The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-23
ITALIAN OPERA.
BRILLIANT SEASON I'M PROSPECT
IN NEW YORK.
sale of seats NJ Enormous TIgures-PrI-
,ate Life Of "A Prima Donns-Iiow Amer
Eican Shoddyites Get Into London "a.
iety-Mctropolitan Talk.
NEw DIRK BUREAU
RICHMOND DAILY TIAfEs


RICHMOND DAILY TIMES,
March -. 1890.
b The Patt-Iamagno season Of Italian
opera, which is 10 begin at the Metropolitan
Opera House next Monday evening. j. go-
ing TO draw throngs Of music-loying patrons.
The sale Of season tickets by subscription
amounts 10 $4,000. At single night sale
at the opera house on Wednesday. $4,000
was taken in at the box Office for tickets for
the performances Of the first week. making
the total amount in the hands Of Abbey and
1rau, as sort Of guarantee fund for the
<seasoa's success, about $4,000. The single
night seats are the best test Of the popular
interest attaching 10 the opera season. be-
cause they show how the general public
which cannot afford 10 purchase
boxes for the season. regard the
performances. II Abbey and Grau had
any doubt Of the success Of fheir aufor
prise. it would have been dispelled bv a
visit TO the Opera House on "Wednesday.
over thousand people crowded the lobby
and stood on the sidewalk in the driving
snow storm, waiting for the box Office To
| open, and before daylight the advance
guard Of the applicants numbered abOdt
two hundred. The prices for season tickets
are $50, $50 $50, $40. $50. and $40: boxes.
$500 and 500. Single nights. 81, s., 80.
I s.. and Sl.jn: boxes. $50 and $50
Subscribers for the season have the
option Of retaining their seats for the four
matinees at $50 seat. When the sale
closed for the day not "A seat had been left
on the FIRST floor for the first Patti night
next Wednesday. and large blocks had been
taken for every performance Of next week
The season in Boston this week was more
successful financially than even Marcus
Mayer in his widest dreams could have i'm
a1lned. The receipts for Tuesday night
alone, when Patti sang in "Semiramide,"
were SD. i96.
TIE SOCIAL LIFE OF A PRIMA DONNA.
The social side Of great prima donna's
life Is far from inviting. Comfort. c0nyen-
fence and pleasure are sacrificed 10 her
voice. Her life is one Of great sclcdenial.
For hours before singing in public she can
eat nothing, and she is forced to deny her
self wines. tea. coffee, rich food. exercise in
the open air-in fact. almost everything that
makes life tOlerablc. Madame Patti. for
instance. is really a prisoner They say
she allows herself absolutely no liberty. |
that she is afraid of fresh air. and often
remains two, three and four days in |
into The air for minute. While travelling |
her special car without venturng |
through strange cities and countries the |
troupe would often make excursions 10 |
points of interest, yet Madame Patti was |
always afraid 90 venture out. Madame /
Lehman, the German opera prima donna, of |
Tie Metropolitan Opera House. leads a /
somewhat similar life. She is restricted 90 |
starvation diet. is afraid of the air prac-
tees all day long and retires at 10 o'clock /
the nights She does not sing. Being
young, handsome and rich, for She |
draws salary Of over $1,000 a |
week. She received many social in-
vtations, for a while, but she declined /
them all. a grand dinner or a magnificent |
ball have 10 charms for her; the only thing /
that Will tempt her 10 visit "a private house
is large sum of money. 10 is a matter Of
business then, and she goes and sings She
is not aNarici0us. 10 is simply her training,
People vino know her say she has the mem
tai habits and methods Of a big good-natured !
and thoroughly innocent girl Of seventeen.
THE LADIES ORCHESTRA.
one of the latest yagarios Of the flshi0na-
bic world is the Ladies' Orchestra. The
idea first took form i'm Mrs. HeWitrs house.
in rather "a small way. but now 10 is very
strong organization. and is able 10 give very
fine concerts for charitable purposes. In
April. at 1hiokering Hall. the orchestra will
make IFS first public appearance this year.
The most prominent members are the Misses
Hewitt. Miss Pearl Whitney. Miss GeOr-
gette sherman, Miss NJ. Pisbury. Miss
DreXel, Miss Mamie Iurnurc. Mrs. Joseph
Walker and Mrs. Henry T.. Coo.
Personal NOTES.
society sees a good deal Of Mr.. Cleveland.
lie accompanies his wife who is rather fond
Of social pleasure now, wherever she goes
She has succeeded in overcoming the reluc-
tauco Dee felt 20 going ont in New York. At
Mrs. W. t.Whiney's tea, which was rather
% large reception. Mr.. Cleyeland's appear
ancc attracted "a considerable amount of
notice. This tea was rather an Innovation
ON established custom. All sorts and con-
ditiOns of men here met on common
ground. The feather weight leaders Of the
german ana the most exclusive dOwager-
of the inner circle mingled quite harmOni-
ously with men of local and even national
prominence in politics and finance. The
strong political leanings Of Mr.. Whitney.
together with his wealth and status in So
ciety. give him a unique position. and as
Mrs. Whitneys opinion on social matters
comedies with her husbands. there is no
doubt but what there VIII soon be here an
American salon.
NEW STYLE FOR SUMMER DRESSES.
There has been new summer STYLE of
costumes for woman designed by the fash
ionable drcssmakcrs. which, 10 say the
least, is rather startling. IL is a develop
mcni of the hifurcated skirt. Dress skirts
are 90 be made of some kind of cloth ma
terial and cut so as % resemble a pair of
very wide and liberal pantaloons. The
waist is 90 be fashioned like q gentleman's
getaway coat, with AN open front i'm which
a shirt bosom is.iO be worn with a collar and
flaming red or blue necktie. \ Spanish
sash is % be worn about the waist. The
style is quite masculine. The trouble with {
with the dressmakers now is 20 find de- I
cent woman daring enough 10 wear ID. {
Rev. j. W. freund has earned for himself /
"a reputation which exceeds. or at least
equals. that Of Rev. Mr.. Dobbins, of Cam
den. who marries more couples than any ,
minister in or near Philadelphia. To Mr.. =
frcund. who is pastor of little German
Church in lloboken, all the runaway c0u- .
pies come TO have the knot tied. lie il
courteous and expeditions, and generous
friend of the young people for miles around
New York: and he says candidly, were IN
not for tine fees he receives from these bridal {
parties he could not live, as his salary j. too !
small 20 support him. 10 was 10 him Lii ]
liam Russell and Mr. Solomon. the musi-
clan. went 10 be married.
A well-knOwn society lady has developed ]
a really new idea i'm the way OF a "dOye Z
luncheon. IT mas lOnG uetn declared ul
the ladys friends that she closely resembles \
the portraits of Marie Antoinette and act
ng on this as "A suggestion, she entertained q
a dozen friends at what she called a Louis :
-ieze luncheon last week Dressed in
gown that faithfully copied one Of the I'M 9
fortunate Queens, while her friends each
chose some other famous woman Of that pc ,
Rod, whom she pers0nated in costume and I
,Oilurc The hostess presided, making Z
everything, even the adOrnment, as con- I
,Onant as possible with the rest Of the en- ,
ortainment. Even the topic Of conyersa- +
ion was women of the French Revolution. !
BUYING SOCIAL RECOGNI- I
TON. [
The sO-caled expose of Lady Mandeyille's z
)eng engaged in the business of intrOduc- /
ng rich Americans into London society is 1
not such a novelty as people suppose. Ii q
las long been an open secret that ladies in 1
london have made livelihood in this way &
md il there is any shame in IL, the mud 5
should be thrown at those who pay the Q
money as well those who receive IL. Mrs. C
.IaeLav il il said maid "A high figure for her 4