The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-04

New York, Aug 80, 1S9S-New York's
fall season of theatricals opened last
night, and our little colony of Salt
Lakers, ever in the front ranks of first
nighters, held a lively discussion as to
which particular gallery we should
patronize. Truly, there was bill OF
fare spread out to choose from infinite
enough in variety to bewilder those OF
even more pronounced epicurean tastes
than ourselves. We took a vote on the
proposition over the supper table at
our weekly reunion Sunday night. Bob
Easton, who was in rollicking mood,
wanted to wait until Tuesday evening,
and attend the opening of Hoyt's new
play, "A Day and a Night but he
was cried down by all, including his
wife, as the determination was to go
somewhere in a body as the premier
mutt of the season, which the me
trolopus" has recognized as occurring
on Monday. Mrs. Bob cast her vote for
DaIy's, where 1.-The Runaway Girl' is
the bill; but when she found that Ada
Rehan wasn't in the cast, she said she
wouldn't give darn to see it, and
Days was shelved. Mabel Cooper said
DIS lOllS DIS Lie w Oll I1OpBC4s IL e1ilNlo
Wilson and the Castle Square Opera
cOmpany's openings were not to be for
another week, she preferred to wait I'M
til Thursday, when Stuart Robson,
with Salt Laker, Harold Russell, in
the cast, opened at Wallacks in his
new play, The Meddler." Miss Cooper
was tabled Viola Pratt and her hus-
band cast their votes in favor of going
in body to the Empire to see William
Gillette in TOO Much Johnson" vi
olas married name is Gillette, you
know, but they are no relation. Her
view almost carried-would have done,
perhaps, had not yours truly been ac-
corded a hearing. l took the floor and
asked the company assembled whether
it had overlooked the fact that Soth-
ern, the only and Incompatible Ned,
had his opening at the Lyceum in his
new, romantic play, 1.-THE Adventures
of Lady Ursula" There was pause
of indecision, which 1 skillfully fol-
lowed I'D by pointing out that Mrs.
Sothern virginia Harned) was to be
the Lady Ursula, and l capped. the
climax by adding that Miss Warren
our own Rebecca-was member of the
company. That settled it. The Ly-
ceum goes" was the unanimous cry.
The weekly collection was taken up
and Bob Easton was deputized to Sc
cure the necessary seats in the alti-
tudinous regions.
Monday night found us all aboard a
Broadway car, bound for the Lyceum.
Imagine our dismay on tearing down
Twenty third street and turning the
corner, to see a big crowd gathered in
front of the popular theatre, and the
house dark. A moment explained it all
Miss Harmed was i'll; a violent case
of the toothache, the man said, and Mr..
Frohman regretfully announced post
ponement until Thursday evening.
Here was a how dye do! But Bob
Easton was equal to 1t. ElboWing his
- way through the crowd-Bob is no
pigmy, you know-he got our half-dol-
lars back by surrendering our tickets,
and the assembly was called into spe-
ci9l session on the Lyceum curbstone.
j was only 7;30-gallery habitues come
early in New York, just as they do in
Salt Lakeland there was plenty of
time to retrace our steps to the En-
pire. So back to Broadway we hustled,
mounted an uptown car and hurried
on to Fortieth street, where we were
lucky enough to get good SeatS-.way
up" ones, in fact-and to settle our
selves comfortably into them before
the curtain rose.
OF course, it wasn't a new story to
us, but one can't get too much of Too
Much Johnson if only Gillette is in
the cast. He was in it tonight in more
sen >es than one. Talk about ovations.
When I see the reception New York
gives one of her favorite playerS-Gil-
lette is just back from his phenomenal
success in London. you know-I think
our audiences in Salt Lake must be
made OF starch and whalebone instead
of flesh and blood. When Gillette
came on there was a regular hurrah
Of welcome, in the midst of which the
orchestra struck up Home, Sweet
Home" Then there was another pam
flzTra r,v.fTz liz l@-Is. l.
smoked an entire cigar before they
quieted down and allowed him to pro-
coed. When the play was over, instead
of going home, the audience settled
themselves in their seats, and for the
steenth time called Mr.. Gillette out.
Then he spoke to US as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: Thinking
possibly you might be so good as to
want me TO say a few words this even
ing, 1 had prepared the outline of
what would have been-for me-a neat
and graceful speecbl of thanks. But
your conduct tonight makes anything
I had in mind to say simply trivial. I
can only, on behalf OF the members of
this company and OF my own, thank
You for this most cordial and most I'M
expected greeting. applause and
COED old Gillette" and q few "Hi-yi's'
up alcft
Audiences are popularity supposed to
have their favorite actors and their IA
vorite companies. Perhaps it has never
occurred to you that companies have
their favorite audiences. 1t may be
of no special interest to you to be told
that this is so, and that you are wit
Messing this evening the return of a
company to its favorites. But thought
I'd mention it just the same"
Then there were three cheers again
and every one good naturally filed out
of the theatre. 1t was rare fun to see
a fashionable New York audience in
duige in a frenzy OF enthusiasm, and
vastly more enjoyable to US UtahnS
than the play itself.
But there's no discount on Gillette
Wait till you see him in Secret Ser
vice" as I believe you are to do very
soon. Viola jokingly says to her hus-.
band that he almost reconciles her to
her married name. MARGE.
The cast of THE Queens Lace Hand
kerchief'' is almost completed, and the
many admirers of Miss Sallie Fisher
will be glad to learn that she is to
have g. place in it. This will doubtless
be her final appearance for long time
as she leaves soon after the production
of the opera to-continue- her vocal stud
les with Professor Tetedoux in Chi
cago. Mr. Weihe is drilling the chorus
almost every night at the theatre. The
opera is laid in Portugal, and very
elaborate costumes will be called for
both principals and chorus having as
many as three changes.
STAGE ECHOES.
Anderson the scene PAINTER. is touch-