St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-01

present the same play in the same manner
at prices ranging from $3.50 down. The at
several of the houses have gone back to the
rate Of $3.50, 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. If man
ayers will erect playhouses on land which
is worth more than building and ground
out. They want the New York indorse-
ment'-a thing, by the way which is really
losing its ,yalue-and they must pay for it.
irons to foot the bills for their foolish ex-
perimentation; hence the drop in prices in
most cases.
POPULARITY OF MUSIC HALLS.
The popularity of music halls continues I'M
abated. Spurred doubtless by the great
success Of Hammerstein's Olympia and Kos
ter & Balls, another mammoth resort of that
sort, is to be put up almost directly opposite
the latter on Thirty-fourth street 1t is diff
fcult to account for the favor with which
these places have met on any other theory
than that the people patroniZe them primarily
because they are permitted to smoke and
drink there, and that the entertainment pro-
vided is but a secondary consideration. 1t
would also appear to indicate that that por-
ton of the theater-g going public which prefers
serious dramatic effort is gradually becoming
smaller. This view is borne out somewhat
by the enormous takings of the continuous
performance houses. Then, too, on the road,
while the present season has been disastrous
one for most dramatic companies those hybrid
organizations which dispense vulgarity under
the cloak of burlesque have never stumbled
upon more prosperous times. Scarcely one of
these affairs have failed to make money. The
result cannot, however, fail to be beneficial,
for next season the woods will be full of
them, and nearly all of them will fail, where
at the genuine friends of the drama will re-
joice.
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN AGAIN.
The quarrels of Gilbert and Sullivan, or
more correctly speaking, of Gilbert, are a
rather old story, but the doings of these two
marvellous compounders of comic opera are
| always of interest. They have, hear, nearly
completed work which will be produced in
London In a couple of months. If it should
prove successful in the British metropolis 1t
will be brought to this country. Despite the
fact that Gilbert and Sullivan are working
together again, it is said that they never
speak as they pass by and that their sole
method Of communication is through mutual
friend D'Oyly Carte. If this be true, 1t may
prove a serious drawback to the success of
the collaborators. Their early works were
wonders of satirieal dialogue and melody.
Sullivan's music never failed to catch the
exact spirit of Gilbert's libretto, as witness
'The Mikado," Patience" and "Pinafore."
That was because they were in perfect ac-
cord. Long-distance or half-hearted collabor-
alton is seldom productive of the best results.
Of these erstwhile inseparables, is a shining
verifcation of the truth of that assertion.
RISING COMEDIENNE.
There is girl playing the role of an
English page boy in Gentleman Joe" at
the Bijou theater in this city, who is GER
tain to make her mark in her chosen pro-
fession. She is Dorothy Usner, a petite.
winsome highly educated and exceedingly
pretty and vivacious ingenue who can also
sing. She was born in st. Louis twenty