The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-15
HE TRAVELS ALONE.
Master 0'Hars, the Boy Soprano, Gets
Along Without a Manager.
he Has Had Some Odd Experiences Kissed
bya Wealthy Woman In a HsteI.

| ~"i 'hteicSts, anu get stiohS very Hi'c-
| ly," said Master Joe O'Hare, the boy
| soprano i'm his dressing room at Keiths
No. not even my parents are with
me. 1 travel alone; but don't mind
telling you that i get awfully lonesome
sometimes, and now I've been so far
away from my home in Chicago long
enough To be getting rather homesick.
"Oh, yes. 1 receive a great many So
cial attentions, everybody on the stage
and off is very kind to me; and I'm
sure / don't think a boy in this bus
mess and all alone could possibly be
treated with more thoughtful kindness
and consideration than l have been
everywhere. But, in spite of all that,
you know n boy can't help wanting
TO see his mother, especially N he loves
her. You know she IL not very strong,
and last year she travelled with me,
thinking IL might benefit her; but II
was rats. zoo trying ioI her, so since
then I've Travelled without compan-
ion OF any kind.
mo, don't think it's best for boy
In this business to cultivate intimate
associates, for you know you can never
tell just what people are, and / want
TO be just as careful Of my associa-
tions as my mother has always taught
me to when 1 was at home"
Master O'Hare is the same simple,
unaffected handsome boy I'm private
over whom the ladies go into such ec-
stacies as he appears in his choir boys
surplice and robe on the stage, with
the soft light streaming through the
cathedral glass window upon his slight
form; and despite his wonderful sue
cess and the compliments showered
upon him and the fiattering social at
Il -.
slightest suggestion in his manner or
conversation OF any egotism or any
ground for "A suspicion that his young
head has been turned" in the least.
MY first public singing?" he said re-
peating the substance of the writer's
question We'll, when / was years
old l joined the boy choir in st. Glenn
ent's Episcopal church in Chicago,
which, you know, was built and main
tained by n. X. Fairbank: and / was
under the instruction of Peter c. Lut-
KIN, dean of music i'm the Northwest
ern university. After singing there
two years, much OF the time as a So
loist, ] went to Trinity church choir
as soprano soloist, and was under the
tuition of John A. Hughes. who had as
boy been soprano soloist In the great
cathedral i'm London. All this time /
was also singing in concerts and at pri-
Vate entertainments, though my in
structors were very careful that my
voice should not be overtaxed.
About two years ago / started out
in concert work, singing i'm lyceum
courses through the west, beginning at
Waukegan, Ill. and l met with enough
success so that Manager j. ID. Hopkins
OF Chicago, who, l believe, used to live
in Providence, engaged me TO sing at
his Chicago theatres, and then took me
over his circuit and through the west
in all the leading vaudeville theatres.
In the meantime Mr.. b. +. Keith had
heard something of me and wanted me
to come east about "A year ago. but l
caught "a severe cold that prevented my
doing so at that time. / was delighted
when he asked me again last fall to
come, and my experience in his four
beautiful theatres has been the most
| have had anywhere i'm the
You know. his audiences al
ways include the very incest people.
who are so appreciative and kind. and
his theatres are so clean and bright and
artistic. Yes, he wants me to come |
back over his circuit again during this !
and, Of course, l will be de- |
lighted to do so after | have made a |
short trip west, sol can see my mother. |
Yes, / like vaudeville ever so much, |
and l find that the men and women in |
{ are exceedingly kind. generous heart |
ad people, always ready TO encourage |
and help me in every way. even to the |
extent OF many little acts Of self-sacri- |
ice actually sometimes holding them |
selves back SO that i may go ahead / |
ind, too, that boy or man or a wo- |
man can be just as much a true man |
)r n true woman, just as much a gen |
leman or a lady, in the vaudeville pro- |
'ession as in ordinary life. | like this |
work ever so much better than concert |
work. and the audiences are ever so
much more appreciative and encourag- |
ng. IL / should ever be lucky enough |
q become a really great singer, 7 think |
would like to feel that il was because !
deserved ii and had earned it by real I
artistic effort
"Oh. yes. have lots OF odd expert
,nces. many of them grow out OF the |
interest which the ladies everywhere
eem TO take in my act / suppose it's |
because I'm only boy that they are |
10 pleased with it. Why, when | was |
n New York, one very wealthy lady
'ou would know her name and every
)ody would III | mentioned It, but | |
lon't think it would be right-called on
ne at my hotel and as soon as I en-
cred the reception room after she had |
ent up her card, she rushed forward.
hrew her arms around my neck and /
,issed me. Well. you can imagine how
urprised l was; and didn't just know
What to do, but 1 tried to act as If II |
wasn't anything at all. Well do you
.now, she wanted me to go to her
iouse and stay there while I was i'm |
Sew York. and to make il my home |
whenever | came there. and she said
he wished she had a boy like me.
banked her, of course: but | didn't |
hink IL would be right for me To accept
er Kindness though she urged me very
ard. She is beautiful lady, and /
oudn't help being pleased.
This letter from Mrs. Mckinley /
hink a great deal Of. 1t happened
hat | couldn't make IL convenient to
q to Washington at that time, which
'as only a few weeks ago: and then
he wrote and asked me TO come at the
rst opportunity, which, you may be
Ire. 7 shall do.
do / look forward with any uneasi-
ess to my voice changing? No.
ant say that / do. You see, boys
dice ordinarily is i'm his head: that is
mean he sings head tones. From the
cry beginning my chest tones. or mid
le register. were cultivated. so that
u not sing at all as other boys do: and
no best teachers sav they think nv
Dice Will simply develop gradually into
pure tenor If | use IL carefully Asa
latter of fact. ! find IL is growing |
igher all the time for the past year.