Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-06
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
TIE ELEPHANT DID NOT TAKE PART
IN THE OPERA.
Tricks of an Actress-Hoping for English
Opera "A Sapient Critic-Gen-
eral Stage Notes.

goers need not be reminded that the ele-
phant is quite appropriate in the opera
'L'Africaine." In some productions OF
this opera the elephant has come in for
his share of applause and criticism. 1t
was the intention of the management OF
the Auditorium to surprise Mr. Abbey with
an elephant last night. Mr.. Peek and Mr.
Adams had talked over the matter, and
Mr.. Adams was directed, on account of his
knowledge of elephants, to see if he could
get one.
He appointed meeting with the Lin.
coin Park Commissioners They Informed
him that they had but one elephant on
hand, but that he was at the disposal Of
the management of the Auditorium. The
keeper of the elephant was interviewed as
to the habits, disposition and traits of the
street procession of old Adam Forepaugh
"Good elephant, Mr.. Keeper?"
"'T depends upon what you want him
| for"
"For the opera; we want an elephant that
has a stateliness about him, one that is
majestic in his step and that understands
his business. See?"
"Then you don't want him."
"No"
"Nope If old Adam Forepaugh's ele
phant trainer couldn't get along with this
chap. you don't reckon you kin do it, dc
you ?"
"All he has to do is to walk across the
stage once and then go off. No encore, no,
for the elephant. See?"
"He wouldn't like 1.-THE elephant
wouldn't. He'd raise the curtain if he
didn't get any encore. He raised worse
than that up here l could throw good
deal of light on the fate of some missin'
children that has come to play in the
park if it wasn't for givin' the elephant
away.
''If you want him you can have him. But
you'd better chain his legs together and
tie up his trunk over his head before you
put him on the stage. 1t took the hull OF
Forepaugh's circus to get him here, and
if you want to get him to the Auditorium
you had better call out the militia But
he's your elephant il you want him."
| Mr.. Adams returned to the Auditorium
and telephoned Mr.. Peck that he thought
the opera would go off with good deal
more eclat if the elephant wasn't in the
cast. And a late hour the kind offer OF
the Lincoln Park Commissioners to get rid
of their elephant was declined.
A CLERKS STORY.
| Actresses get more for their money than
any other class OF people who stop at a
hotel" said clerk at the Leland. ''See
that woman just coming out of the dining
room? She is an opera singer. You notice
she has two big newspapers under her arm
Takes the same papers in the dining-room
every day. Never reads them She has a
room on the European plan, and orders
only one meal day. But what big meal
that is Then she slips sandwich and
some cake into those big newspapers In
her hand she takes an orange. That con-
stitutes her luncheon.
"About breakfast? Well, she is clever
Has the funniest arrangement for making
tea and toast in her room you ever saw.
It's miniature gas stove, no bigger than a
baseball. Hitches a rubber hose to tie gas
jet, puts piece of bread and pot of tea
on the little stove, and in iiffy her break
fast is ready. You know you can't toast
bread over gas jet, so that invention is
| her own.
| "Then again she gets the best of us on
fires. She has another little gas stove, or
heater, rather. Lights gas, puts shawl
over the transom SO the light can't be seen
by the watchman, then gets warm. She
was here month last season before we
found out why the gas meter was so gay.
"Say, but that manager is getting stout
Just heard him say he gained FIVE pounds
last week. See here, cashier, charge up
No AZ with an extra meal. Got to get
even some way. Tell you what it is
there's nobody like theatrical person for
devising schemes for getting things with
out paying for them. They think it's
smart, too. Boast about it among them
selves-seem to think it most creditable
thing !'-C Chicago Tribune.
A sAPIENT CRITIC.
Stuart Robson tells this story to the
Chicago Tribune: 1t is true that am going
to take "The Henrietta" to England. |
have been treated with wonderful kind
ness by the American press, and | want to
see how the English critics will treat me
| only remember one American critic who
llht ut lie DGlO0gs
to the class known as the "hayseed critics.
and | have noticed that the more hayseed
critic has in his hair the more lofty
and Shakespearean is his views of the
drama. 1t remained, however, for this
erudite young gentleman to pour out his
vials of wrath upon "The Henrietta
After some faint praise he stated that
though my performance of "Bertie, the
Lamb" was in many ways creditable, he
had seen it much better done. l met the
youth around the theater next day. "The
comedy" said |, "has been presented be-
fore with a somewhat different cast; but
should be pleased to know whom you con-
slider my superior as BERTHE want tc
reform my conception of the part" Fol
a moment the youth was nonplussed
"Oh," said he, several of the prominent
people have done it much better" "Have
they, indeed?' said /; "and pray who?'
''Oh, well, several to my knowledge
"Well, who? Name at least some," in.
sisted. "Oh, we'll, if youinsist," exclaimed
the young man, 81 think Booth and-and
Lawrence Barrett werep' "Great heav.
ems" roared 81. Think of that on the
atrical poster. Think of it. Lawrence
Barrett as BERTHE, the lamb"
| ENGLISH OPERA WANTED.
When Colonel Mapleson was in com
mand of Her Majesty's American operate
forces at the New York Academy of Music
he was wont to allude to the architecture
of the Metropolitan Opera House as the
big brewery, and the performances giver
therein as sauerkraut opera. He also gave
the Directors about three years to get tirec
of that diet and yearn for the good ole
macaroni opera. 1t appears, however, a.
if the Directors had not only got used t.
the diet, but actually prefer it to paying
the prices which Italian operatic singer:
demand. 1t is safe to say that when {
change Is made it will not be in the direc
ton Of opera in Italian, but in the yer
nacular. If Colonel Mapleson could in
duce his singers to study their roles il
English he would have much better
chance to return to New York as an oper
attic impresario. 1t is stated that he ex
hibits letters from Nilsson, Sembrich
Gerster, Scalchi, Trebelli, Masinia ant
Galassi, giving him an option on theil
services and expressing pleasure at the
prospect of seeing New York again. He
also admits that the continuance of Ger
man opera at the Metropolitan Opera
House has brought the Italian opera sing
! ers to a pOint whete they ar,, ready n