The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-02-28
NYM RINKLES LETTER
important Events of the The
atrical Week in New York.
THE OPERA SEASONS FAILURE

AttaIic-"Uncfe Ceicstin's" Automatic
Plano and Coined ian-oI Eng
Iish Notions.
NEW YORK, Feb %-There is good
deal OF speculation az to the outcome OF the
opera season. Mr.. Maurice Grau's public
statement that Mr.. Abbey Is tired OF
opera and will not have anything 10 90
with it next year is coupled with rather
bitter complaint Of the way the press mas
treated the management NciIher MT
Abbey nor Mr. Grau would care raparee
for what the press said II they had been
successful
II is now understood on the inside that
the stockholders are going to run their
own opera next season on popular and
economic basis-rnixing caviare and mock
turtle periodically; that is, alternating
Wagner with Meycrbeer In any case it
will not be opera for the people, but for
the stockholders. A great deal Of injustice
has been done the management by the
press. OF at least that part Of it which is
inimical 10 Italian opera. 1t has sneered
at the artists unjustly and found fault
with the orchestra, the conductor and the
ensemble. But the fact remains that the
season has covered wider range of works
than ever before, and covered them with
larger average of artistic success.
Opera at the best is a thankless under
taking for manager. Those who want
the exclusive and expensive luxury ought
10 pay for it, and that is what they will
have TO do next season.
Lillian Russell and ia Cigale" have
withdrawn from the Garden theater for
the road and simultaneously Miss Hunt
ington and Miss Gerrish come tot the front
one at the Union Square the other at the
Casino.
The Casino affair proved TO be riotous
vaudeville in which an approved monkey
sinner, Mr.. jefferson de Angels, carried
off all the bonors with pitchfork.
You can hardly imagine popular en-
tertainment at this house whose two at
fractions aside from the ever regnant
chorus) is an automatic piano and the
exploits of the comedian in trying to
carve roast turkey. But that is what
"Uncle Celestin" rests on. 1t must there
fore be said that the Casino did not fill
the gap left by Lillian Russell. 1t pro-
duced Loie Fuller in dance and Mabel
Stephenson, who chirps like bobolink,
but everybody felt that the automatic
piano was the main card.
1t will be a very difficult thing to offer
substitute for Lillian Russell 10 the men
about town. There are score of women
who can sing better, but there is nobody
who has the same amount of good looks
and good voice combined. Without doubt
she carried La Cigale" through all the
weeks at the Garden theater on her white
shoulders Strangers at the hotels went
to see Lillian Russell They never asked
what the entertainment was and they
were amply repaid by the sensuous con-
temptation of the beauty, cunningly ar
rayed in the most seductive and sumptu-
Gus robes
These feminine pets have their clientele
of admirers or wOrshipers, who are much
more Of a popular phenomenon than the
pets themselves for they simply select a
goddess and they agree to swear by her
and buy her flowers and expend an enor-
nous amount of callow enthusiasm over
her until a new star appears. Lillian Rus
sell has had following of that kind here
for long time. There is, | believe, Lii
liam Russell club up town of young men
who, having no other ideal, have selected
this one as an inspiration and trade
mark.
But now it seems that younger and
fresher woman in Miss Russel's company
is attracting attention. This is Miss At
talie Claire who has the advantage of vir-
ginity, etheriality and a certain vernal in
genuousness. The college boys having
taken an oath to love and decorate her and
buy tickets to her benefit, we can under
stand that presently the managers will be
reaching out for her Some years ago there
was play put Oh at the leading up town
theater which required two leading
women, and the management had 10 Sc
cure in addition to its regular lead another
and younger who made a great hit with
the public.
The lady of the company then appealed
to one of the New York clubs, and pow
erful coterie went to the management and
threatened TO withdraw its patronage if
the newcomer was not shelved. / am
sorry TO say that the manager succumbed.
1t is now said by the Claire adherents
that the recent presentation of diamonds
TO Lillian Russell was gotten up by the
management, Miss Russell contributing
the diamonds, and even the club boys &C
knowledge that chivalry is better expressed
In flowers
Mime. Emma Eames has appeared at the
Metropolitan opera house as Margherita,
in Gounod's Faust" 1t is notable that
this opera drew one of the largest assem-
haQes of the season. Every box and every
seat in the vast house was filled, which was
very far from being the case on the nights
of the much vaunted "Lohengrin." The
interest of the story was attested by the
close attention of the extraordinary audi
ence, and there was great deal of anxiety
20 see M. Edouard de Reszke as Mephisto.
This artist had been somewhat extrava-
gantly praised, but was disappointed III
his Mephistopheles, which had been done
here in the past with great deal more Of
the sardonic flavor that Gounod no less
than Goethe put into it, and he fell far short
of the devilish cynicism and sarcasm of
the music in the serenade. Nine Eames
seemed to me to be "A colorless Margherita.
She certainly lacked emotion and power.
Her voice is not extraordinary in compass
or timbre. Her attack is bad and her in
donation defective
1t is seldom that a Gretchen fails TO win
an audience in the jewel song or the King
of Thule" but Nine. Eames' effort passed
without a hand
Mr. Richard Mansfield has returned TO
the Garden theater bringing with him his
"Don Juan" But the place that gave it
birth did not know it. lie has taken all
the bones out Of 1t and let the epidermis
hang in the air 1t is now farce called
"rhe Weather Vane"