Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-12
GOSSIP OF
NEW YORK.
Arthur Crispin's Breezy Budget
of Notes and News
From Gotham.

New York. March 10.--"A Normandy
Wedding" the comic opera which was
put on at the Herald Square to take
the place made vacant by the with
drawal OFT French Maid" has caught
on fairly we'll The work pleased most of
the critics. and the public has so far
taken very kindly to 1t, so that 1t Is
not unlikely that the original term for
which 1t was booked will be extended.
The libretto was written by Charles A.
Byrne and the music by w. w. Furst,
who had before then composed the mu-
sic for the same author for THE Isle
Of Champagne" "Prncess Nicotine"
and other light operas. Thomas Q. Sea-
brooke secured "a Normandy We'd
ding" when II was known as Papa
Gou-Gou."' but he did not keep It very
long. While few persons condemned 1t.
there seemed to be nothing about 1t to
attract audiences. and 1t was very SEN
slbly abandoned temporarily
Then. according to report. ]. Cheever
Goodwin. the author OF most OF De
Wolf Hopper's earlier successes and one
OF the brightest writer's of very light
matter for musical treatment in this
country, was called in, and when he
and Mr.. Byrne had polished up the
libretto II was n much improved work.
The title was changed to "A Normandy
Wedding" u first class company was
engaged, and after n trial in several
cities. in which the value of the piece
was demonstrated. II was brought to
the Herald Square In this city. where
1t bids fair to remain for some time.
-
One can scarcely walk block nlong
Broadway between Twenty -eishth and
Forty second streets nowadays without
meeting man or a woman who is an
nounced to star next season. Besides
Minnie Seligman. Cora Tanner. ]. X.
Rackett, Virginia Harmed. Julie Opp,
sam Bernard. Walter Jones and host
OF others of lesser CALDER, 1t Is said
that Charles Ross OF the variety team
OF Ross and Fenton. now with Weber 4
Fields. will also enter the stellar ranks
with the coming OF September. Nat
urally this statement carries with It the
Impression that Mr. Ross will appear
IN u 'burlesque especially written for
MN by prominent author" Nothing
OF the kind. No burlesque or farce
comedy for Charles Ross. II you please,
Not much. He will enter the lists
against the topnotchers OF high come
dy. In short. II Is announced that Mr..
Ross will be seen in plays of about the
grade and style usually affected by
John Drew. Whewl
Ross has evidently allowed himself
10 be deluded by his sycophantic i'd
mirers. of whom every successful actor
unfortunately has large number. They
have seen him do his burlesque OF "Vir-
ginius" and Fedora" and as in each
or these there Is n legitimate moment
or so he has been told that he has
within him the making OF n successful
star In serious work. This may be true,
too. for nothing Is certain In the show
business until 1t has actually occurred,
but there Is surely nothing in Ross re-
cent stage career to warrant him In
assuming that he will be accepted as a
second Drew. He Is apt to discover
what so many before him have learned
that there Is wide difference be-
tween giving good performance for
few minutes and supplying the greater
portion of an entertainment for whole
evening. But. after all, Ross is really
wonderful fellow, and there is no tell
ing what he may do.
I had chat the other day with two
managers who are well known through
out the country. One of them devotes
MS attention to road" attractions,
while the other has couple OF travel
ing companies, but Is more heavily In
terested In providing entertainment for
New Workers.
The first man declared that In his long
experience he had never known sea-
son so bad as the present one. Only
one OF his shows has made any money.
and even that has not done nearly SO
well ms was expected. In towns where
II 10 nothing unusual to play to $500 on
the night his tst!ngs this season were
frequently less than half that sum.
According to this manager, he was left
only the alternative of closing or re-
ducing expenses by cutting salaries. He
reduced and although there were one
or two kicks" from the actors most OF
them submitted, realizing that half
loaf is better than no bread at all.
The other man declared that he would
contract his road operations as much as
possible next season. His statement
was In much the same strain as his
rivals with reference to his travelling
shows, but when asked him how bust
ness had been in the city his face was
Immediately wreathed in smiles He
stated that 1t was one of the best sea-
sons he had ever known. The people
here seem to pntronize anythinr nf avan