The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-03
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
The Opening Sale of Seats for the First
Night.

Night.
The public sale for the opening night
of The Jefferson begins next Tuesday
morning at o'clock. There are l2oo
excellent seats to be sold for the nrsU
night and undoubtedly these will go ike
hot cakes when they are placed on sale.
The seats on the second balcony of the
new theatre are very desirable as an ex-
cellent view of the stage can be obtained
from every seat in the house. In order
to give every one chance and to cheat
the doctors and the undertakers the place
where the advance sale is to occur will be
open all night on Monday so that early
corners will not have to stand in line out
of doors until the sale commences. Only
six seats will be sold to one person and
this it is hoped will prevent the specula-
tors from getting in their work Every
one will want to see the new theatre and
hear the King of Actors, Joe Jefferson
make his speech of dedication before the
curtain rises for the first tiIss in the
handsomest and best arranged theatre
outside of Boston.
Halt King.
All theatre goers and particularly all
lovers of that most popular form OF
amusement, comic opera, read with I'M
feigned pleasure of the engagement here
of that prince of comic opera comedians,
Francis Wilson and his operatic organi-
cation who will be seen in his greatest
success "Half King" at the opening
of Portland's magnificent new theatre,
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, Sep
TENDER IA and Is. Francis Wilson brings
to us the best that wehaye in comic opera.
No star in his line of endeayor devotes
apparently SO much thought and study
and time and !, attention and work and
money upon his production as does Mr..
Wilson. His operas are invariably mount
ed and staged with an artistic lavishness
that has placed the standard of his annual
offering at the head of comic opera pro-
auctions in this country. He appears to
be constantly striving to surpass his own
efforts in this direction. He has set q
lively pace for others to follow.
Mr.. McCullum's Plans,
Manager McCullum and his plans for
next year have been the subject of
considerable speculation of late. 1t has
been confidently predicted that he would
not return to Peaks island another year;
Int might go to some point on the Cape
shore. Mr.. McCullum himself says that
his return to the island will depend on
whether there is to be a new theatre capa-
BILE of comfortably seating thousand
people in good seats with 400 more ordi-
nary seats. With such theatre he will
give such plays as Shenandoah, Two Lit
tie Migrants, Sue, Sweet Lavender, I'm
der the Red Robe, Charity Ball and 9TH
ers of that like.
Saturday evening will close his season
here, and next Wednesday he will be
stage manager and leading comedian at
the Grand Opera House in St. Louis.
Mr.. Booker will go with him. The other
members of the company will be dis
pearsed as follows: Miss Ingram goes
with the Louisville stock company. Miss
Leigh will take the leading parts with
the Waite comedy company, opening in
Boston next Saturday. Miss Robertson
is signed with the Two Little Migrants
company as is Mr.. Armstrong. Miss
Winter W IL be with Brooks and Dixon
in new production; Wilton Lackaye is
the leading man of the, company. Mr..
Bridgeland goes with Julia Arthur in an
English play entitled A Lady Of Quail
ty Mr.. Pascoe will do leading parts in
the Morosco stock company of San Fran
cisco. Mr.. Conniers will play heavy parts
with Fanny Davenport. Mr.. Hughes will
be with the Brooklyn stock company, and
Mr. Livingston with the Louisville stock
company. Miss Reynolds goes to the
Hopkins stock company of Chicago. Miss
Ballou will star in Blue Jeans. Mr..
Henry will be with James A. Hearne in
Eearthstone. Mr.. Dvorak is at Hoyt's
theatre, New York. Mr.. Cary joins Lew
is Morrison in The Privateer. Mr.. Brown
Ing will be5with A Girl from Paris.
Gorman's Specially Alliance.
There are but two remaining days for
the public to witness the entertainment
given at Riverton park by the Germans
Speciality Alliance and it Is safe to as
sumo that the closing entertainments
will be witnessed by large audiences.
The entertainment is an attractive one
and has given general satisfaction
throughout the week. The park at this
season of the year presents its prettiest
appearance and the public should avail
themselves of the opportunity to visit
1t before the entertainment ceases.
Courted Into Court.
Many American playwright. have in
the past few years turned their attention
to the comedy stage with more or less
success. Of the fortunate class, John J.
McNally can justly lay claim to mem
bership. This prolific writer has a record
of ten comedies to his credit, fall of which
have been produced with signal success
by that conservative firm of theatrical
caterers, Messrs. Rich and Harris. Mr..
McNally's writings care invariably in a
humorous vein, punctured with witty
ID m n f