The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-10

| on the front rows down the gallery
sides. The company is now approach
! ing this city, singing in Chicago. 81:
! Louis. Kansas City and Denver. and
from all points comes the word that
| Melba's pathway is marked by reg
ular blaze of enthusiasm. Such scenes
| on the part of audiences have not been
/ witnessed in this country since the
! memorable tour of Patti and Scalchl-
Scarcely second TO Melba herself are
the accompanying artists, OF whom
! Campanari the baritone. and Sang
nae. the tenor stand at the head.
| Mile. Toronto, who is a product of To-
| ronto. Canada and who took her name
! from her native city, is said to ne a
/ contralto of the first rank. Besides
! these are a dozen other singers ana
/ from so to 30 of Damrosch's picked or
| chestra, under Signor Bimboni- our
own choir Will be given place on the
| programme, and those who know OF
what Mr. Stephens singers are capa-
BILE viii not doubt that they will keep
up to the high standard Of the notable
| occasion.
When the curtain fell on Monte
Cristo' last night, MIR. O'Neill count
ed that he had been through the per-
Torrance close upon 1000 times; he
knows it is more than $500, but the ex-
act number has been lost in the misty
mast Small wonder is il that he oc-
casionally has a sort of tongue paraly-
sis when rushing through the volumln-
Gus lines of Dantes. How he has Kept
from paresis all these years is mar
vel. Not only is there the tedious
dressing and undressing for the part,
and the endless repetition of the words
to wear on his nerves, but there are the
rehearsals of new people season after
season, the engagement of satisfactory
men and women for the various parts.
and a hundred other distractinG de-
tails that would have long ago worn
out the life of an ordinary man. But
Mr.. O'Neill is Very far from being an
ordinary man. For 20 years now his
talents have kept him in the front rank
of this country's players. He was star
ring in a play called AN American
King about 1882; the great Fechter
had just died, leaving behind him a lot
of such plays, revised by himself, as
Monte Cristo," and The Dukes Mot
to-" John Stetson, VINO succeeded to
Fechter's belongings. made Q'Neill an
offer TO take up Monte CriSto" where
Fechter had left off. O'Neill consented, /
provided his entire american King
company We're engaged. and that was
the beginning of his connection with
Dumas celebrated play. Later. he
bought the rights from Stetson, for
whom he was working under a guar
anteed salary. and so much confidence |
had he in Monte Cristo'' that he re- /
fused an offer TO support Mary Ander- |
son, in order to keep on the road with
Dumas romance. Stetson assured him |
that that lemon was squeezed dry |
ten years ago, but managers every /
where continue to call for it in prefer
ence to The Dead Heart" or any
other of the plays in O'Neilrs roper
toire.
A good, vivid, intense story fashioned /
on the lines of other days, is the "Cou-
rier of Lyons" which Mr. O'Neill play |
ed before very handsome matinee au-
dience yesterday. The gathering was
held in the most wrapt attention from
beginning to end, and the interest over
the sufferings of the kindly Lesurgues
of murder by his accidental
to DubOSc, chief of a gang
of outlaws, was of the intensest kind.
Mr.. ONeill played the two widely va
rying characters with his accustomed
skill and good taste. and it is hard to
say whether he ELECTED most admira-
ton for his portrayal of the virtues of
one or the fiendishness of the other
The members of the cast were all ca
pable. and especial praise should be
accorded Mr. Dixon, the Choppard. Mr..
Thompson, the Couriol. and Mr.. Bierse,
the magistrate.
o o g
De Witt Jennings left Salt Lake in a
good humor While here
ne received Il dispatch Informing him
hat George Edeson wished him TO play
summer engagement at Elitch's Car
lens, in Denver. TO open May IS, for II
weeks. This is Just the time Mr.. 'Jen-
lings closes with O'Neill, and the Den
'er engagement will end just as O'Neil
will want his services again for the
season Of $3.50. This will give him
cry nearly a full 50 weeks engage
nent during the year. something very
unusual in the experience of actors. Mr.. /
enninSs states that he thinks Walter
edwards will he Blossoms leading man.
e,r@ q
The enterprising social amusement Is
of the Twenty first ward will
e seen again on Wednesday and
evenings of this week. in By s
on's pillow For Blow" one of the old K
liners that used to do duty for the
alt Lake stock players, and one that J