The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-09
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
How the New York People Are
Being Entertained.
Wash Norton, the New Manager of
the Clunie observation-disclosures
Devils MISUNDERSTANDING Glass
In workmanship Flashes from
the Footlights of Many Theaters.
A. P. Dunlop writes from New York

A.P. Dunlop writes from New York
under date of January Cd as follows:
1.-THE lyric stage has seldom been more
prolific in novelties than it has been dur
ing the present week at the Metropolitan
Opera house, where Verdi's 'Aida,'
Gluck's 'Orfeo' and Moscagni's 'Cayalle-
ria Rusticana' followed each other, and
while all these performances were not
absolutely hawless, they were so full OF
excellencies and rendered so spirited that
the standard Of achievement IS OF the
very highest, and it looks as If Mr.. Alb
hey and Mr.. Grau are endeavoring to
hold up to this elevated point, II La
Grippe proves not too formidable an
enemy.
''On Monday 'Yon Yonson,' the only
novelty in the metropolis, was introduced
by Manager Jacob Lift at Manager Dun
leyy's Park Theater, and with 1t char
acter entirely new to New ork. The
play, which pictures life in the North
west, is both instructive and interesting,
by Mr.. Heege, the author OF the play
who also enacted the central character,
was probably watched closer than any
star that has ever appeared in this city,
The reasons were probably the claim
made by Manager Lift, that '4on Yon-
som was a new creation on the dramatic
stage, and that the star had been warmly
received wherever seen. All the great
big critics Of the morning papers, headed
by William Winter, were on hand early,
and before the first fall of the curtain Gus
Heege had been recognized as an able
actor, and his Yon Yonson as something
new. 1t is somewhat of pity that but
few Americans, mostly descendent Of the
Anglo-SaXOn race, recognized In Mi.
Heege's Swedish dialect the root of their
own tongue. y great many OF the audi
ence on Monday could have, without
much difficulty, understood Caesar from
Gfdtt1d est On1li{S dGUGSG iR parties tres. to
the bitter end, without the pony but
Hon Yonson's jargon, which, after all, is
not so very much unlike the English of
five or six centuries ago, fell not on their
ear as mothers tongue. The Hellenic
speech that in the Iliad has rolled its
course unhindered for three thousand
years, and that old Italian speech that
murmurs in Lucretus "A ceaseless, sol
emn monotone Of Sea-sheu Sound,' that
flows in Virgil, quivers III Catullus, VIM
pies in Ovid, COOS in IibullUs and
sparkles in Horace, are more fashionable,
and hence the root Of some other fellows
language is studied in preference to our
own. Mr.. Heege's task in studying and
mastering the Swedish-American dialect
has been more difficult than had he taken
up German or French, because the dialect
Of these are all OF one kind, while in the
and sometimes not one word of English
is spoken in a whole colony-the Swedes
themselves differ very much in their own
tongue, the Norrlander, or those of the
Alpine region and at some places within
the polar circle, speaking in a language
hard to be understood by the miners of
Gotland, or those Of the lake regions of
Sweden proper. In Minnesota the vast
number Of Swedes that have left their ma
tive land through the seaports Of Cote
burg and Malmo are from OSstergotland,
Nestermanland and Sodermannland, and
q native of either of those provinces
would claim Mr.. Heege as a countryman.
not alone from the dialect, but also from
the construction of his sentences. The
forests Of Sweden cover more than one
quarter of its entire surface, and some OF
them are 5000 feet above the level Of the
sea. For dramatic purposes Mr.. Heege
makes Y on EonsonS manners like one
Of these way-back foresters, and in this
he is quite as fortunate as he is with the
dialect. Mr.. Heege's work is, in fact,
highly artistic and quite as finished as
was Mckee Rankin's Muck the very
best dialect part ever seen on the stage,
and in faithfulness head and shoulders
above any theatrical lrishman, German
or Erenchman seen in New York this
generation. Mr.. Lift has surrounded his
star with competent company and some
very pretty stage pictures of the far
West, and 'Yon Yonson' has proved as
big success in New York as it has been
elsewhere.
''On Tuesday Charles Barnard. The
County Circus was seen at the Academy
of Music. 1t may be called drama cir
Gus, for 1t is both, and it made a hit that
viii assure it a long run. Francis Wilson
on Wednesday produced his new comic
opera The Lion Tamer.'"
NoRToN's NEW COMPANY.
On the 18th instant Washington Norton
viii open the Clunie Opera-house, in this
city, with a new drama entitled "a Mill
ion of Money" For the play new scenery
is now being painted. Mr.. Norton vii
run a stock company in the Opera-house
with performances every night and Sat
urday matinees. The prices are to bt
low.
WASH Norton began life on the stage
at the age of 9, as one of the Morton
Brothers, going from New Orleans, the city
where he was born, to Boston, to make
his first appearance. He has been in the
business as minstrel or manager, or il
character comedy acting, ever since, ex.
cept the past four years, IN which he has
engaged in farming in Shasta, where ht
owns considerable land.
Norton was one of the original Christy
Minstrel troupe, playing with it in Lon
DON in two long seasons, and crossing the
0C6du Oh LNO OCCdSlOIS 10 10 SO. ron
London he took troupe TO South Africa
and Australia. Later he took a second
troupe to South Africa, thence to Brazi
and through South America. Later still
he managed troupe for n number o
years in Australia, the West Indies
China, Japan, India and Egypt.
a second and third times he made
tours of the Orient and Australasia and
played around the world with troupes
a fourth time he nearly belted the globe
with his tour.
He was at one time manager of a thea
ter in London and played in it Gilberts
earliest comic operas and Mile. Dejarzet'.
Australian and also the English cham.
pion belts as jig dancer. He and BeI
Cotton were the first people to Introduce
the double song and dance act III min
strelsy. Norton was the first to intro
duce the rapid change OF costume bust
ness in the presence of the audience. II,
had especial success in personation o
noted people, making up'' rapidly OF
the stage, in full view of the audience
lie was the first to introduce the blacl
art trick business on the coast, and, b1
the way, gave it for the first time in Sac
Tamento.
He has had a long and varied expert
ence as manager, and few, if any, man
ayers have travelled with troupes so many
miles or so long maintained English
speaking troupes in foreign parts. He j!
sill a hale and hearty man, and as en-
thusiastie as of old about theatrical bust
ness.
The company selected to open the Gu
ME is made up OF such accomplished PEG
pie as Victoria Pateman, Jessie SeIig
man, Marie Lamont, Josie Lafontaine
Roy Greenfield, Percy Hunting, Warner
Delano, Paul Craig and George P. Whit
man.
GILMoRE's ENTERPRISES.