The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-20
DRAMATIC AND LYRIC.

a great deal of interest has been
created in musical circles by the an
nouncement o. the organization of a
local amateur opera company with
Willard Weihe at its lead, and with
such names as Mr.. Spencer, Mr.. God
dard and Miss Savage among the prin-
cipals. The plan to run an opera four
or five nights, charging cheap prices, is
also applauded as a wise business
move, as hundreds of people who sell
dom or never visit the theatre owing
to their inability to pay 81 or $3.50 Will
do so, when they can see as bright a
musical performance as our amateurs
can furnish, and obtain a reserved seat
for 80 cents. Mr.. Burton is, of course,
doing all he can to encourage the
organiza ton. as it means the employ
rnent of his house goodly number of
nights during the year that would
otherwise remain dark. 1t is no secret
too that the Idle nights at the theatre
are larger during the coming year than
they have been for a long time past,
due, of course. 10 the fact that in these
hard times few big companies viii
make the expensive tour across the
continent. Conditions are such, there
fore, that theatre goers viii have fewer
entertainments from outside sources,
and the time is ripe for local talent
to slip forward and fill the gap. At
fairs were in a somewhat similar con-
dition in 1880. when the Home Dramatic
club spfang into existence. The travel
ing companies were few and far be-
tween, and number of young people
of decided dramatic talent associated
themselves together and gave the long
and notable series of performances
which began with the Romance of
Poor Young Man" in 1880 and ended
with saints and Sinners" in 1894
Thousands of dollars were made by the
theatre and the company during that
time, for everyone had money 10 spend
and the home club was generally
patronized better than the average
travelling company. Conditions have
changed a great deal since then, and in
the great settling process that has
gone on in the past few years. the
popular priced house has doomed up
into a permanent institution in every
considera bic city. of the land. The new
opera company, with costumes to pur-
chase for 40 TO sos people and with
prices ct popular rates does not expect
to be a great money making concern,
hut II does expect TO lose no money,
TO form a pleasant and artisticaliy
profitable association, and TO furnish
clear. bright and enjoyable entertain
ment to our people at times 'when
there is nothing else going on. THE
Mascot" will be the opening work and
Washington's birthday the date. Messrs.
Weihe, Goddard, Spencer and Whitney
will cast the opera and select the
chorus, which will be made up of the
best voices to be found in amateur
circles.
The Kirmess came to merry ending
at the theater yesterday afternoon and
evening. 1t has been a great artistic
success, but only moderate financial
one. That it did not make more money
than it did is due TO nothing but the
hard times; everything that the hard
working committee of ladies could do
was done, and that lavishly. The fact
that any money whatever was made,
with 10000 fathers and mothers study
ing how TO explain the poverty of old
Santa Claus this year, is perhaps the