New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-22
THE WALLACK TESTIMONIAL.
A A BRILLIANT AUDIENCE PAYS TRIBUTE TO
THE VETERAN ACTOR
THE NET RECEIPTS 10000" HAMLET PRO-
DUCED WITH STAR CAST-THB PERFORM
~ WAY.

ANCE a oOtShsoo IN IN LII "@
Tho gathering upon the stage and in the auditorium
Of the Metropolitan Opera House last night was tho
greatest honor that has boon offered to An actor
In this country. Ii well deserved tribute IRON
the dramatic profession and the theatre goers OF hs
and neIghborlng cities TO the last Of family oil gea
actors who for nearly half century have hea inc
most prominent place In our dramatic history many
OF those present on both sides Of tho footghts had
beef friends and admirers Of Lester Waliacks ia'ner'
J. W. Wallack and his cousin ]. W. wanaok, jr.
There were even a few who had dim memories OF Vis
patcrnal and maternal grandfathcrs both disuhgusnc"
actors. While Lester WaIacRs first dramatic EFFORTS
were made in England, all the serious and suceessu
work of his life has been done here. For more thah
forty years no charmed and delighted the puplo IN
an almost endless succession OF parts ranging nom
the ghest Of farce to the sentimental heroes OF meio
drama There is scarcely leading character In inc
entire list of old comedies that he has not vvincd
with his inimitable grace and aplomb. IN TACT .no
very excellence OF his own acting made the dmcuos
of his management greater for his audiences hsVer
accepted as satisfactory substitute for him any oo
Of the numerous leading men ho from tlme 10 time
presented. 1t was as stage manager Tor ms ia'he.
that Lester Wallack gained that knowledge OF the ou
comedies that has stood him in such good STEAD ana
which alone made possible the quick succession VI
plays that has Just closed the last season OF sooh
company at the theatre which bears his mama AS
manager Lester Waacks ideals were always hish,
and In the many ana OUCH ulsCOuIdhHb S"~"b~~
public taste he las vigorously fought the battle ior
good and pure plays To him is largely due the per-
lection wo have attained In stage dressing and mount
ing II was on his boards that the art OF costumlhs
was practically revOlutlOnzed by Mrs. Hoey' anu q"
his theatre have been presented scenic ehec's 'na'
remain unsurpassed II indeed they have ever Deen
equalled. In the excitement and adulatioh afousco
by the visits of foreign stars and companies wo
are sometimes apt to forget the doings OF our own
people II will need only the falntest hint to recall
TO those who witnessed 1t Lester WaacRs great pre-
sentaton Of Much Ado About Nothing which IL IS
safe 10 say he's never been equalcd for general eAce
lence or attention to and truth OF detail
ENTHUSIASM FROM THE START
No sooner were the first steps in the proposed tes-
tlmonlal taken by Messrs Booth, Barrett, DAILY ana
Palmer than the enthusiasm which reached lis Climax
last night began to manifest ITSELF From every sac
volunteers sent IN their Names and tho only difficulty
in selecting a cast In the embarrassment OF ma
terla offered For once, at least all petty PROBES
sona iealouses were cast away and the most dstin-
gushed actors and actresses sought tho privilege OF
playing even tho least important parts. The list
printed below of those who appeared in the ranks OF
the supernumerares contains tho names OF nearly all
the prominent and actresses who are at present
disengaged. II ia worthy Of record hero that Miss
Roslna Vokos closed Days and Frank Mayo the Co
nquo with the cordial assent OF Mr. Hart in order
that they might take part In the performance. The
generosity OF the stockholders of tho Opera House, In
giving tho use OF tho building and their extensive
wardrobe, should also be mentioned.
The enforced departure Of Augustln DAILY for Eng
land threw upon A. NJ. Palmer the chief work OF tho
benefit and though tho labor has been great and In
cessan and the difficulties many he carried 1t through
in way that gave general satisfaction. Tho distri-
button OF seats and tho sale of boxes were managed
with the utmost possible fairness, and although many
could get Seats the seats they desired this was
owing wholly to tho Limitation OF the auditorium. The
pecunary results, which exceed in the gross S2l 900,
arc remarkable as they are creditable to all con-
cerned All who were fortunate enough to be present
last night Will bear It In their memories OF the
greatest events Of their lives, and in years yet far
away some will doubtless DO telling their granGchil-
dren Of this performance.
THE PLAY AND THE CAST.
1t emnenty fitting that the greatest Of tragedies
should be chosen by the best American tragedans as
the play In which they would do honor to their asso-
clae and friend who had been for long the fore
most of American comedians and managers. After
many changes the cast of Hamlet" was thus ar
ranged
G iS5,t' OF iIamlets Father Lawrence Barrett
Polonius Johh U,lDefS
HSqse &: h 5oSR f 4: HaSe
GSIidsnssera La Sties Iianiey
MeIeelus Ed"in U IL; srnS KeIsey
TTanci,cS J TTsHS MSssiSes
s SliS6 A Actor Mines Lcvick
s saeond f'edxsasSS sse; S$''Sn }Ss
Priest. Harry , EdWSsqs
0phelia. Heiena . M % ys
The Player Queen hose Ooghai
Tho following members Of the dramatic profession
generously volunteered 10 appear as auxiliaHes for
this performance: Mrs. Mckee Rankin. Madame Pom
ls, Ada Dyas, Kate To'Sythe, Mrs. Sol. Smith,
Katherine Rogers, Minnie pIaddern, Virginia Buchan-
an. Ida Vernon, Dora Goldthwalte, May Brooklyn,
Selma Dolaro Mlttens Wett, Adele Belgrade, Annie
Ward Tiffany, Meta Guiun, Katie Gilbert, Louisa
Eldridge, Helen sedgwick, Sydney Cowell, Blanche
Within, Alice Fisher, Alice Lormer, Josie knight,
Fannie Bart, Jennie Christie, Lottie Housh, Grace
Thorne, Lille Alder Clara Lpman, Frances Graham,
Frances Hurlbut, Kaherho Lorimer. Gladys Graves
Mamlo Haynes, Ada Dwycr, octavia Allan, Gertrude
Johnson, GYPSY Olcott, Henry Walton, James l.
Carhart, Charles whealelgh, Raymond Holmes, Harry
Hllard, S. Miller Kent. Henry Hermann, Harry
Boil Edwin Parrish, Edward Stanclfe, w. J. Fergu-
son. T. G. Patton Frank Aler, John Ii. Finday, G. l.
Stout, Thomas McKcln, J. I. McKever,
Frederick Huebner, Adlbert BrueninS, NJ. a
Goundre, Henry Harmon Nell, William
Christie Miller, Bruce Hayes, F. J; walsh:
Kate Bartlett Blanche Ilnrne, Marion Booth, Nadage
Doree, Rachel Booth, Mercedes Malarni, Lille Ed
ridge, Ida Mule, Rose tiffany, Mrs. W. q. Jones.
Amy Lee, May Robson, Annie Wood, Kate Magnus,
Sarah A. Miles, George Dec, Mary Shaw Maude
Wentworth, Louise Rial Miss Conway, Miss Grad
dock Alice @. Saunders Mary Saunders Winter kosna
Vokes, L. +. Mackay, Charles Vandenhoh Ben
Maginley, Barton Ill., lie nard Grover. Nelson wheat
croft, D. H. HarIins, owan Fawcett, Edwin F. Mayo
Alfred Ayres, Edgar L. davenport, W. j. Carlton G.
C. Craig, Alfred Noel iollln, Lysandcr Thompson.
j. F. Hagan, Harry Watkins, Harry Gwynetto, J. W.
Plgott, Sheridan 5. Boc, l. a. Mcdowell, Courtney
Thorpe, Percy Winter, 70. W. Couldock, Redhed
Clarke william Harcoms Ralph Howard L. John
stone Robert Neil, Thomas +. Garrick, Francis NJ.
Livingstone, Felix Morris, Ferdinand Gottschalk'
Frank DIetz, Charles Rivers, Joseph Rolfe Isabella
Irving, Eleanor Barry Mercedes Leigh Kitty Housh
Louise Sanford Edrdgo, John H. Browne, Annie
Levian, Lorenzo Croningcr, Blanche Weaver, Edward
Trenchard, Josephine Trcnchard
THE PERFORMANCE