The herald., 1898-06-19

OF Madame Modjeska's engagement at the
Burbank, where she Is appearing with the
regular stock company, disposes effectively
of the superstition that STAR may not
appear In theater ordinarily dedicated to
popular priced attractions without sink
ing in public esteem by SO doing.
The crowds that have attended the per-
formances of MARY Stuart" and of Mag
da" during the past week, attest the sin
cerity of the peoples admiration Of the
gifted artist. who has delighted them so
often and who will continue to do so dur
ing the present week.
The excellent supporting company has
also come in for a large share Of well-de-
served praise. Aside from the two people
specially secured for this engagement. the
members of the Belasco-Thall organization,
as it is still called, have distinguished them
selves for their superior abilities and ready
adaptation to their new surroundings. The
surprise of the week has undoubtedly been
that given by George Osb:arne in his as
sumption of the paralytic father of Magda,
piece of work that was remarkable for its
strength and intensity. Good things are
always expected of Mr.. Osbournc, but in
this Instance, in my judgment, he surpassed
anything he has before attempted.
o o o
The week promises to be of special in
terest. Two performances of "Adrienne Lee
couvreur,' four of Camille and one rep
etition of Mary Stuart" by special request,
will make up the bill of fare at the Bur-
bank under Mr.. Fishers management
At the Los Angeles the tragic opera is to
give way to a ray of brightness in the shape
of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Pen
zance," under the direction of Carl Martens
the popular musician and impresario. The
attendance during the past week. while it
has not been as good as was expected, con-
sidering the inducements offered in the
lowered prices of admission has yet shown
an improvement as the week progressed
With the change in the bill, and now that t
the company is getting better known and
Its work highly appreciated, there will no
doubt be a larger attendance.
At the Orpheum the living pictures are an
attraction that nightly holds the audience
until the close Of the entertainment. This
week Mademoiselle Pillar Norm, who IS
known in private life as the wife Of La
chaume, the accomplished pianist of the
pear. Pilar-Morin has achieved fame as
pantomimst of the first order. Her spe-
cialty tomorrow night will no doubt be
highly interesting.
In an article referring 20 the fight now
being made by Harrison Grey Fiske and
his Dramatic Mirror against the theatrical
trust, so-called, the New York Criterion
a. xlok ~ -
the trouble appears to be that the syndi-
cate are play producers as we'll as theater
agents, and so are constrained to give their
own enterprises the best chance. By a
natural corolary they give the independ-
ent producers the worst of 1t. The real
test of the syndicate will not. however, be
made in the law courts, but will arise out
of their ability or inability to keep the syn
dicated houses in paying attractions. If
they cannot, the combination will drop to
pieces"
This conclusion appears to be an entirely
Just one. Syndicate or no syndicate, its
members will be successful just so long as
they supply the public with what 1t wants,
and this without regard to the quality of the
fare provided. Sometimes the public taste
becomes vitiated, and money is made by
pandering to 1t. Sometimes, on the other
hand the patrons of the theater turn out
In thousands to see Shakespearean and
other revivals, or good, wholesome domestic
plays like 1.-THE Old Homestead, ""Peaceful
Valley" or 'Shore Acres" with their
mixtures of pathos and bathos, rustic wit
and grotesque fun.
OF course theatrical and other syndi-
Gates have but one idea, which is the cap
ture Of the almighty dollar. Any sugges-
tion thao the influence of the stage might
be used in the cause of education, or for
the elevation of the standard of public
morality, is promptly pooh-poohed by the
gentlemen whose taste in art Is similar to
that of the people who Judge picture by
Its frame, who care more for the dollar
than they do for the decalogue
Frederick Warde has closed his season
of fifteen weeks in the west and is now
entoying a vacation in the Adirondacks
prior to commencing his season with Louis
James and Madame Rhea. Before he
left New York Mr.. Warde was interviewed
nnd expressed himself as very happy over
The prospects of a reunion with Mr.. James.
He will be seen as Iago, Macbeth. Marc An
tony and also as Joseph, in "The School for
Scandal"
O o o
What lottery the stage is. says the Crit
ic. Who would have imagined that an
operetta with the book by Messrs. A. w.
Pinero and Comyns Carr and the music by
Sir Arthur Sullivan could not fail to please?
And yet that is what has happened in the
case of 1.-THE Beauty Stone" produced last
week at the Savoy theater, London.
o O o
Pauline Joran will be remembered as one
of the trio of "Joran Sisters" who were on
tbs coast some twelve years ago and who
excited much attention as youthful musical
prod!gies Lulu, the eldest. was pianist.
as was Elise, the youngest; but the most
gifted of the three was undoubtedly Pauline.
who played the violin with mastery Of its
possibilities that was simply wonderful In
so young child AT the concerts given here
Pauline sometimes recited and think she
also sang once or twice in public. She had
splendidly rich contrato voice. vibrant
with feeling, and, uncultivated as 1t then