The record-union., 1896-04-12

threw me up against tHe Walls VI '
room-and all as If he had been TOSS
! ing a "featherweight." / was puInhs
and nearly exhausted when l saw
merry twinkle in Mr.. Muldoon eye
I asked him-between gasps-Wnat ne
was going to do next, and ne nearly
had fit from laughing-he hao oeeh
simply amusing himself trying 10 see
how much punishment l could take. "A.
night 1 had my revenge. After throw
ing himself over my shoulder a great
feat of strength on my part, as INC
press printed next day. deliberately
sat down on his chest. The Assoclateu
Press chronicled the story that Joe
Haworth defeats Muldoon in -FOUR
rounds in Pittsburg.
Some very funny stage eftects nave
been seen which have been causeo
through the machinery going wrong
Not very long ago at Covent Garden the
trap-door, or the hoist under II, struck
work just as Mephisto was appearing
leaving him with just his head showing
above the boards. The conductor
trembling between hope and fear, went
on with the crashing music OF the mo-
ment, and the famous rec1tatlve was
delivered in sepulchral tone OF voice
which set the house roaring, until some
Cne rang down the curtain, after Whlcn
the piece went smoothly. Shortly a1ter
Verdis "Falstaff' was played for the
first time, a practical joker inserted
nail in the fat mans pneumatic outnt,
with the result that he shrank Vlslply
before the audience, and his counter
felt adipose tissue finally hung empty
about his person. Something going
wrong with the works spoilt one OF the
most effective scenes in William Tell
on one occasion. The scene in which
William Tell shoots the apple from his
sons head is managed, as rule, by
letting the arrow run along an invisible
Wire connecting crossbow and apple.
On this occasion, however the arrow
ran along the wire, but stuck halfway,
remaining suspended in midair. Will
lam shook his cross bow, but the arrow
would not bulge. The son looked
frightened, the apple began to bob on
his head, and the audience began to
litter a litter which was converted into
a shout of laughter when one of Cess
ler's guards, taking in the situation,
stepped forward from his post and
calmly gave the arrow smart tap with
his halberd, when If proceeded on its
way and buried itself in the apple upon
the boys head.
But by far the mcst embarrassing
situations of which the stage is capable
are caused by the gods, some of whose
hunor is really of a high order, and may
wreck a situation or even a play. Thus
Guy Domville'' was a failure, and it
was chiefly due to the gods who are
certainly no respecters of persons or Of
seasoned regulations. On the raising of
the curtain one of the actors is discov-
cred alone, whereupon one of the divini-
ties in question remarked, Hope we
amt a-keepin' Of yer up, mister" much
tc the amusement of the house. This,
Of course, did not do much harm, but
when one of the actors piously remark
ed that he was the last of his line, and
was promptly met by the equally pious
ejaculation, Thank heaven for thati"
from a graee1ess parsonage in the GAL
lery, it ''queered his PITCH" to use a
piece of stage slang. Little things like
this naturally upset an actor, especially
If he should be trying to make a new
piece.
A famous comedian says that such a.
remark was the most trying he ever
experienced. The piece he was in was
failure-the gods We're ripe for wreck
ing and the stalls yawnng when he
) gave vent to the unfortunate remark
This Is indeed dreadful" and was
met with the immediate response
Dreadful, Harry! Why, it's awful"
Oh, my offense Is. rank, it smell to
Heaven remarked Claudius, King of
Denmark, during a representation of
Hamlet, and he was promptly met
with this advice, If 1 was you, old
chap, I'd send for the Sanitary In
spector, and have it put right Mere
remarks from the gallery, however
will not thoroughly disconcert an old
hand, unless they chance to be humor-
Gus ones which fit situation exactly
and which, in consequence set the
audience laughing to such an extent
I that he cannot proceed. An example
of this occurred at one of the universi-
ties some years ago. The German
Reed entertainment was being given
( in theater of the town, and was pre-
1 ceded by comedy sketch The curtain
rose upon an empty stage, and pres
entity meek and mild young man
made his entrance, with an overcoat
/ in his hand. and called loudly. "Uncle.
! Unclei" He should have received no
answer to this call in the real play:
/ but after waiting a brief space should
/ have gone on with his part to himself.
4 but wretched undergraduate In the
! gallery, unfortunately for the actor.
/ took upon himself to give him an an
I swer, and shouted. out with all his
! might, "Helloa! ORD chap; how much
do you want on it?" The effect of this
querry on the audience was indescriba-
BILE. They shrieked and shrieked with
laughter, while the miserable actor
/ stood like one petrified, and. after try
ing in vain to go on with his part.
left the stage. to reappear no more that
evening.-London Standard
a writer in London Truth" throws
cold water on the notion that we'll
known vocalists all revel in wealth: A
week or two ago, in a cause to which
/ do not otherwise intend to refer, a
gentleman who is described in the ad-
vertisements (at any rate, for Amer
lean circulation as "Englands Emil
nent Baritone" and who really is an
excellent and favorite vocalist, swore
that his total bookings in 1892 were
1862 Is: in 1893 1923 rs. Cd, and in
1894, f620 lis. Out of this by no means
phenomenal amount the baritone in
question had, of course, to pay 10 per
/ cent. to his agent, and almost ali the
enaagements@ were in the country to
defray his hotel and travelling expenses.
which, as a concert. unlike a theatrical
engagement. is invariably only one
night affair, must have footed up a
ccrSi. ara BILE St,Yr,-a