Evening star., 1897-02-20
THEATRICAL Cos SIP

mon on the stage, where in the legi.imate tie
as well burlesque they are frequeatly
seen. Blonde wigs, correct clothes and a
certain swaggcr that is supposed to repre-
sent masculinity never for a moment cause
even the least experienced of theatergoers
to forget that they are masqueraders That
the exception proves the rule to a
good old expression, is proved by the per-
formances of Miss Jennie Busley and Miss
Minnie Dupree, who impersonate the lead
ing parts in Two Little Migrants" Miss
Dupree, who plays the part of Claude, the
poor, half-staved. sckly fellow who ap-
peals to the sympathy of the audience
even while he is assisting at chicken steal
ing or pocket picking, has only once before
played male character-that was in Bill
Nye's piece. THE Cadi." While she was a
success, the play was failure. Miss Jen-
ME Busley. on the other hand. who i'm
personates the thoroughly manly little fell
low, sturdy and full of health. even al
though surrounded as he is by poverty and
abuse. has never before essayed a male
role. When seen the other day and asked
If she thought at first that she could play
the part she replied: Il knew 1 could not.
Now. however. / have grown accustomed
to the part and to the trousers. L like
them-the trousers. l can walk about as 1
please. sit down when and where / please
and with no fear Of injuring my costume;
il fact, the more soiled it is. the better
suited to the part it is. ioa see those
haCdkeTchiefs," she said, pointing 10 col
lection of half "A dozen very much soiled
handannas that hung over the sasfiXtures
in her dressing room. Well. L have TO
them for busters for several weeks before
they reach a condition that makes them
suitable for my costume. The only thing
that | don't like is mg wig. 1t is hot and
uncomfortable. so the first thing I do after
/ leave the stage Is to take 1t Oft. The other
night in New York ] had an awful fright.
When it came time to go on the wig was
nowhere to be found. All the company
were searching for it, and l was about to
i Tf,I ha. St1 x-,ft
ing on with my head covered with small
hrsids Of hair when it was discovered.
Where do You think it was?" she asked.
bursting into laughter. You will never
guess. so 1 will tell you. On my head! L
ad forgotten TO take il off when | left the
stage l always do and instiHctively
looked for il on my dressing table when 1
was called
Both Miss Dupree and Miss Busley are
essentially feminine the moment they leave
the stage, but once under the influence of
the footiights they become living, breathing
boys. with nothing about them to suggest
the two little women that half hour
after the fall of the curtain leave the thea
ter together. They are not male imperson-
ators because they do not impersonate any
thing. They sink their indiviGualities so
completely in the parts they play that their
sorrows and trials become the sorrows and
trials Of each and every one on the other
side of the footlights.
Steve Brode's career is as eventful as
most men who have seen but thirty-seven
years of life. He knows what il is to go
without food and to sleep in a dry goods
box; he knows what ii is to solicit n Job,
to black a gentleman's boots with smut
and dust all over his face, and he knows
what ii is TO sleep in palatially furnished
room and to wear on his scarf horse
shoe pin valued at least at $1,000. He has
been tied to the wheel of fortune and has
turned with 1t through the mud and mire
of adversity into the bright sunlight of
financial prosperity.
II any one gets hold of him who wants to
get money out of him, he is the easiest
man in the world to work with plausible,
fearful story When spoken to in reference
to his injudicious generosity. Brodie al
ways replies: Il have been in hard luck me-
self. see, and / knows what it il to be
broke. I'd rather be dead than be without
the dough-" Brodie is married TO a most
estimable lady and has three very pretty
children. If it were not for her. il is doubt
full if Steve would have a cent because he
cannot keep his hands out of his pockets.
He is the newsboys' idol, and every town
he goes into he takes great delight in
throwing fistfulls of nickels into the street
and watching the little ragged '.newsys"
scramble for them
Mime. Nordica at her concert next Thurs
cay afternoon will sing the aria from st.
Elizabeth which is creating furore IL
is complete novelty i'm it's way, although
it was composed by Eskel i'm 1858; no one
has ever dared to sing II except Nordica
There is a romance attached 20 it, few
years ago Nine Nordica became acQua inted
with young Hungarian nobleman, who
was studying music in Paris. He suggested
10 her that wonderful song. saying that
mo one on earth has the voice for it ex-
cept yourself.
But added he. 'ft must be sung in the
Hungarian language; otherwise it cannot
be made effective"
''Oh, yes, but how can 1 learn the words
OF a strange song in a strange language
and make it effective?''
Sa;H ha
young man.
VERY we'll; II you do. I'll love you all
your life," replied the sprightly and hand
some American singer.
The music was procured, and they had to
send all the way to Budapest to get it, The
young student and Nordica worked away
for dear life and every one who heard the
Irima donna declared that she would Gre
ate a furore. She sang the aria and she
kept her word to the young Hungarian:
she will love him all her life. He is Soltan
apolis only last year. Nordica now writes
her name Lillian Nordica Doeme.
Mile. Anna Held pointed moral very
effectively at a New York theater recently.
She had promised to show her big audi
theater hat that would amuse them all,
and possibly instruct the feminine portion.
She kept her word. After singing several
songs very charmipgly she retired and the
lights were turned down. When the stage
was again illuminated a mammoth hat
an exact fac-simile on an enlarged scale
OF some Of those which ladies are In the
placed on the stage. directly In front OF
the musical director.
The director waved his baton. the music