The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-06-21

The summer opera patrons seem somehow to
take more kindly to The old familiar works
than to those Of modern date. Perhaps it is
because operas that grow old in service must at
the beginning have possessed genuine merit,
or perhaps it is because in summer people
are intellectually and emotionally, as well as
physically, ndolent, and don't care to exert
themselves sufficiently to catch on to the new
melodies. To follow the familiar strains Of
work they have heard played and sung a
hundred or q thousand times is as easy as
breathing, and anything that demands more
eXertton than breathing no sensible person is
inclined to do on such nights as those
OF the early part of last week This
Rapley very clearly after 'Princess
To 70" bad been running couple of nights
last week. The people did not take to it as
they should have done on the merits of its
presentation, and SO 1t was concluded to re-
store "The Bohemian Grip on Thursday
night. This was done successfully, and Miss
Laura Clement appeared for the first time as
Arline. Miss Clement has handsome pres
ence and good, fresh soprano voice, which
she uses with excellent effect. She is a de-
cided addition to the strength OF the CON-
pany
The members of the Carleton Opera Com
pany have renewed many old acquaintance
ships and found many new ones during their
pleasant sojourn here this summer. Mr..
Murray, Mr.. and Mrs. Fitzgerald miss
Vincent), and Mr. Bigelow are all very delight
full people off the stage as well as on, and
their departure will be greatly regretted by all
who knew them. Mr.. Edgar Strakosch the
business manager of the Carleton company,
who went to Buffalo a week ago, is an ex-
ceptionally agreeable gentleman, whose
vi; %
a surprising extent the hard work of theatrical
life all over the world. Mr.. Strakosch is
member of the famous Strakosch family and
has had a varied experience with Bernhardt,
Patti, and other great artists.
y y \
Manager John w. Albaugh, looking in
the best of health, was in town Wednesday
evening, preparatory to going to his summer
home at Long Branch for the season. He was
very well pleased at the success of his summer
opera season and regretted that the Carleton
Company's engagement at Buffalo compelled
him to close his house last night So sue
cessful has the summer opera season been
that Mr.. Albaugh believes it could be con-
tinued for two or three weeks longer with
profit. This is the earliest the house has been
closed since Mr.. Albaugh took hold of it when
it was built. For the first three years of his
days altogether, three days one season and
week another. AS the house is now in good
condition, no improvements will be made this
vacation. The regular season will begin early
in September.
Mr., Albaugh knew the late Joe Emmett
probably as well as any man. He had great
influence over the erratic comedian. AS Mr.
Albaugh sat on the terrace in front of the
Opera House the other night enjoying the cool
breezes that swept up from the Potomac he
talked kindly and regretfully of Fritz. "It is
over fifteen years since Emmett began to play
with me- he said, "and in all that time he
never broke an engagement with me. could
alwaysget him to straghten up from his sprees
in order to keep his engagements On several
occasions he broke in on big sprees in order to
keep his dates at my houses and as soon as
he had completed the engagements he began to
drink again as hard as ever. Poor fellow, it
was an insanity with him. Once when he had
sobered up after six weeks spreeing to play
with me [ demonstrated with him about the
fearful way he was abusing himself and told
him that man of his ability and capacity for
making money ought to control his appetite
Mr. Albaugh, he answered, nothing can keep
me from drinking when the fit comes on me.
You may lock me up in room and put bot
tie OF whisky with me- You may put strych-
nine in the bottle and let me see you do it, |
will know that the poison is In the whisky and
that it will kill me if | drink it, but lust as
certain as one Of these fits comes on me will
drink that whisky" F."
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