The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-12
AMUSE MENTS.
EDgIi.h..-.HaIf a King

A delectable and glttering mixture OF
song and comedy. beggars and buriesque
go to make up the comic opera with which
Francis Wilson opened MS annual engage
ment in this city at English's last night
The second act. both as 10 scenery and
opera. is one of the prettiest. most tune
full and most interesting in incidents of any
comic opera diversion since "Erminie
days. 1t opens with the nattily costumed
chorus engaged in a strike at the palace
OF Duke Chateau MargauX and there is
song for the buffers, one for the girls with
the feather busters. another for the ladies'
maids and the cooks. the number ending
with Sister Mary James Top Note"
climax that was so attractive il had 10
be repeated twice. When the chorus people
are not taking the role OF ducal servants
or fine ladies in flowing seventeenth CEN
fury dresses. powdered wigs and beauty
spots OF court plaster on their chins. they
are acting the part of merry cuthroats and
gypsy beggars. The action is rapid and
always entertaining, while the music is
never dull. even when ii is commonplace
Francis Wilson makes none of his en-
frances on the back of his neck nor drops
from thunderstorm, but he slides down
stairs on his feet at one place ana there
ticular star of the organization. Wilson
needs neither chorus nor music but kindly
permits the opera writer's TO introduce
these for the benefit OF those who are not
gifted with a Tyrolean screech and pair
of Lorenzo legs. As everyone knows, Mr..
Wilson does not sing. he does not earn
his wealth that way. but he recites song
several occasions and his recitation or
the topical verses IF 1 were King. ac-
companied by popular music, had four en-
cores and SO impressed the large audience
that many went away whistling the cnorus.
This is always an indisputable argument
that an opera is a hit. There is a touch
ing ballad for Miss CHASER WHICH promises
to become a parlor favorite. Dressed as a
mountebank Miss CHASER sings Would
You Ask the Wand ring Breeze" in way
TO break the heart OF the tenor, clinton
Elder, who is masqueradinS as the hand
some son of a duke.
The Chaser has just saved the handsome
tenor from the cutthroats. and when he de-
mands the name of his protector she puts
him off with her song. Later, when she
girl he is going to marry and he refuses
her because his heart has been mortgaged
TO the mountebanlxs daughter. Miss Chaser
again sings the song. and the Dukes son Is
soon on his knees. There is bit of heart
play here that lifts the entire production
out of burlesque for the time being and
another good song in the last act for Miss
Christie Macdonald, all about a BOLD
Pierre" who is likewise a Mousquetaire.
trying TO trifie with the heart OF french
widow. OF course, the widow leads Mr..
Mousquetaire by the ear to the Paris jus
tice of the peace, or whoever attended
TO such things in the seventeenth CEN
fury Miss Macdonald is assisted by
her supposed father. in the person
of the baritone, John Brand, and his secre-
tary, Miss Agnes Paul. and they make the
BOLD Pierre entertaining that dou
BILE encore was demanded Miss Macdonald
has a pretty foot and she introduces some
charming dance steps and Macmonies
Bacchante kick just to give her foot a
show. j. G. Miron is the clustering Duke
H. 49,
song in the opera Edward Il. Temple;
who. with Miss Macdonald, is so well
known here from his visits on summer
opera occasions. has little opportunity in
the character of Benoit outside Of his work
as stage manager. keeping the machinery
Well oiled and the belts on the wheels. Mr.
j. III. West the basso. leads the beggars in
spectacular pantomime and has grown no
shorter than when he sang at Wildwood
last summer.
From all appearances Francis Wilson is
to have most successful engagement. the
sale for tonight and tomorrow being
large.
Francis Wilson to Fight the Trust.
Francis Wilson and the Theatrical trust"
have had falling out. AS a consequence,
Wilson will book his own route next sea-
son outside of the trust theaters and fight
| the combine. He had made arrangements
| with the trust for the season of 1885, where
| by its managers took him and his COM
| pany for a certain number of nights, and
| then booked him for the various cities as
| they saw fit. In other words, they fur
nished the theaters and the dates and Will
son the company. Wilson did not like the
Baltimore and Washington bookings. as he
was booked at opposition theaters to those
at which he had formerly played. He OBJ
| jected to this. and in return the trust put
him out of Philadelphia. He then withdrew
from his contract and announced his inten-
ton of going it alone. Mr.. Wilson says he
proposes TO book his route independently.
1t is admitted in theatrical circles that it is
doubtful whether he is strong enough TO
win against the trust, but Wilson says if
| he cannot he is in position 10 retire
| 1t is said this action on the part of Will
| son may lead TO other outbreaks against
| the trust by Leading actors.
Some of the New York papers have been
| hShting the syndicate, treating ii as a
menace To the life of theatricaIs, and last
| night Manager Candy, for Mr.. Wilson, sent
| long dispatches TO the New York Herald
ana World, explaining his fight. In eX-
| pIanation of his position, Mr.. Candy said
| last night:
Tine syndicate started out to induce the
| managers to place the entire booking in its
| hanos in order that the companies should
/ not come against each other in any one
| city. That was an inducement that no man.
| ager could not overlook but II soon appeared
| that the syndicate showing preference
| TO some houses over others. Still il was
an enticing bait the syndicate offered and
| 1t caught a great many managers and
| theater owners. Soon as the syndicate be-
| gan 10 feel its power with a large number
| of houses on its list il began TO dictate To
| managers which house they should play in
| in certain cities, regardless OF any suggeS-
tons that might be made by the managers
| who shortly found themselves utterly
poWerleSs. They could not even sign con
| tract without submitting il TO the syndi-
| cate After the thing had gone on awhile
| the syndicate not only demanded com
| mission, but began demanding a per cent
| OF profits running all the way from 10 Il
% per cent.
| by adroit system of coercion the syn
| dicate has now gained control OF fifty-three
| theaterS in the principal cities. In several
| cities IL controls every frSt-claSS theatel
| and unless manager does business with
| the syndicate in one town ne will be shut
| out OF the Syndicates circuit. For instance
| the syndicate controls the Academy at Bal
| timore and Albaughs in Washington and
| all the principal theaters in Philadelphia
J and when did not think il was TO oul
! interest to play the syndicate houses in
| Baltimore and Washington they immediate
| " shut us out of Philadelphia. For eight
| years We have played at FordS i'm Balti
| more and the National at Washington and
| did not believe We could do our accus
| toned business at the syndicate houses
| The negotiations ran on until they refused
TO sign with us in Philadelphia and threat
| ened unless we signed for Washington ant
| Baltimore we must take the consequences
| l received that message i'm this city two
weeks ago and Immediately took the con
sequences. When 1 reached New Orlean:
II i was Informed that they had Cancelled
twenty weeks which we had already signed
in their theaters for next season.
Il feared when we began TO do business
with the syndicate what would be the out
come and expected this would be our re