The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-10-07

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LEO DITRICHsTEIN.
ure true, for at that time the theater going
public was almost certain TO patronize any
thing that the management put on.
But the Casino fell upon unhappy days.
The people whom it had brought out and
given regulations were, most of them, taken
i'll with violent attacks of the starring
fever, and the house which was once very
properly called 1.-The Home of American
Comic Opera" began its downward career.
Then the unhappy idea of refined vaude-
vile found lodgment in the fertile brain of
the manager-Rudolph Aronson-and the
havoc started by the detection of the erst-
while Casino favorites was completed. A
travelling opera company was brought in TO
check the tide which had set so strongly
against the once popular place of amuse-
ment, but it was too late, and, besides, the
tide checking" company was entirely too
weak for the herculean task before it. A
little later the receivership troubles came,
and after that Mr.. Roseborn took posses
sion. It Is perfectly safe to say that from
an artistic standpoint Mr.. Roseborn has
not achieved a glittering success, and it
would probably be no great exaggeration
to speak in the same manner of the finan-
cial end of the enterprise.
Mr.. Roseborn's first undertaking was the
production of something which for want
of better term might be called a comic
opera, but which in reality is one of the
most absurd things with music in it ever
inflicted upon patient New Yorkers. And
for most of this ex-Manager Rudolph Aron-
son was responsible, for didn't he write
the scorei The concoction is called 1.-THE
Rainmaker of Syria" and the gentleman
who encouraged Mr.. Aronson in his fell
purpose by contributing the libretto is
Sydney Rosenfeld the talented author of
''The Senator" and many other fine plays.
Mr.. Rosenfeld's book is really very
bright, and it contains a coherent story,
which is more than can be said of most
libretti. There are many quaint and essen
TALLY Rosenfeldian conceits which are ad-
mirable, but with all its brightness the
book is so weighted down with the pueril-
ity and absolute inanity of the music, if it
may be called music, that the impression
apt to be left upon the noncritical auditor
is that the whole thing-libretto and all
is very, very bad, l cannot understand
how an experienced and able manager, like
| Mr.. Aronson is conceded to be, even by his
enemies, could have been deluded into the
belief that the jingley drivel for which he
has to answer could possibly, under any
| combination of circumstances, be forced
into even comparative success. 1t only
| adds another argument to the claim that
no man is a competent critic Of his own
work.
| The neck and neck toboggan race of the
| Casino with adversity is likely, however, TO
come to an end soon, for at the close of the
run of ''The Rainmaker Of Syria" Lillian
Russell, who is one of the greatest favorites
/ In this city, is booked to go in there in a
new opera under the management of Ca
nary a. Lederer. That she will make a sue
cess of the venture if the opera is even pass
| ably good goes without saying, for there
are few stars who can draw more money
on the strength Of their personal popular
ity In this city than Lillian Russell. 1t is
expected that the work In which she will
appear is "Princess Nicotine" by Charles
A. Byrne and Louis Harrison.
One of the smallest parts in "The Other
Man." now in its last days at the Garden
theater, is the prince in the awkward
squad 1t is played by man who, in his
excellent makeup, looks like alvin brother
of Richard Mansfield. He is Leo Ditrich.
stein, and this is his first effort in an Eng
lish speaking part, although he has beer
fayorably known in this city for some time
as member of the German companies
His impersonation Of the prince has at
tracted a good deal of attention and much
fiattering comment, and some facts in con
nection with his career may therefore be o.
interest.
To begin at the beginning, Mr. Ditrich
stein was born in Hungary 81 years ago
He was educated in Vienna but when hI
| reached that point in life when he SHOULD
have gone to the university he determined
instead to go on the stage. He made hi
debut as a member of an Austrian company
which was doing "The Private Secre
tary" in the provinces. The stability of thi
banks evidently did not disturb Mr., Ditrich
stein much at that time, for he informed
me with something of pathos, Il rehearseC
during the day, acted at night, studied I
new part for next day after the perform
anee, and In the interval / starved, or a
any rate / was unable always to get a
much food as / could accommodate"
Mr. Ditrichstein had the good FORTUNE
about this time to discover that he was thu
possessor Of an excellent tenor voice, anC
be put it TO good use by singing in eomil
opera in the best theaters Of Austria an6
Germany. After some years Of this he be
gan playing light comedy roles IN Berlin
| where Gustav Amberg saw him and
brought him to New York. His work
with Mr.. Amberg's company has been oi
such an excellent quality that as soon al
he had mastered the English language SUI
iciently he was offered his present part II
"The Other Man" Mr.. Ditrichsteinlwn
be heard from in more ambitious roll
some day. or I'm no prophet.
Jennie o'Neill ~ has a rigal ie iit.