San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-11-27

GRAU'S OPERA CO.
Mr.. Jules Grau's Ideas of the Star
ring System-A Summer
Opera Season.

Mr.. Jules Grau's Ideas of the STAR
ring System-A Summer
opera Season.
Nearly as full house was present
at the Grand at the rise of the cur
tain last night as on the previous
night. "The Queens Lace Handker-
chief" one of Strauss prettiest of his
sparkling operas, was the bill. The
company was in good voice and gave
some fine singing and bright comedy
in the capital of Andalusia and at the
therefore, was necessarily very fine.
The queens, Miss May Douglas, dress
was rich and fitted her fine form per-
fectly. Her singing was sweet and
well controlled though not possessing
GREAT strength. Miss Hatcher as the
donna Irene, also sang well, her duet
with the king, Miss Fit Raymond, in
the first act, being very musical. The
acting and singing of Mr.. Gilbert
Clayton as the prime minister, gave
him better scope for his histrionic
powers than in the "Black Hussar,"
though the part was more difficult.
Mr.. Fred HI. Frear, as Sancho,
was very comical throughout and his
funny sayings and doings kept the
audience continually in litter. Mr..
H. H. Waldo must not be omitted. AS
Cervantes, the poet, he had lots Of
singing to do, though but little acting.
This he did gracefully, though, and
sang as well as ever.
The company, taken as a whole, is
strong enough to give any light opera.
That is all their manager, Mr.. Jules
Grau, claims for them. He has adopt
ed this line of opera as hi. specia 'ty,
and has one of the best and most COM
pact all around serviceable companies
on the road to assist him in carrying
out his policy. In conversation held
yesterday with Mr.. Grau at this office
he said: II have been in the business
for 20 years, and my policy has always
been to avoid the one star system,
which is so,generally condemned by
the press of the country and which is
so ruinous to the best interests of the
theatre going public. My father is
the same. He has been in the bust
ness for 81 years, and his experience
has taught him this. In his COM
panieS each member is a star. have
got in my chorus as good voices as the
principals possess, and if any one of
the principals should fall i'll, they
could go right along as though it were
the same person singing. Five years
ago when Henry Abbey broughtPatti
to America, with a concert COM
pany of four or five people, after his
concert tour he brought them back
to New York, engaged the
Metropolitan Opera house, and
picked up lot of singers that are al
ways to be found lying around for
such jobs, and opened with Lucia di
Lammermoor." Next morning the
New York press condemned the COM
pany in unmeasured terms, and it was
right. The idea of charging $40
ticket to see good company and then
see only Patti. My argument i this:
Tonight you pay s. to hear this star
of mine. She has no support, we will
say, because 1 pay her big salary
and percentage on the house, and
cut down in proportion the salaries of
the remainder of the company. You
will not come again. l condemn it,,
and in my present company you will
see nothing of this sort.n
Mr.. Grau ended by saying that he
has made arrangements to revisit San
Antonio and fill all his Texas dates
next season. During the off season,
The spring and summer, he will play
return dates in Texas and the south,
of one week in each place, giving light
operas at popular prices, %, 80 and so
cents, and thinks he can make a big
success of it,