Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-02
PLAYES AND PLAYERS.
Attractions Booked for the Various
Opera Houses This Week.

Attractions Booked for the Various
Opera Houses This Week.
In conversation with Mr. l.. H. Sothern,
who makes his first appearance in Omaha
Thursday evening at Boyd's opera house,
upon the subject of the plays he produces,
Mr.. Sothern gave the following interesting
Information
Eyes, The Highest Bidder which is my
opening bill here, was the vehicle of my first
prominent success. Oh, no, it was not writ
ten for me, although was the first to ever
play it. Over fifteen years ago, while l was
yet at school, John Madison Morton, the
author of Box and Cox, and scores of other
prominent English farces, brought a
comedy to father for his consideration.
1t was called Trade and was in
the style so prevalent in dramatic compost
tons in those days, which Robertson's
School, 'Ceste,' Ours and Tom Taylors
Still Waters Run Deep are prominent ex-
amples. 1T pleased my father so well that
he bought it outright, intending to give 1t an
early production. Something intervened,
however, and it was laid aside and over
lookeds When Mr.. Daniel Frohman made
his contract for my services, he desired some
piece which would serve as an introduction
to the public A trunk full of manuscript
plays belonging to my father had been left
by him to my brother Sam, and at my sug-
geston Mr.. Frohman and looked through
it for treasures trove. Among others we
found Trade and we liked it-all
but the title. 1t was put into DeMille and
Beiascos hands for little modernization,
and was fitted with the new title of 1.-The
High est Bidder" 1t was successful, and on
the ccasion of its one hundredth night at
the yceum theater, souvenirs were sent to
the aged author, still alive in London, though
over eighty years OF age, and informed him
of II great success of his play, the existence
of which he frankly admitted he had entirely
forgotten"
There has been so much discussion in the
eastern press as to whether Lord Chun-
ley' Mr.. Sothern's other play, represents an
actual type OF character, or one only to be
met with in theatrical performances, that
Mr. Southern was asked regarding the mat
ter:
"Are there any men like Lord Chumley2
There are not many, / suppose, but certainly
some. Not in America, of course-not yet
but as millonaires increase, and the young
fellows who have nothing to do become more
numerous, the race will probably arise. Lord
Chumley has been called inconsistent be-
cause he has the exterior of fop and brave
heart underneath. Men of that sort are con-
tinually turning up. History is full of them.
There are hosts of them in the ranks of the
English army, as is shown constantly in the
wars in which England is always ndulging
somewhere or other. Every man, in fact,
has two aspects-a good and bad, common
place and heroic, comic ana tragic.
AS for Lord Chumley's pluck and
muscle, there is nothing uncommon about
them. l used to box in Angelo's place, on
ST. James street, London, and I've often
seen some fragile, languid looking dandy
come in, put on dainty lowered jersey, and
proceed to box professional fighter all over
the place. One of the most popular heroes
of the British army of to-day is much this
sort of fellow. | have seen him come into
Angeles rooms watch the sports for awhile
n nartirlData in them calling fbon
converse intelligently. Yet this man,
during the Zulu war, by his personal
bravery and quick thought, saved the defeat
formed into hollow square to resist the
enemy, which greatly outnumbered them,
| when suddenly the Zulus made a combined
| attack upon that portion of the line where
the officer was in command The crash of
the meeting was tremendous. The British
| line wavered, and the day seemed lost. Sud
| denly our indolent hero, whose sword blade
had been snapped from the hllt in the con-
| f1ct grasplng the hllt still tighter, using 1t
as "knuckle duster," and striking out from
| the shoulder in true old English pugilstic
| fashion, shouted encouragingly to his men,
| who rallied and reformed the broken ranks
He now wears the Victoria cross for his
action that day.
| The play of Lord Chumley' is the work
| of design-not accident l described the
idea of the character to Messrs. De Mills ana
u
| permanently in dramatic shape. 1t Is
| modelled on an actual parsonage and one
which would be quickly recognized were the
| play ever produced in London. Several pa
pers through the country have vehemently
insisted that such character was impossible
| in real life. The writers had merely never
| seen any men like Chumley. But that doesn't
| prove there are none. Certainly not to me,
who have met them often during the fifteen
| years resided in London.
| (Which is the best of the plays' Ah, that
| you must judge for yourself. Some like one
and some the other. Lord Chumley' is the
more recent one. l play both here this en-
| gagement, and you are sure to express your
| preference in your CRITICISMS"
| q The celebrated Rnehart family will be
the attraction at the Eden Musee the com
| ing week. Aside from this will be many
| other attractions, any one OF which alone
woul d be worth the price of admission. In
| fact, the management has determined that
| this shall be the most entertaining week Of
| the season, and has bent every effort in that
| direction. All parts of the house will CON
| tain good attractions
The closing attraction for the season NJ
| Boyd's opera house this season will be the
| opera of 'Said Pasha," on June 10. IL and
| 12 The Detroit Free Press recently sand
| 'rhe opera of Said Pasha,' on the whole, is
a much more satisfactory and even more
| amusing piece of work than the very sue
cessful Little Tycoon"
|
| William Ludwig, whose magnificent per-
| formance of the "Flying Dutchman,"
Nero" "Mephstopheles" and similar try
| ing roles during the American opera season,
stamped him as one of the greatest of ! living
baritones, has brought company of really
very clever artists to this country with the
intention of giving Irish music IN the best
| possible manner. In the company are Miss
! Adelaide Mullen, prma-donna soprano, from
the Carl-Rosa Opera company; Miss
Annie Layton, prima donna contralto, from
| the Crystal Palace concerts in London; Mr..
Henry Beaumont, n fne lyric tenor, from
the Carl Rosa company, and G, Kendall
Irwin, pianist. gold medalist of the Royal
| irish academy.
The company will give a very interesting
programme. introducing Irish music OF every
class, from the simple song OF the Irish peas.
ant 10 operate Orlos by Balte, Wallace, and
other celebrated Irish composers, Mr. M.
j. Murphy, formerly of the "lvy Lear com
pany, has charge of Mr.. Ludwig's tour
This company will appear at the New Grand
1 o,,a., honSa an Tuesday and Wednesday