ence to me whether these people 1.-THE audience)
appreciate me or not, I win not sing anything
Unworthy of my voice. l care nothing for the
!. papers ,.4,
have great contempt for the newspapers if they
speak i'll of us. But-wlen they sneak well Of rs
- why, then we 60 and buy as many as Ave or
@slA copies. My basso will show up finely In my
lecture / said he was dignifed and very much
of gentleman He had been the basso of Carl
Rosa's ODera Company
MIR Sternberg, the pianist, was a Russian
He said he was Russian nobleman He did not
seem to set any great store by this nor to force
the information upon anyone. He spoke eleven
languages. and was gentleman in every one of
them He was educated in Germany. and for
years had been court pianist at Berlin, believe.
lie had no hesitancy in declaring that he was
fond of American ladies, and not fond Of Ameri-
can men. In Russia, said he, where ladies aud
gentlemen are together, the conversation is easy
and pleasant and where gentlemen are alone it
is celdly polite and dignified In America
the extreme politeness chills the enjoyment
of the occasion when composed of ladies and
gentlemen, but where the men are alone the
lack Of pUliteness allows the occasion to degen-
crate into one in which smutty anecdote and
boisterous laughter take the place of decency
liarity was his long ulster, the tail of which he
managed like train. He was exceedingly clever
in imitation though nobody, believe, could ever
successfully initiate him. He claimed to be pos
sessed of an ihvention--it was in his head-for
o. remarkable stage illusion, a mechanical nov
city which would bring him fortune.
'Then there was the agent who was always
representing us as such deucedly clever people,
and who was as foreible in facial expression as
those dreadful figures that stand in front of
clothing stores. He was like the boy at Blim-
ber's school, if You cut him you might expect
him to bleed white. He would tell us Of the
company he was with last year. He had made
them. Alone he did it. This year they were
coming money. All off his work. But next
year-next year-he will have a snap that will
be the most taking thing on the road.
II must not forget the Tall Sopranos waiting
maid, She, was an honest. patient Irish
girl We called her St Cecilia. do
not think the Saint could have carried
the boxes and bags that her Irish namesake did.
Now and then when slurred, or snubbed, or
laden beyond endurance, she would for mo-
ment forget and say an angry word or two.
Then she would cross herself and with Heaven
forgive me- return to her placid, patient self
sgain.
1.-The Tall Sopranos mother and father, while
not members of the company, were with us for
while. They are French, Monsieur and Madame
Corbette. The madame keeps little French
hotel way down on the Bowery, and she is in
innate with Aimee, Thee, and all the opera
bouffers and ballet people, all of whom patron
lie her place. She is nice old lady. Mon
sieur Corbette is an idle man whose
wife keeps q hotel-he's Betty. He, too,
&c OH LhNeutor DtoOulHR 8FoF d WONDERFUL lQcu-
bator, one thai will hatch more eggs than any
ether patent hen ever discovered. He sees a
great fortune in the near future, and 1T is so
near that he is approaching it very leisurely and
without the sacrifice of any of his gentlemanv
ease. Madame and Monsieur came to Hartford
Conn, where the concert company was and put
mp at the same hotel They had made the dis
Covery that Levy was in love with their daughter
and had come to tear her from the ruthless
cernetist.
'But Ihave not described the great Lew He
Is little more than four feet high and a great
deal more than three feet thick aud bald! |
never saw head of such extreme
and shameless immodesty. No, the hairs
of his head are not numbered.
There is not even an old back number. And how
he can drink beerl There's always somebody
standing at the wing with bottle for him. cork
drawn. He drinks four or five bottles during
each performance, and more after the perform