The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-10
hlayor, tho idol OF many q matinee girl Of
tho last generation, that sterling trngedinn
and representative actor, James S. Muir

tho last generation, that sterling tragodinn
and representative actor, james S. Muir
| uoch.
Comic Opera Not Dead.
While 1t is reported and is possibly truo
| that Dol!a Fox will noXt season abandon
comic opera for musical comedy, it does
not by any means, provo that tho former
class vt entertainments Is t'oal or has boon
| put on tho uunCos stool by tho managers
| Outside of tho ambitious organization
| which will hold forth during tho aronter
portion Of next season Mt Abbcy's theatcr,
| Max Blciman will send out an enormous
| organization In u work on which Do Koven
and Smith, tho authors of "Robin Hood"
"Rob Roy" etc, arc now collaborating.
| Besides this, hear TINT La Shclo and
| Clarke, tho proprietors of tho Frank Dan
| icls Opera company, arc looking for an
| othor book and score. Innsmuoh as Dan
| iels In "Tho Wizard Of tho Nile" has matlo
ono Of the really phenomenal hits of tho
season In pocuniary us VOL as artistic
sense, 1t cannot DO needed for him. 1t
must therefore be thoir intention to send
out still another company. Then there
will DO JEFF De Angels, who, predict,
will give Francis Wilson and De Wolf
Hopper close race for supremacy Be-
sides all these, there will BIO on tho road
about score of smaller organizations do
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 time ago several of the first GLASS
theators OF this city put up tho prices of
orchestra chairs to s2. For n short time
tho innovation seemed to get along swim
mingly, but thon tho public rebelIed. The
alter goors could not understand why thcy
should pay - to SEQ II company which
would go over to Brooklyn tho following
week and present tho same play In the
same manner at prices ranging from 81. 80
down. Tho attendance began to fall away
slowly, and now several of the houses have
gone back to tho rate Of $3.50, which, in
all conscience, is high enough. 1t Is IN
open secret that most Of the Now York
city theaters do not pny, but that Is no
affair of tho public. If 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 "Now York indorscmcnt"
a thing, by tho way, which is rapidly
losing its vnluo-and they must pay for it.
1t Is manifostly unfair to expect their pa
irons to foot tho bills for their foolish OK
perimentation; hence tho drop In prices in
most cases.
Popularity of Music Halls.
Tho popularity of music halls continues
undated Spurrcd on doubtless by tho
great SUCCESS of Hammcrstein' Olympia
and Roster & Balls, 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
tho favor with which these places have
mot on any other theory than that the pco-
pie patronize them primarily because they
are permitted to smoke and drink there,
and that the entertainment provided Is but
O secondary consideration 1t 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 takings of tho continuous
performance houses. Then, too, on the
road, while tho 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 moro
prosperous times. Scarcely ono of these
affairs has failed to make money. The
result cannot, however, foil to be bono
fetal, for next season tho woods will BIO
full OF them, and nearly all of them will
foil, whereat tho genuine friends of the
drama will rejoice.
Gilbert and Sullivan Again.
The qunrrcls of Gilbert and Sullivan, or,
moro correctly speaking of Gilbert, arc
rather old story, but tho doings of these
TWO marvellous compounders of comic
opera are always of interest. They have,
hear, nearly completed IA work which
Will be produced in London within a cou-
plo of months. If it should provo success
full in the British metropolis, 1t will DO
brought to this country. Despite the fact
thQt I'M,
gether again. it is snid that they "ncver
speak AS they pass by" and that their solo
method of communication Is through mu-
tual friend D'Oyly Carte If this be
true 1t may provo Il serious drawback to
tho SUCCESS of tho collaborators. Their
early works were wonders Of satirical dia-
loSuo and melody. Sullivan's music mover
failed TO catch tho exact spirit of Gilbcrt's
librctto as witness 1.-THE Mikado,' PA
tience" and "Pinaforc. That was be-
cause they were In perfect accord. Long
distance or half hearted collaboration is
seldom productive of tho best results and
utopia, Limited, " tho latest joint effort
OF these erstwhilo inseparables, is shining
veri1lcation of tho truth of that assertion
A Rising Coincidence.
There isn girl playing the role of an Eng
lish page hoy in "GGntlcman Joo'' at the
BlJou thcatcr in this city, who is certain
to make her mark in her chosen profession.
| She Is Dorothy Usner, a petite, winsomo,
highly educated aud exceedingly pretty
and vivacious ingenuo who can also sing.
she was born In st. Louis 30 years ago,
| -