Evening star., 1897-01-11
THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

Albert Chevaliers career has been a very
Interesting one. He was born in London,
in 1852. His father was a French teacher
in the Kensington Grammar School, and
lie himself comes of three races-French,
Welsh and Irish-to each of which races
he traces in turn his minetic power, plain
tive mirstrelsy and natural humor. H.
was but fifteen years old when he mad
his appearance on the stage under tn
B&ncrofts. and for fourteen years h,
worked hard and advanced slowly. He
played with the Kendals. and John Hare.
and with Willie Edouin and other we'll
known London managers. While he was
still on the legitimate stage he began
studying the coster life. and wrote his
first coster songs. which were familiar at
clubs and in a few drawing rooms. before
he finally decided to burn his bridges be-
hind him and become vaudeville artist
Between 1889 and 1891 CheValier was play
ing in burlesques in London. and it was
then that he sang his first coster song.
Our 'Armony Club" in which he gave
an impersonation of Richard Mansfield,
who doing Doctor Jekyll and Mr..
Hyde in London. When Aladdin was
being played he saEg THE Coster's Court
ship which ne had also previously given
several club smoking concerts in Lon
don. where il had decidedly caught on. 1t
was the success OF The Costers Court
SKIP that first made Chevalier famous
1t was then encored nightly in Aladdin,
and all London began singing of the loves
of AIRY and 'Arriet. and music hall
agents made rush to secure him. At first
he did rot relish the idea of abandoning
the theater for the music hall. and to this
day. in spite of his successes, it is ques-
ton if Chevaler wholly ENJOYS the at
mosi ierc of the music hall in London
But the money offered was many times the
salary that even when doing well he could
earn in the legitimate and he became in
one season the most famous and popular
concert nall singer in London.
He writes his own songs. and some of
them he has also set to music. The music
for others has been composed by his broth
CT and Mr. Crook. musical director at the
Avenue Thester. London Chevalier him
self tcI-s how some of his songs are made.
core day" he said while staying at
Brisntor. l was just fooling about the
piar0. ard somehow | struck on the melo-
dy Of The Future Mrs. 'Awkins. g. w.
Hurter. no was present. suggested that
il would make n capital song. and Liza
WIS the result The Nasty Way e Sez
1t art Yer Cawr't 'elp Lik:n' i'm were
wriUJs7 upon backs Of old envelopes as /
was 'iii-g home after an evening in the
Green Room Club.
Knocked 'em in the Old Kent ROAD
happened in this way: One morning l was
in my bed room shaving. my brother Au-
SuSte being down stairs at the piano. All
al once he struck into melody. and the
idea OF its r1akinG Il capital song at once
him. W hat tune is that l asked. oh.
little waltz Of mire.' he replied Then he
played il again. All l can say is that
ne.er left the house until 'Wot Cheer was
written
Some of the incidents connected with the
super part of the parade in The Wo-
man IN Black" are very amusing On one
occasion the parade was triumphantly
marching across the stage, when d very
fat super. who was in the front rank, fell
Iaa a hos ir1rf0 Ii
ately following fell on top of one another
in the center of the stage. Sargent Aborn,
who is Jacob Lifts manager. says he has
had red fire spilled all over him. has had
Roman candles fired off in his face, been
trampled and entertained in various
other pleasant ways by this very refined
assemblage. Recently, while he was ar
ranging for smooth '-first-night' parade.
one of the supers, who played most i'm
pOrtant position was bewidered. interfer-
ing with Aborns well-laid plans The
manager made grab for him and, instead
of reaching the super. ran his hand into a
pan of red fire and has since carried his
arm in a sling. He wears bandage over
his eye the result of another ''misun-
derstanding." Mr.. Aborn persists in per-
sonaily supervising this sceHe. and says he
will continue until he has had both eyes
put out and both his arms blown off
IN syracuse a super who had a grievence
against the Jheater mistOok the manager
for comrade and suggested the advisa-
billty of instituting mutiny. The man
coincided with his views. The scheme the
super advised was to tie up the sleeves of
all TIE Uniforms i;.st before the men were
10 dress for the parade, which plan, of
course, II carried out would destroy the
scene entirely. Aborn said the scheme
was great one and said he knew lust
where the uniforms were kept. The two
then quietly sneaked down under the
stage. and Aborn told the super TO go into
room where the uniforms were supposed
10 be and wait until he ran up on the stage
lot LOT some rope with which TO tie them.
Ihe super was in high glee and walked
INTO the room, which Aborn knew could be
locked from the outside by spring pad
lock Az soon as the super was safely in
tne room which was dark and damp
Aborn quickly closed and locked the door
and returned to the stage intending to
release the would-be mischief maker after
the parade had taken place. When Aborn
left his man he so busy with the de-
tails OF the procession that he completely
forgot all about the prisoner, and il the
man did make an attempt to be released
ne could not be heard. as the improyised
jail was In most remote part of the thea
yer. Aporn LETT after the performance
never once thinking Of the plotter. 1t
was alter midnight when the night WATCH
man heard some one yelling creating much
noise somewhere under the stage. He A.
naily discovered the culprit. and no ex-
planation he could make would satisfy tbe
watchman. who straIghtway handed tbe
poor crestfallen super in charge as a
thief The man was released the next
ioi iHiis "hei MT ADorn explained the
circumstances to the theater manager
The drama of country is one Of its
most important educational tnstitutions -
MT Richard Mansfield is quoted to have
said In a recent interview 1T should he
more earnest than the twaddle which
American audiences are being forced to
swallow today as part of their theatrical
Dill or fare Yes, / consider American au-
disnces the most thoughtful the most in
teiigent, the quickest and brightest in the
world There is no comparison between
them and those of England. Any city of
this great United States that you can name
Is at once in the advance of any in Eng
land in that respect. not alone In their an
probation OF histrionic art. but of all the