Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04


- Brannigan. That statement is given here
in the nature Of news and upon the best pos
sible authority. Common belief and several Of
the accepted books Of stage biography have
long said that the dead tragedian changed bis
name from Brannigan 70 Barrett on becoming
an actor. He was an deliberately and laborously
dignifed man. and although the falsity
ANNOYED him greatly he would not make q
formal denial or take measures to demonstrate
the truth The question of his family name has
required in his obituary notices and the charge
that he turned B-annigan into Barrett has not
been very seriously disputed. However, no
less eminent and intimate a friend of Barrett $
than Edwin Booth today requests your CORE
spondent to quote him authority for the
declaration that Barrett never had any other
name in his life than Lawrence Barrett Mr..
Booth. sitting in group Of friends at the
Players Club, gave this explanations: "Mr.
Barrett talked about this thing TO me many
times. He used to say that. although the Gus
tom has been general. he did not believe in en-
actor abandoning his real name upon going on
the stage Although many of ms most re-
spected friends in the profession had done so,
be did not himself believe in 1t; ard
If his name had actually been Bran
nigan he would not have thought of
supervising it. He was proud o. being an
Irishman, anyway. and never had the slightest
notion of concealing the fact The error arose
n this way-if i remember the expianatio n
which he gave me: Very early in his career On
the stage, when he was an inconspicuous and
struggling actor a dramatic paper published a
series of condensed biographies OF stage peo-
pie. Some joker in the theater where Mr..
Barrett was employed contributed the facts
TO him-giving. for fun, the name Branni-
gan as beng his real one. That started the
misstatement, for that biographical para
graph was taken by subsequent writers as au-
thorItative and was reproduced subsequently
in several books concerning the drama in
America Ny word for it. MIR. Barretts name
was never anything but Barrett. l once met
his father and have known his brother; their
name was Barrett"
The practice among PLAYERS of assuming
false names is being abandoned almost alto
gether by recent recruits OF the profession.
IL originated in the times when acting was
generally discountenanced and when those who
took to II lost thereby nearly all social consid-
Grafton A search through this weeks cast in
sll the New York city theaters. BY a man ex-
ceptionally well acquainted with the personali-
ties. reveals the fact that not less than eighty
per cent Of the performers are billed by their
real names
The Ups AND DOWNS OF THE THEATRICAL BUsr-
NESS
Another controversy of the week relates to
the commercial side of theatricals in this city,
and it illustrates strikingly the uncertainty Of
the business. Henry E. Abbey is an amuse-
ment Spectator whose ups and downs are VIC
lent A little while ago he plunged into
bankruptcy by the financial failure of the first
season at the Metropolitan Opera House. He
undertook the management under the pre-
sumption that grand opera. with fashionable
support, could be made profitable, but he
learned very quickly thas money. as well as
countenance. was requisite from the nobs. Alb
bey was at that time lessee of the Grand Opera
House, a big and handsome. but half-pricei
west side theater- Driven to his wits
end to raise every possible dol
lar he sold the lease to 7. Henry
French, who had advanced in prosperity from
the business of publishing plays to that of op-
Grating in them for the stage. Now the Grand
Opera House Is the most surely profitable thea
ter in New York So regular and heavy is It's
support BY the west side popuiace that hardly
anything can fail there. and so the manager
can make practically his own terms with the
travelling companies. OF course, he takes the
lions share of receipts. and it is not until the
gross income has yielded him a clear profit
that the visiting comDinat ton gets anything at
all This thester and the big building
in which it is situated belonged once to
the Erie Railway Company, and was
absorbed by Jim Fisk and Jay Gould along
with other properties OF that corporation.
Gould gave the establishment to his son George
few years ago, and George is a thrifty youn 2
man who reaches far for dollar and grips
it as hard as though he were not heir presumI-
tive to millions Recent ventures have en-
riched Abbey considerably and he has con-
trscted TO manage opera at the Metropolitan
again. Probably as a matter of retaliatory
Satisfaction he has made up his mind to be
come at the same time the lessee again of the
Grand Opera House. All this week. therefore,
Abbey and French have been bidding against
each other for a renewal of the lease an
George Gould has been a compliment receiver
Of these competitive offers. The rental has been
~, 600 year, which is the highest price pail
Al
stood that the last figures proposed by Abbey
are s6o, 600.
WASHERS IN TEE ORCHESTRA
We'll, i envy you," said gay young fellow
who had in some accidental way met a man
who played in the orchestra OF theater where
comic opera is regularly given Your
always right where you can mash the daisies.
Ion ought to have Il all your own way down
"Oh, no." replied the musician. II don't
belong to the MASKING half of the band / play
the elarionet."
We'll wha. has that get to do with it." asked
the young man Can't clarionst player
''Oh, no." was the reply. Elm all my expert
ence OF twenty years q member of an or
ehestra have never known q player of a wind
instrument to attract any lady on the stage.
have known desperate firtations to go ON be-
tween actresses and all classes Of string men,
from the first violin 10 the bass viol. and have
more than once observed the bass drum player
getting In some fine work from his end of the
orchestra. but the comets, the trombones, the
clarlonets, oboes and all other men that blow
wind into an instrument have invariably been
ignored don know the reason unless II is
that most Of Us are too stout and red to
satisfy feminine taste SO much blowing ap-
Pears TO make & mans face AMI
neck swell. and great deal of blood is apt to
settle In his nose Then again, the wind seems
" blow our hair of. You viii find that bald
ness l. almost universal among elarionet and
fute PLAYERS. Moreover, there Is something IN
cigui about the action of blowing into a
iau instrument, and the ladies evidently
mink - very ulgrseeful At all events. we
never are bothered by the alteration of the
other sex, and most Of US find our wives in
quite another sphore than the dramatic
FOND HOPES BLASTED AT THE FIRST Toor-
The eiarione; player was asked if he ever ad-
mlred any woman Of the stage who could not
return his affection.
several years ago" said he, Il went to the
rehearsal Of q new opera, and as looked over
The stage my eye caught sight of a little girl
sith tender blue eyes and a very sweet express
slon that instantly charmed me. Her glance
met mine and perhaps there was a thrill of
sympathy went through both Of our hearts, I
VIII remark that | was not so stout at that
time and had far more hair than now adorns
me- While everything in con usion dur
ing the few moment. before the rehearsal began
continued TO watch the pretty creature that
had attracted me. and 1 thought thst
she was particularly attentive of al
m nrrnW-