The San Francisco call., 1898-11-20

Anything for a sensation in the show business these days. During the past week the Alcazar and Morosco's have attracted breathless attention by not announcing their forthcoming produc- tions of "Cyrano de Bergerac." Apart from the value of silent advertising al such a time, Morosco is holding back, I suppose, until "Cyrano" posters ana Autographs are a drug on the market Over in Mission street they never put on a masterpiece unless the bill-o board illustrations go with it. I suppose the Alcazar is temporarily speeches. pe- cause it has tired of the sound or us own promises. Whenever you hear the Alcazar promising a first production oL a play that is difficult and different anu distinguished just make up your Hllho that you are going to see 1t III some other theater. The AlCazar is the 1ast- est promiser and the slowest redeelhe1 in the business. They threatened 1Dsen at the Alcazar months and months ago. and he never came. They more than threatened Rostand. They gave IL ou. to me and to other honest servants ot the public press that the "CyTaho
 scenery and proboscis were actuaLy III the process Of construction. And oIly the week before I had written that would believe the Alcazar's "Cyrano
 only when I saw it. l spoke to MT Thau about it the other night. He said: Really, We want to do 'Cyrano' paoIy'
 l told him that that need not stop hIIh' that he would do it badly enough all right But he said it wasn't that that worried him. Heahad suddenly taken notice of the smal1ness of the Alcazar stage, and the difficulties he would nave in doing justice to the scenery. Poor Rostand! Out of all the American managers who are taking chance al his play Mansfield is the only one Whose conscience gets beyond the scenery dIlo the nose. However, the Alcazar was not sufficiently immediate, for here Is our old spectacular friend. DaVld Hell derson, ready to do up "Cyrano Ill weeks notice MT. Henderson's man agerial speciality used to be in the d. rection of electric lights and legs. AS aH Elegtrician his name stands in the head lines of dramatic history. Whether hls talent will as readily adjust ltseH to the poetry and prOboscis of "Cyraho remains to be seen. MT. Henderson IS full of hope and courage. when ne called the other morning lO tclI 4l+V tiA" good news he insisted that l be among those present at the opening Monday night l told him I was billed for the Baldwin to see what by the grace or the critics and his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, has been called the greatest play ever written in America
 But, my boy" he said, ." 'Cyrano de Bergerac' is the greatest play ever written in the world We are going to give it a great production and it's your duty to be there Monday night and help receive it. You owe it to your profession" And then he talked tempt | ingly about the play and the nose that i Mir. Bell is going to wear and the scenery and the costumes and tho crowd that will stretch the theater, un- til my mouth watered at the picture. If I could only be like some of my col leagues and divide myself and see both shows all would be easy. But one can't do that sort of thing without hav- ing the Blavatsky temperament, which is denied me. I can project myself into but one playhouse at a time So l had to tell Mr. Henderson again that my choice was made and that I would abide by it at no matter what personal