The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-01-17
DRAMATIC And LYRIC
A Sketch of the Play "The
Middleman."
WILLARD AND HIS COMPANY
Albani on Opera and Artists-Last Night
Gilbert's Death-The Mandolin
Ball-Notes.

MT. Il. =. willard, VINO IN LOnQon ls eS- |
teemed as "tbe hope and promise Of the
English STAGE" opens his Salt Lake en-
gagement, aided by Mr.. A. NJ Palmer's
company on Wednesday evening, in Henry |
Arthur Jones' play of 1.-THE Middleman."
Mr.. Willard has been a good deal of an |
idol in the London world of dramatic art
for almost ten years, but so wholly content
has he been with his art that he has steadily |
discountenanced the blare of trumpets |
with which actors IN general are so quick !
20 affiict the world. Three years ago Mr. |
Willard took London theatre and became |
az actor manager. ULder his direction the
Shaftesbury theatre became the peer in |
point of fashionable attendance of Henry |
Jrving's lyceum and the great London |
critics did not hesitate TO place Mr.. VIII |
lard and his work upon the same artistic |
plane occupied by the world famous senior
actor.
AT the Shaftesbury Mr.. Willard pro-
ducsd for the most part plays by Henry |
Arthur Jones, one of the foremost of
British dramatists, among them 1.-THE |
Middieman.n 1t was on the first night |
OF this play that MIR. A. NJ, Palmer, |
the New York manager, renewed propo- |
sition previously made MIR. Willard TO tour |
the United States. Some time afterward |
negotiations were completed, and a year
later, last season, MIR. Willard came over.
nging with him several members OF his
comusny. His season at Palmer's theatre,
New York, extended over twenty-one
weeks, during which time be was the re-
cipient nf such critical attention and en-
dorsement as Is not given more than a
dozen men in a century. He was hailed as
the most distinctively original and genu-
inely artistic actor of his time, and writers
in both the Century and Hd1pcr's Magazines
lsvisaed the most unqualified praise upon
his efforts.
Mr. Willard is playing two pieces this
season. both from the pen of Henry Ar
thur Jones. These are THE Middleman"
and JUDAH both of which Will be pre-
seuted here. They are widely different
dramas and they provide both Mr..
Willard and Mr.. A. NJ Palmer's excellent
company-of which charming Marie Bur
Toughs is the talented head-with excel
lent opportunities for the display of artis-
tic worth. 1.-The Middleman" presents the
distinguished star in the soiied clothes of
poor old potter, workman in a great fac
tory, named Cyrus Blenkarn. But
be loves his work, and it has
been well said that work, touched with
love- is art.n He is dreamy old fellow
who, having invented q process in por-
ceiain-ware manufacture which has made
his employer rich, thinks not of money
himself. but only longs to discover the
great secret lost for a century, of making
terry. Breaking in upon the peacefulness
of his life like a thunderbolt comes the
knowledge that the son OF the man that he
has made rich has betrayed his favorite
daughter. An appeal is made for justice,
but it is disregarded by the proud rich
man. Then Blenkarn awakes from his
absUractedness and becomes practical. He
sees that he has raised this man in the
world, and he sets about pulling him
down. He thirsts for revenge. He wants
to feed fat upon 1t. And sc, with
the persistence Of q Nemesis, he works in
the direction that he knows viii bring him
to vengeance. He makes his great discov.
cry, though it costs him almost his hearts
blood. Ragged, gsunt, wasted by wake
fulness, he trlumphs, standing amid his
burning kilus. He has found the secret
and his enemies are in his hands. How he
uses his power how he works out his re-
venge, belongs to the play to show. tits
powerfully done from first to last. Not an
unimportant part of the production is the
great third act scene, showing the inter
Tor of the furnace room and the kilns glow
Eng red-eyed on the energetic figure of the
half frantic old man, The cast of THE
Middleman'' is as follows:
Cyrus Blenkarn (his original character)--
MIR. willard
Jos, Chandler, of the Tatlow Porcelain
Works-----------,-----M Mr.. Royce Carleton
Captain Julius Chandler, his son--------
Loui sMassen
Batty Todd, Chandler's managing man -
------------------------- Nj. Harry Cane
---------------------- MIR. +. h. Tyler
Sir Seaton Umfraville Mr. Arthur Lewis
Mr.. Vachel lawyer Mir. John Barfoot
Epiphany banks, of GawCott-in-the- moors.
-------------------------M Mir. Harry Holiday
Daniper, a reporter Percy Winter
Postman-- Mr.. Fred Maxwell
Dutton------- Mr.. Hugh Harting
Nancy Blenkarn -..-.... Miss Zeffie Tilbury
Mrs. Chandler---------------M Miss Emma Rivers
Maude Chandler------------MlsSM Maxine Elliott
Lady Umfraville -------------Miss May Roberts
Felicia Umfraville -------M Miss Nanny Craddock
Mary Blenkarn -. miss Marie Burroughs
Judah another of Jones' recent plays,
is to be done Thursday.
Madame Albani, who is now singing al
the Metropolitan opera house, New York
contributes the following article to the
Journal:
| am believer in universal operate
language. The Italian, because of the ease
of it's delivery and its softness, is the most
readily adaptable. The majority of oul
popular operas are written in that Ian
guage, and even the most modern com
poser. one OF the most clever musicians in
the world, Mascagni, author of Cavaliers
Rusticana," is an Italian. Mascagni was
poor young man when Sonzogno the Milan
publisher, offered prize for the best one
act opera. He was among the competitors
and his great talent was at once recog
nized. He has yet, l think, to be seen al
his best.
His second work, "L'Amico Fritz is
not so good as "Rusticani" but one he il
now at work on viii, it is said, startle the
world 1t is called "Rantzau," and is
founded on one of Sardou's plays. 1t pos
sesses great dramatic possibilities.
OF the operas now being produced Yer
dis "Otellon will wear well. Wagner is
naturally popular IL New Y ork because Of
the immense German population. He will
always be looked upon with favor here as
In Berlin and other cities largely settled by
Germans, Wagner's operas are seldom
produced in London, Paris or st. Peters
burg. They are, in Europe, almost exclu
sively confined to Germany.
French, like German opera, will always
be popular locally, if not because of ma
tional pride, for the reason that the gov
ernments of France and Germany subsi
die their grand opera houses The Crane
opera house in Paris has a subsidy of 500,
600 francs annually. Opera in Americs
and England is not subsidized, perhaps be
cause less interest is felt in it here thar
abroad.
OF the operas already produced this sea
son, Faust" 'Lohengrin'' and LIE.
Huguenots" are the most popular. Per
sonally / prefer Faust" 1 love tn,
character of Marguerite, because of it
possibilities.
Of the great tenors Of the world Jean d.
Reszke, now singing here, is, in my opin
ion, the most powerful. His method is al
most without flaw. He is a famou
Othello.
OF late there has been more of less dis
&C am