The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-18

tsMohey Tight was written all over the
theatre last night. Nothing but stringent
money could nave kept people away from
the Salt Lake theatre as they have kept
away during the Howard Athenanm en-
gagement. A troupe which played to 500,
600 in two weeks in San Francisco
ordinarily would be good for s., 500 in four
performances here, but we doubt il the
four just past have drawn more than half
that amount. Of its kind, the attraction
was tirst-class, and we regret that this
attraction should be the one on which the
long record of big business should be
broken.
Lolita, the only, the irrepressible, the vi
vacious, the original Lolita, returns to this
city to morrow night, after an absence of
many years. She remains but three nights,
and ii that brief time she will no doubt be
greeted by SUGGESTIONS of large audiences.
Lotta's acting is breezy and refreshing.
For anyone to feel otherwise than animated
while she is upon the stage is an impossible
ity. Her phenomenal and well deserved !
success has stimulated host of initators,
but the original and only Lolita continues
on her triumphant way, serene above them |
all. For her temperance In this city she |
has chosen Marsden's comedy, 'Musette.n
latest success, ''Ima.'' a. musical comedy |
adapted especially for her by A. K. Fulton,
Esq.
The engagement will terminate Wednes-
day night with Belasco and Green's COM
edy drama. Pawn Ticket 2l0'' Lolita APP
pearing as Mag, the pledge. The above
repertoire is varied enough to suit the
most eXacting. The company comprises
the following artists: Walter Allen, who
played with Abbott so long and made a
great hit here as koko; Will S. Ris-
ing, the tenor; George H. Broderick,
Lionel Bland Harry Brown, Frank
Rolliston, Helen Dayne, Mabella
and William Robinson, musical director.
What shall be Emma Juch's Salt Lake
repertoire She sends on a bewildering
Iistof operas to the Salt Lake manager and
grSciously allows him to make his own
selection. We have been allowed the priv
ilege of scanning the list, and from the
array of tragic, merry, lyric and dramatic,
we unhesitatingly name ''TravIata' 1.-The
Flying Dutchman," Carmen y and
Faust 'Lohengrin,n ''rannhauser''
and 'The Huguenots" are there, and if the
season were a week instead of three nights
and matinee. we would say by all means
let US have those operas too. But the
"Dutchman" will give US a taste of Wagner
our tirst-and that perhaps will be suf-
fcient. ''Traviata'' gives US our own
favorite Verdi at his best; Carmen: is
one of the best things Juch ever did and
Marguerite" is another. So with such a
repertoire all classes and tastes ought to be
satisfied. Our only fear is that ''Traviata,' -
though in the list has not been done of late,
and that therefore the company will not be
up in it.
The following from the Examiner gives
an idea of how the various classes of enter
tainments now before the public are di
vided. 1t will be seen that farce comedy
troupes lead all the rest, which NAV be
taken as sort of index to the drift of pub
lie taste:
Of3,0OO light-hearted, sanguine bands of
players who set OUT for fame and fortune
at the beginning of the present season. IT'S
survive. The others have fallen by the
wayslde. Here is the assortment OF lucky
companies still on the road: Two panto
mime troupes, p opera companies. is pre-
senting standard tragedies, 100 presenting
society plays, 90 presenting melodrama, 2l3
presenting farce comedies, Is minstrel
bands, IS variety organizations % mari
clans, horse shows, 3 companies of edu-
Gated animals, 100 comedy drama organiza
tions.
Few deaths in the profession have called
forth such universal comment as that of
Emma Abbott. In a very manly and i'm
partial obituary in the Mirror we find the
following, which contains some facts not
previously printed:
At an early age she plucked up sufficient
courage to start east alone. According to
her own account, she carried her shoes in
her hand and went barefooted to save them
from wearing out. At Toledo Ohio, she
applied for work, and also at Cincinnati.
In this manner she worked her way to New
York city, where her singing attracted the
attention of Clara Louise kellogg who oh
tanned for her the place of soprano in the
choir of DIR. Chapin's fashionable church on
Fifth avenue.
The members of DR.. Chapin's cougrega
ton were so fayorably impressed with her
vocal possibilities that they made up purse
of $4,000 to send her to Europe to complete
her musical education. George Lake, one
Of the wealthiest Pensioners, was the
most liberal contributor, and remained
staunch friend of Miss Abbott throughout
the rest Of her life.
After arriving in Paris, Emma Abbott
studied singing under Marchesi, and was
coached in acting by Charles Fechter.
Owing to some throat trouble, she tempo
rarily lost her voice, but soon recovered it.
as, owing to the generosity of the Baroness
Rothschlld, she was able to pay for expert
medical attendance About this time she
contracted secret match with Eugene
Wetherell, an American admirer. who had
followed her 10 Paris.
In 1876 Miss Abbott made her operatic
debut in London under the management of
Ernest Gye, appearing in La Figlia del
Reggimento." She subsequently sang in one
or two other operas, but it was not until
she refused TO assume the role of Violetts
in La Traviata," that she attracted any
undue attention. Her refusal was based
on the ground that the role is immoral. In
subsequent years. however, she included
the opera in her extensive repertoire
Soon after this Miss Abbott returned to
America, and appeared in a series of con-
certs. 1t was her ambition, however to
sing in opera and she accordingly began
negotiations with G. D. Hess, which re-
suited in the organization of the Emma
Abbott and c. d. Hess Opera company.
James w. Morrissey was employed as her
Individual manager, and he assumed the
entire MANAGEMENT OF her operate troupe
from 1879 TO 1884. 1t was to him that the
famous Abbott kiss owed its origin He
suggested TO Miss Abbott to reproduce in
paul and Virginia" the romantic attitude
OF the famous painting 1.-The Huguenot
Lovers, saying that the stimulation of
passionate kissing would make hit with
the public and so it did and money, too.
Miss Abbott always maintained that she
really did not kiss the tenor. William
Castle, but only created an optical illusion
by placing her lips close to his chin.
Miss ABBOTT was great favorite in the
west but was severely criticised in the me-
tropolitan press when she sang in New
York some years ago.
Miss Abbott's whole souled disposition
was shown in the following incident: She
read the announcement in newspaper
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