The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-15
TOLD BY BELL.
The Decline and Fall of Comic Opera.
Vaudeville the Rage.

iblidry btli, tHc le" ioth foNieWSi.
in looking over the field, has something
to say about entertaining things in Goth
am:
One of the most notable features of
these times Is the decline and fall of
comic opera. Instances OF this are varied
and numerous. The Casino, that ancient
house OF light music, is now given over
to farce. Paimer's, which used to have
profitable season of summer melody, is
either closed during the dog days or de-
voted TO burlesque. Rudolph Aronson,
the comic counterpart OF Abbey d Grau
and Damrosch, has abandoned chords and
choruses, and viii have nothing more TO
do with Strauss or Offenbach. sydney
Rosenfeld, the Yankee Gilbert, has given
up iibretto writing and taken to serious
comedy. For all we know. Cheever Good
win and " oolson Morse may be dead and
buried. The prima donnas of long ago
are now in oblivion or the drama. sadie
Martinot, the famous Nanon of the Ca
sino, is absorbed hy Boucicault. Marie
Jansen of "Erminie' reDown, is in farce.
Pauline Hall has exchanged public APP
plause for matrimonial duties. Isabelle
Urquhart has retired. Billie Barlow is
IN England, Nine. Cottrelly has disap-
peared. At one time We could not go
through the summer without Francis
Wilson; at another the heated term was
company. But now the tuneful colooel
Is in that elysium where there are good
singers and no salaries, and, so far as
New York is concerned, Mr.. Wilson
might as well be. Where are the Hall,
Wilbur, Carleton, Fox, larmine, Wilson,
Jansen, Carte, Duff, Morrissey, Leslie,
Steison and Church choir opera compan-
les? Because most of these troupes have
gone into bankruptcy, are we to have no
bakes and ale of mirth and melody? Have
caidheaded men no rights which inn
pIesarii are bound TO respect?
At present the only prima donna we can
lay our hands on is Lillian Russell. The
golden diva is modern Casa blanca. In
her new costume OF tights she is a boy
that stands on the burning deck, whence
all but she have fed. Yet Lillian's busi-
ness has not been what it used TO be, and
Mr.. French viii not guarantee an inde-
pendent fortune to De wolf Hopper dur
ing his projected season at the Broadway
Theater. We understand that one night
recently the entire receipts OF csl le-
brated comic opera company amounted
to exactly $50. Inasmuch as the expenses
of that performance were over s5C0, it is
hard to discover any profit for the man.
agement mt these rates. We can remem-
Der the good old days when "Erminie"
crowued the Casino TO suffocation every
night, without enabling the Aronsons to
declare a dividend; when the boxes and
front rows were filled with old fellows,
who had tried every sort Of hair tonic
without success; when the Calumet Club
engaged all the cabs and flowers to be
had for money and when, no matter how
homely chorus girl might be, SHE was
still sure OF champagne supper.
But nowadays-save the mark-we be-
lieve that Abe Hummei Is the only bald
headed man in town. One of his part
ners, it is hinted, powders his hair to-
initiate the gray, nlisute beauty of KyrIe
Bellew. But that does not count After
surveying he entire matter carefully we
have arrived at the melancholy conclusion
that but for the championship of Lawyer
Hummel comic opera would go into sup
Elementary proceedings.
Here again we observe the disastrous
influence Of vaudeville. Not content
with thrusting a dagger under the fifth
1 rib of the drama, our music halls
are now engaged IN a death struggle
With light opera. The end Of the matter
is not doubtful. Vaudeville has already
triumphed over the fiue young man who
Jumps down precipices and is ground
under mill wheels rather than be n part
ner to villany; over the spotless damsel
who will endure any vicissitudes to pre-
serve her good name; over the corner po-
IicemeD, the hard-hearted landlord and
virtue in distress. Vaudeville has siren
uously resisted all attempts of the classic
poets to get out OF their graves, and
through its Interference tie English
authors who used to draw large revenues
from our tbeaters are now on short
rations. These pre- 'iminary bouts won,
vaudeville is laying seige against comic
opera. Ii has already carried Palm.r's
and the Casino, vanquished Duff and
Aronson. Pray heaven 1t may not abduct
Lillian Russell. Let the golden diva
stand stoutly in her tights for good
music. else vaudeville VIII elope with
her as 1t did with her husband. We dis
like to warn our lovely primn donna that
Mr.. Bial has his eye on her. That Mr..
Proctor Is preparing to sing serenades un-
der her window, that Mr. Keith wants
to make her n continuous thing of beauty
and Joy for ten hours with scanty time
for meals, and that Mr.. Hammerstein-
most aluring OF mer-will have her in
his ballet 10 she does not watch out.
The tour OF the Franco Italian Company
has teen so prosperous that We are IN
formed by one who knows all about the
matter that Mr.. Abbey and Mr.. Grau can
now confidently connC on profits OF sl0U,-
600 for the sea.on. II Is true that this
surplus Ill be dismayed when IL crosses
the street from the Metropolitan to Alb
bey's and balances the books of the comic
opera ccmrany. Still, whether the inn
presari come out at the end OF the year
with wealth or no wealth from their diff
ersnt ventures, the fact remains that
grand orers has paid its expenses and left
n handsome profit. The prospects for
next season are bright. The plan OF man
apem Mt 10 devote Abley's to opera
oomiqus. as II is understood in Paris, Is
an excellent one. Abbey aud Grau have
certain operas anc singers. which, al
though somewhat lost In the vast stage
and auditorium OF the Metropolitan, will
be admirably adapted to the compact size
OF the theattr. Then. too, great many
ray 90 for the privilege OF h. a'ing lighter
voiced but still worthy artists, such as