The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-20
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
MILE. zELlE DE LUSSAN AND HER
COMING OPERATlc ENGAGEMENT.

Il
Some Years Ago. but Has Won Mucl
| Favor Abroad and Now Looks For Fresl
Triumphs This Side the Sea-Lotta.
NEW YORK, July 90. Especial. l.
| Though New York would have none Of
| Mile. Zelie de Lussan when she essayed tC
sing in opera here some years ago, the an
nouncement made the other day that she
Is TO appear In this city next season as a
member of Melba's supporting company
is hailed with general delight This il
chiefly because, though not successful in
New York, she has won great praise in
London and other old world cities.
Zelie de Lussan Is of American birth,
but her family Is French, and its history
has been filled with romance Her grand
father was an ardent republican, and was
killed while fighting for the first republic
His espousal of the cause of the people
naturally led to the fall of the family's
fortunes, and his son came to America
with his wife Eugene. She was an I'M
usually clever, well educated woman and
an expert linguist. She was also expert
with her pen, and for some years after
their arrival here helped support the fam
lily by writing American letters and gen.
eral articles for the press of Paris, Lon
don, Berlin and Vienna Zelie was born
In New York about 26 years ago.
She began to sing when only q young
girl, and her voice showing decided pos
sibilities, her mother took great pains with
her musical education. Zelies first sing
Ing for pay was In a church choir when
she was only II. She soon gave up the
choir, however, and at 10 made her first
appearance in opera with tho Boston
Ideals. Her troubles began right then.
Her singing appeared to be all right.
Some of the critics indeed praised 1t to the
skies, but somehow she couldn't get along
with the other members of the company,
and the engagement lasted only year.
Most of her singing with the Ideals was
done on the road, and her friends said the
trouble all arose from the fact that she got
better newspaper notices in the interior
towns than elder members of the company
could command. After she left the Ideals
she went on the road in a company of her
own, doing fairly well most of the time
and scoring some notable successes, espe-
cially in Boston, and later venturing an
appearance here in Carmen"
De Lussan's Great Foreign Success.
Her friends expected great things from
her Carmen. Her voice is admirably suited
to its airs, her personality seems to fit the
part to perfection, and she was known to
have studied it with the greatest care
But somehow she failed to convince the
people and the critics that she was an ideal
Carmen, and the engagement resulted in
failure instead Of success.
Then she went abroad, where she Joined
Carl Rosa's English Opera company, as
member Of which she won unstinted ap-
clause, impressing the better classes" SO
'avorably that she was commanded" to
sing before the queen. This Is of course
! high honor, and Of course it is a good
ieal more than an honor. 1t is virtually
! guarantee that success will continue q
ong time, since all English swelldom,
by all English toadydom,
makes 1t a point to take up an
artist who has been favored by royalty
The young singer was almost swept off
Ter feet by the augmented triumphs that
ollowed her performance on the boards of
Windsor castle, where the queen always
hears opera and witnesses theatrical per- |
ormances This was true to such an ex-
ent that Zelie allowed herself to be inter-
'iewed by the newspapers at length re-
,arding the queen and the performance,
md there were some murmurings at the |
letails with which the story was told |
These did not really amount to much, |
however, since when the interview was |
cad a second time 1t was seen that she |
lad said nothing so very terrible after all, |
hough the naivete of her utterances was |
ong referred to as a most delicious evil |
ence of thorough Americanism.
Ever since her successful appearance at |
Windsor castle general regret has been ex- |
ressed by certain musical critics and |
peratic managers because of Zelie do LUIS |
ans apparent unwillingness again to ap- |
ear on this side the sea in spite of the |
act that England's queen is probably no |
etter judge of operate performances than |
most nice old ladies of unimpeachable |
amily relations. But it is probable that |
10 Lussan will be successful in her COM
ng assault on the operate stage in Amer
,a, since some of the best critics abroad |
ow speak extremely well of her work.
The vivacious Miss Crabtree.
The first news the public has had Of tho
ivacious Miss Crabtree once familiar
rom ocean to ocean as Lolita, the mu-
lcal comedy star, was printed in the New
'ork papers simultaneously with the
D this country. The news about Lolita,
owever, has nothing to do with q reap
earance on the stage, but rather with her
ontinued evasion of marshal who do
res to serve the ex-star with papers in
orrid lawsuit.
Lolita will probably never again be seen
pom the boards. She is Of at least middle
ge and rich enough to pass the remainder
her life at her ease. She was fortunate
! secluding herself from the public long
efore 1t tired Of her, and she declares she
IN see no reason why she should again
urden herself with work.
1t would not be easy to make an accu-
ate estimate of Lolita Crabtree's fortune,
ut 1t must be larger than any Of any 9TH
: American actress, for as long ago as
$50 she presented the city Of San Fran
SEQ, where her first girlish triumphs
ere achieved, with handsome bronze
'untain costing $50. 900 at the least, and
40 owns valuable real estate In New York,
oston, Chicago, Indianapolis and st.