The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-27

comic opera for musical comedy, 10 does
not, by any means, prove that the former
class of entertainment Is dead or has been
put on the dunco's stool by the managers.
Outside of the ambitious organization
which will hold forth during the groatcr
portion OF next season at Abbey's theater,
Max Bleiman will send out an enormous
organization In q work on which DE koven
and Smith, tho authors Of Robin Hood,
"Rob Roy" etc, are now collaborating.
Besides this, hear that La Shelle and
Clarke, the proprictors of the Frank Dan
iels Opera company, are looking for an
other book and score. Inasmuch as Dan
iels in "The Wizard OF tho Nile has made
one Of the really phenomenal hits Of tho
season in n pecuniary as well as artistic
sense, it cannot be needed for him. lt
must therefore he their intention 20 send
out still another company. Thon there
will be JEFF De Angels, who, l predict,
will give Francis Wilson and De Wolf
Hopper n close race for supremacy. Be
sides all these, thore will be on tho road
about a score of smaller organizations de-
voted TO comic opera, stolen and otherwise,
so that tho lovers of light music will have
no just cause for complaint during tho
coming season.
High Prices OF Admission.
Some tlmo ago several of tho first class
theaters of this city put up the prices OF
orchestra chairs to 81. For short timo
tho innovation seemed 10 get along swim
mingly, but then the public rebelled. The
ater goers could not understand why they
should pay 81 TO SEQ company which
l. h.. ell .tt,.
week and present tho same play in tho
same manner at prices ranging from 81. 90
down. The attendance began 10 fall away
slowly, and now several of the houses hayo
gone back to the rate Of 81 80, which, in
all conscience, is high enough. 1t is an
open secret that most of the New York
city theaters do not pay, but that is no
affair of the public. II managers will
erect playhouses on land which Is worth
more than building and ground together
should cost, that Is their own lookout.
They want tho "Ncw York indorsement"
"a thing, by tho way, which is rapidly
losing It's value-and they must pay for it.
1t Is manifestly unfair to expect their pa
irons to foot tho bills for their foolish OK
perimcntation; hence the drop in prices In
most cases.
Topuiarty OF MUSIC HAiiss
The popularity of music halls continues
unabated. Spurrod on doubtless by tho
great success Of Hammerstein's Olympia
and Roster & Bial's, another mammoth
resort OF that sort is TO bo put up almost
directly opposite the latter on Thirty
fourth street. 1t Is difficult TO account for
the favor with which these places have
met on any other theory than that tho peo-
pie patronize them primarily because they
are permitted 10 smoke and drink there,
and that the entertainment provided is but
secondary consideration. IL would also
appear to indicate that that portion of tho
theater going public which prefers serious
dramatic effort Is gradually becoming
smaller. This Wow Is borne out somewhat
by the enormous takinRs Of tho continuous
performance houses. Then, too, on the
road, while the present season has been
disastrous one for most dramatic com
panies, those hybrid organizations which
dispense vulgarity under tho cloak Of bur
lesque have never stumbled upon more
prosperous times. Scarcely one of these
affairs has failed TO make money. The
result cannot, however, fail to be benc-
fetal, for next season the woods will be
full Of them, and nearly all of them will
fail, whereat the genuine friends Of the
drama will rejoice.
Gilbert and Sullivan Again.
The quarrcs of Gilbert and Sullivan, or,
moro correctly speaking, of Gilbert, arc
rather old story, but the doings of these
two marvellous compounders of comic
opera arc always of interest They have,
1 hear, nearly completed work which
will be produced In London within cou-
ple Of months. If it should prove success
tpl In tho British metropolis, 1t will be
brought to this country. Despite the fact
that Gilbert and Sullivan arc working TO.
gether again, it Is said that they "never
speak as they pass by" and that their sole
method of communication is through mu-
tual friend D'Oyly Carte. II this be
true, it may prove q serious drawback TO
tho success of tho collaborators Their
early works were wonders of satrical da-
logue and melody. Sullivan's music mover
failed Go catch the exact spirit OF Gilbert's
libretto, as witness "The Mikado, Pa
thence" and "Pinaforc" That was be-
cause they were in perfect accord. Long
distance or half hearted collaboration is
seldom productive of the best results and
utopia, Limited, " tho latest joint effort
Of these erstwhile inscparables, is shining
veriflcation OF tho truth of that assertion.
A Rising Coincidence.
There Is a girl playing the rolo Of an Eng
lish page boy in "Gontloman joe Mt the
Bijou theater, in this city, who is certain
to mako hor mark In her chosen profession.
She Is Dorothy Usndr, petite winsome,
highly educated and exceedingly pretty
and viyacious ingenuo who can also sing.
She was born in ST. Louis 20 years ago.
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