Evening star., 1897-03-13

al the Arlington Yesterday dittffoon anu
talked pleasantly with Star reporter. Il
feel somewhat out OF sorts. said Miss
Russell because my cold is not entirely
gone and | cannot practice as much as l
would like 10. II could have had a week =
rest l would have been all right by this
time OF course. I'm better. anu
have surg every night this week. al
though my physician warned me Sunday
Just before left New York not to attempt
to sing Monday night. However, the
change of climate. | suppose. helped me.
and | have been improving right along.
Still | can't do the work l would like to.
for am studying Il new opera, The We'd
ding Day
Why don't you head purely English
opera company next season. asked The
Star reporter You have made all the rep
utatiOn possible out of comic opera. and,
with your voice and personality. you could
very easily win great success in legitimate
English opera. Take Martha. Fra Dia
volo. Mariana. The Bohemian Girl The
Rose of CASTLE Crown Diamonds. and
then Faust 'Mignon. 'Crispino la Co
mare. and others that might be named.
and You could make a repertoire that
would sUrpass any that has been presented
by an English opera company III many
years.
mare. Gar and Zimmerman and others
indt might u. named. ana you could make
a repertoire that would surpass any that
has been presented by an English opera
company In many years
That idea has been suggested 10 me be
fore. said Miss Russell. and | lave con-
sidered II good deal. But where
get a manager who would he willing 10 get
together company capable Of properly
presenting those operas? | have s,udied
most of the leading roles. nj am fully up
in them myself. but there v,oti" have to
he practically double set of principals for
it's hard work to sing such Operas you
have mentioned I'm SATISFIED ! coul sing
Lady Henrietta. Zerlfna. Milne. MignoT,.
Marguerite. Maritana and the leading
roles in the other operas. bl!t couldn't do
II seven times week. Then there is
other part Marie in The Chill of the R,gi-
ment, which | have always liked. AMI
really ! would he glad 10 d. that class of
work. but. as | have said t:.s difficulty is
to get a suitable manager "Ue who don't
want to make the biggest profit out of the
smallest eXpenditure-and then there has
been q question 10 whether the public IS
really ripe for firsJ-class English opera.
You know. the public now demands ei:ib-
crate productions both as 10 cast. chorus
and stage appointments. ara it would be
10 easy task to put forward n firSt-t lass
English opera company with Il repertoire
such as you have Suggested However. the
right manager may turn Up. with sufficient
backing ana then We shall see.
AT present" continued Miss Russell,
I'm deeply Interested in the new opera
with its three star attraction. The music is
bright and catchy. and | think IL Will take.
If this venture proves success. as we
have every reason to believe it Will,
suppose | shall tour next season with that
company. and so there would he no oppor-
tunity for the English opera venture. You
see ali of US are very modest. We don't
want a thinE-at least | don't. j think If
alore can draw. say. from Ss,w" to slo.-
rr per week. The three of us ought TO
pull. say. SIs.nO per week. which Will ma
teria!ly add to the income of yours truly.
That's what / hope. and the fruition OF
that hope will be known when The We'd
ding Day is presented In New York next
month.
Mr.. Creston Clarke was. as Is well
known. the late Edwin Booths favorte
TCphew. When Mr.. Booth first saw the
infant Creston ih the cradle thirIy-one
years ago lie looked at him long and earn
estly. ana the little fellow vas SOL
emn-looking child. he finally said. quoting
liue from Richeieu, Thou shalt be a
bishop. Joseph" and for years afterward
70 one called him anything else man
Bishop Joseph The idea seemed also to
Impress itself upon John Sleeper Clarke.
CrestOn's father. ard he determined that
Gle of his children shodld be offered 20
the church, and the young lad was edu-
Gated in Paris with this end in view. But
blood viii tell, and nothing would do until
M Clarke had secured his fathers con-
- nj 10 join him on the stage, and he made
HlS lSbGI IN MS IdIUtr company III Lon
don in 1882. since which time he has been
continually before the public as its IDEAL
pcrtTaytr of Shakespearrin character.
That his nephew should not have fulfilled
his prediction was for some time a keen
disappointment to Mr. Booth. hut wheu he
saw into what great actor he was de-
velOping ne forgave him. ana none were
more earnest in furtherinZ his ambitions
tran his uncle At the death Of Mr.. Booth
ali mis- wardrobe was turned over TO Mr..
Clarke. and i now in his possession. AL
though il IL not in use. being stored in
Ne~ YORK. money could not buy H. as the
recollectiOES of the man who wore IL are
priceless 10 Mr.. Clarke who very often
laEshin2ly says that the mantle of his late
uncle must have been a very large one. as
1t seems TO fall upon so many aspiring
traSedians. but as i happen TO own all of
them myself. why il seems just d biz ri
dICuleUs. Mr. Creston Clarke's artistic
temperament and modesty forbid him max
ing any ridiculous claims to greatness, be-
iTg perfectly satisfied at all times to stand
on his own merits.
Mr. John Carter. who plays The par, of
Father Paschal. the old priest in Mr.
Creston Clarke's production of THE Last
OF His Race" is the possess1r OF a relic
that IN his eyes is priceless. 1t is nothing
more nor less than a small wooden cross
made from a piece of wood from the true
cross. This was presented TO MIN ly Sir
Henry irving, who secured II while in the
Holy Land some years ago. and presented
- ~ MI al tcI dS a bUOU luck token.
Mr- Carter. as Is well known was for six
teen years a member of Irvins's company
As tn benevoleu, Breton priest. whose
heart Is filled with the milk OF human
Kindness. Mr.. Carter will wear the sacred
relic, as he says also. for good luck Mr.
carter Is seventy-seven years of age a
male, hearty. old gentleman. and his father
who Is still alive, will. II he lives be one
hundred and ten years old this April
Miss Lavinia Shannon who will plav the
reading female role in Miss Francis OF
ale. Is Washington girl and will be
warmly welcomed by her many friends
mere Miss Shannon is woman of un-
usual talent ard has won her way to hon
0raole ttsttnctio In her profession by yir-
Tue o. her own merit and by hard and con-
sc4JHIOus work These who knew her in
her girlhood days well remember how
ready she was to lend her aid to every
Charitable purpose. and how frequently she
was called upon to recite at local enter
taIlrnentS. Her piece de resistance was
How Salvador Won the Race" which sh,.
gave with a force and expression that has
rarely been cqualed.
Mr.. Samuel F. Nixon. the mafnspring of
the firm of Nixon * Zimmerman the prime
movers IN the theatrical syndicate, was iii
town yesterday. accompanied by Mr. A L.
ErlarSer OF the associated firm of KIaw &
ET.anger- They have just completed a tour
OF their msst important houses in the south
and were en- route north They expressed
themselves as being exceedingly pleased