Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-18
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
GLIMPsEs OF LIFE BEFORE AND BE.
HIND THE CURTAIN.
Frank Mayo and ''Davy CrooISett''-The
Pronounced Success of "The Bur
glar" in Sau Francisco.

Frank Mayo and "Davy Crockett''-ThC
Pronounced Success of "The Bur-
glar" in Sau Francisco.
Frank Mayo is going to revise "DaYy
Crockett next season, but he doesn't like
the idea of doing so at all. ~ am really
compelled to produce the play" he said
the other day. Give years ago wanted
to burn the props and manuscript, but
everybody said that | would be glad To
make use of them again. / am not glad.
but | am like the apothecary-my poverty
consents. am in as serious predica-
ment as Frankenstein. worked hard to
create the character of navy Crockett and
now cannot destroy it. 1t lives to pursue
me. Next year | am going to Australia to
get rid of it. l shall try to establish some
reputation there for Frank Mayo instead
of for Dayy Crockett" Nevertheless.
Davy Crocfsit has been good iT;end to
Frank MAYO, ang, has brought him lots OF
pleasant compliments, as well as good
deal of money. / remember an occasion
nearly ten years ago when MAYO nearly
lost good engagement through peculiar
newspaper comment which was made con-
cernlng his appearance in another role.
lie was playing the part of Badger in
The Streets of New York" at the Boston
Fheater, and writer on the staff Of one of
the aVaDlnu of thnf 81 . 1 -. =.
good Joke TO criticise him as if he had
been Frank Mayo on the stage instead of
Badger. Mayor was under contract TO
play 'Dayy Crockett at the Boston Mu-
scum, and Manager Field of that house,
who read the grotesque criticism rather too
literally, sent in hot haste to investigate
Mr.. Mayos behavior on the stage of the
Boston Theater, in the fear that his own
stage was in danger of deSecration. 1t was
not until the paper had published long
explanation of its own joke that Mr.. Field
felt safe in allowing Mayo to fulfill his
contract.
MUSIC To LOOK AT.
Rossini, who had always Ie mot pour riTe,
used to say: ''In olden time they used to
compose music for the brain and for the
ears; but 1t seems to me that nowadays
people are quite content when the thing
looks we'll" This, l feel confident, was
often his guiding opinion. For instance,
when Meyerbeer gave 'The Huguenots," /"
his lawyer and coreligioaaojrc Cremieux
gave a luncheon, where he invited some
influential friends to meet Meyerbeer.
Rossini, one of the guests, ate nothing.
Nine. Cremieux, with the lynx eye of any
hostess who has people round her table
invited for meal, suddenly pounced upon
her abStemious guest with that question
which every lady imagines must go
straight to the heart of her guests. 81 am
sure, NJ. Rossini, you don't like that dish ::
one cannot easily please such fne CON
noisseur are you are" Pardon, Madame,
that is not all the reason, but | never eat
between my breakfast aud my dinner. OF
course, you will ask me why, then, did |
come to luncheon garty. | will tell you.
The other day | was invited to hear a per-
formance Of my William TelP overture.
AT the moment where the allegro begins |
saw two men In the band putting their
trumpets up, but could not for the life Of
me hear one note; so ! asked the manager
why they did not play. oh, that is very
simple he said. 4 could not get two
trumpeters, but l thought I'd get some
men to hold up the trumpet. 1t always
looks well to see trumpets in an orchestra
but Of course, as they can't play, you can't
hear them Now, can't eat any more
than they could play; but rs Meyerbeer,
who is so superstitious, would have taken
it for bad omen if had sent an excuse.
| thought | would Just sit behind my plate.
because it looks well to have old friends sit
round ones table" "-Temple Bar.
MURPHY WAS THERE.
Joe Murphy is playing to "big" houses
in San Francisco, in Irish drama. We
cannot understand why he should, for
Murphy is not superior actor, and we
can name dozen Irish comedians who
are his superiors. But "Joe" draws. and
always did. The New York Star has this
good one" about Murphy: He was billed
to open his season in Philadelphia, and his
company, which is nearly always the same
from season to season, was anxiouslv await
ing him in the Quaker City. Monday
came, but Joe was missing. Noon did not
bring him, and at o'clock in the evening
he had not put in an appearance The audi
ence began to fill the theater, and the
orchestra was ready to be "rung in - still
was Joseph absent. Things had come to a
pretty pass and the manager had Just be-
gun his speech before the curtain,
craving the indulgence Of the peo-
pie assembled for the 'understudy" who
would play the ''Kerry Cow that night,
because MIR. Murphy was i'll, when Joseph
himself shouted from the front door of the
auditorium: "It's all right, ladies and
gentlemen; I'm not sick at ali. was
only fishing, and Fll bet new hat | took
the biggest trout ever captured in Pike
county" Me-. Murphy is one OF the rich
est actors in America
BUNCH OF KEYS
"a Bunch of Keys Frank Sanger and
Joe Arthur, the author of "Still Alarm. y
who was then associated with Sanger and
Edouin in the Keys" insisted was dead
failure from the start, and Charley Hoyt, It's
author, was so convinced of this that he
offered to write another skit for the firm.
Both Edouin and Sanger refused, resolving
to stick to the foundation in the Keys .
and rebuild upon it another superstructure
which should have at least the merit of
good and tried material within its walls
so to work these gentlemen went, pulling
out dialogue here, introducing dancing
there, singing in another place, and "gags"
wherever they could be stuck in, like
raisins in sailors "plum duff" They
sought and grabbed their material in
every direction, taking the second act of
"The Tourist" as their pattern, and finally,
after immense labor and daily rehearsais,
compiled the extravaganza known as ''The
Bunch of Keys" which seized upon a tired
and weary public and made it forget its
business cares and domestic griefs.
From that moment, famous for the finan-
cial good fortune of Edouin and Sanger,
every comedian, song and dance soubrette
and business manager" in the land wanted
musical farcical comedy" TO ge. rich on.
Mr.. Hoyt swung right into line of battle
with the "Keys" as his trademark, and
Charley Thomas and Eugene Tompkins of
the Boston Theater as financial partners.
He compiled "The Rag Baby" put Frank
Daniels and bevy of Boston beauties as
auxiliaries in the cast, and began to acquire
capital.
AN ABSOLUTE PARADOX.
"Farcical comedy" is a missioner, if not
an absolute paradox. For as everybody
knows, the comedy was as distinct from
-