Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-05
The Stage
In Gotham.
Arthur Crispin Writes a Breezy
Letter on Theatrical Matters
OF Interest at the
Moment.

New York, March 3--If the vaudeville
craze in this city continues much lon
ger, there VIII be no legitimate stars left.
The managers of the continuous"
houses are constantly on the lookout
for novelties. and, realizing that most
or the regular variety acts are Just
about the same as they were several
years ago. they adopt the plan of en-
ploying legitimate stars of good repu-
tation as the head liners" of their
shows and then ''fil In" with the old
timers. who really supply all of the en-
tertainment that is worth seeing.
1t is a fact that any one who has
watched these hybrid shows will admit
that the legitimate offerings are re-
ceived with much less favor than the
most commonplace of the vaudeville
turns" but without the latter the
managers would have nothing with
which to do the "hurrah" advertising
in the way Of preliminary announce
ments and interviews. As a natural
consequence. in the present condition of
the amusement market, where the COM
petition is fieroer than 1t has ever been,
their houses would soon drop out OF the
public attention. 1t Is for that reason
that they are willing to pay an enor-
nous amount of money for a 'legiti-
mate" act which their patrons think so
little of that they scarcely deign 10 APP
plaud It at all.
There are those who are of the opin-
Ion that high grade dramatic offerings
ought to be genuine successes in the
vaudeville houses, and they are unable
to account for the reception which has
thus far been accorded most OF the
players who have ventured out of their
usual field of work. 1t is, however. a
simple matter TO explain. The fault is
really not with the performers. but with
the plays which they use. The exigen-
cies of the case are such that II Is neces-
sary that any drama which It is desired
TO present be cut down from more than
two hours to less than half an hour of
acting time. Naturally the work suf-
fers. especially as those which are most
frequently selected are classics of their
kind and cannot well be abridged by any
one. much less tyro, without seriously
interfering with its dramatic quality.
At hest, however, this fashion of pre-
senting legitimate people In the vaude-
vile houses where they do not belong,
Is fad. and it Is for that reason. II for
no other. destined to be short lived.
49,
The recent semiofficial announcement
that the Triple Alliance" composed of
Lillian Russell Della Fox and JEFF de
Angels. would terminate at the clos,
the present season has had at least one
unlocked for effect. 1t has served to
demonstrate among other things, that
Lillian Russells popularity has, con-
trary to the general idea, increased in
the estimation of managers of promi-
nence.
As soon as II became known that she
would be open 20 offers for next season
they began to pour In upon her One
of them, from a thoroughly responsible
man, Is rumored to have included a
weekly salary of 81 900 in addition to q
liberal percentage of the gross receipts
Then there were also overtures from
the other side of the water, among them
being proposition for the "airy fairy
one TO sing only in concert. Miss Rus
sell is very beautiful, but she is also
very shrewd when IL comes to Il matter
OF business, and she positively refused
TO bind herself to any one without CIV
ing the subject prolonged consideration.
Finally the upper Broadway rumor
factory worked itself down to one story.
which was TO the effect that ex-senator
MANAGEMENT of the queen of comic OPP
era next season. Inasmuch as De An
gels is popularity supposed to have been
the one who secured him as n hacker
for the Triple Alliance" this was nat
urally regarded as being somewhat re-
innrkable. especially as In addition to
that fact Reynolds was known to be n
warm admirer of Miss Foxs artistic
ability.
SIN the story hung on, and it appear
ed TO have some foundation. Later
there was developed "A new turn. 1t
was nothing less than that Edna Wal
lace Hopper was to be starred jointly
/ with Miss Russell under the manage
ment Of the ex-senator, and that is the
present status of the affair, according
to the Riainites. Assuming that these
I building supporters" have at last made