The San Francisco call., 1896-10-25
Greenroom Gossip.


Greenroom gossip recalled many traits
of Henry Abbey last week which were not
mentioned in the obituary notices. when
1 first knew Abbey" said one friend of the
late manager. "he was running Abpey's
Park Theater New York, and had Just
made big hit with Agnes Booth in that
play where she says: Thank God. can
still eat Wrat was it? Yes. Engaged
''Abbey was never known iu Europe till
Patti came over to give a concert tour
under her own management; and, para
doxical as it may seem, she didn't go.
Abbey got two of his friends to help him,
and they offered to star her. Their first
concert was given in Brooklyn with great
hurrah. The horses were taken out of the
carriage and Patti was drawn in triumph
to her hote'-all q put-up thing, but it
dazzled the public. At the end of PATHS
tour the partners had lost $21 600 and
Abbey's hame was made. He could go
right over to Europe and get any foreign
star he wanted. Bernhardt was his next
venture, and she was a great draw. 1t is
hardly probable that she would ever have
come to this country if Abbey had not
brought her, and the same may be said of
Irving. but Abbey introduced them.
'ln 1888 Abbey got the new Metropoli-
tan OPERA house. He knew nothing of
music. Maurice Grau had carte blanche
to engage the artists, but Abbey was the
man who stood on the bridge. He was
always around the foyer q fine figure of
man, ready to open a bottle of charnpagn
with you. or invite you down to his steam
yacht. BE burnt the candle at both ends
during the last few years. Poor Abbey
lived beyond his means end his strength.
He would sit up till or in the morning,
~ lo, q h, h.,
He held out bravely for time, but no con-
stitution could go on standing it, and
Abbey succumbed
"a successor? Abbey can't exactly have
a successor. Maurice Grau has always
handled the artists in the Metropolitan
Opera Company"
Signor Abramoff, who sang at the Met
ropolitan Opera house for several seasons,
says he believes the coming Metropolitan
opera season will be on tirmer financial
basis than during the Abbey -Schoeffel-
Grau management. II don't think Abbey
made very much out Oft latterly," he said.
"Grau, in addition to his share of the
profits, had a commission from the lead
ing artists which Abbey and Schoeffel aid
not touch. Grau will be more directly in
terested in the firm now and 1t will not be
to mis- advantage to permit the payment of
fancy salaries TO the artists. | have it on
the best authority thGt Grau's commits
sion was 10 per cent.
Abbey knew nothing of music. His
specially was moro in handling stars like
Bernhardt and Irving. Tue advice of his
wife, who had been an actress herself, was
OF the greatest use to him in this depart
ment. AS an impresario Grau is already
his successor"
The Ugly Duckling' was written by
three men who never collaborated, !" said
an Eastern actor the other day. II was
in New York at the time and remember
Just how il happened. Belasco had prom
ised that Mrs. Leslie Carter should make
her del but in new play on November 10.
de and De Mile were writing drama for
her, but they were two months behind and
could not possibly get it finished in time.
In ms dilemma Belasco went to Paul Pot
ter and said, You write me the first two
acts OF play in hurry and / will finish
It, Potter set to work on The Ugly Duck
Ing, and at the end of the second act he
turned the drama over to Belasco.
Just as Belasco had finished the third
act he was called away from New York on
important business aud commissioned
Harry Graham to finish the play. That is
the inside history of how The Ugly Duck
ling came to be written, and the play was
a success, though the men who wrote it
never coIlabora;ed.'
On Wednesday night, near the end OF
the second act of "The Babes in the
Wood" cross-eyed man with the ST.