Wichita eagle., 1888-12-30
SWEET SINGERS.
Some Rising Stars Of the Op.
cratic Stage.
THE TICKLE PUBLIc's FAvORITEs

laura Moore, an Indiana Girl Who Has
| Charmed European Audiences-1Iinna
| Gale Has q Fine Voice. but Doesn't Use
It-Alma Fohstroem and Frau Fanny
Moran-Olden.
Every few years the theatre going public,
| captious to degree, tires Of its whilon
stage favorites and clamors for new faces,
new voices. They grow weary Of the man.
nerisms of an actor or actress much as a child
wearies of broken toy with the paint worn
of The dear public WAKES enthusiastic over
the rolled RS and the stride of an actress-for
time. But she grows too heavy, CT too
thin, and the public grows cold. The sepul
chral tones Of an actor, and his melancholy,
will, for a while, create furore. But, for
sooth, the man becomes quite too bold, or
loggy and scant of breath-and that is the
end of him.
The ups and downs Of theatrical life arc
peculiar.
1t is the same with singers. A wonderful
soprano, who has been an object of alteration
on two continents for five years, will sing
four or five high notes false She is doomed.
The critics shake their heads mourn over the
wreck OF a once beautiful organ-and so fare
thee well, o erstwhile divine divaI A basso,
famous the world over, sings little hoarsely,
his voice breaks little. "Too old, too old!'
say the critics patrunizingly the basso
sinks into oblivion
A prirna donna who has rapidly come to
the front within the past two or three years
Is Laura Moore, now singing in "Bocaccio"
N NcCaull's opera company. She was born
in Terre Haute in 1868, and when she was a
little tot of a girl she used to sit in a cherry
tree half the summer days and sing like
nightingale. Her talent was recognized, and
her voice was cultivated. In 1888, with
trunk full of pretty dresses, she sailed for
Paris to study. She improved rapidly, and
received suggestions from such celebrated
musicians of Gounod, Ambrose Thomas,
Massanet. and Delibes. In the spring of
1885 she took first prize in the Conservatory
Of Paris, and the following week received
bagfui of letters with offers from
managers in America and on the continent.
She accepted the one from the original
American Opera company-that superb COM
bination, containing SO many great artists,
but which, in spite of vast audiences and the
fabulous prices charged for seats was unable
to pay for itself and went to pieces She
received any number of fattering notices,
lots OF flowers and cards for dinner parties,
offers Of marriage and new engagements-
everything but her salary. She didn't Like
this, and returned to Paris to take another
course Of music She was engaged at a
splendid salary TO sing Ophelia In Ambrose
Thomas Hamlet She didn't like this, be-
cause the musical melancholy Danes were on
the average about six feet two inches tall,
and she looked like midget beside them.
She was disinclined TO have her neck per-
petually put out of Joint by looking up at
them, anyway. After singing in ''Lakme"
at the Paris Opera Comique she returned to
the United States and signed with the Nc
Caull company. She has attained great
popularity in New York city. She is very
pretty. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, lovely
color and dainty hands and feet, with finely
modelled figure. She pets dogs and horses
and has many admirers. She considers
'Hamleu" the finest opera of this century
Minna Gale, now the leading lady in the
Booth Barrett combination, though she has
never been on the operatic stage, has fine
voice and can leave the drama at any time
for opera In figure she is strikingly like
Mary Anderson-perhaps trife taller. She
is 1.-the, willowy and graceful. and has beau
tiful face. She received her very fine educa-
tion in Germany, where she was taken by her
mother when very young. Her mother re-
turned to the United States when Minna and
her two sisters had completed their education
and settled in New Lebanon n Y