The record-union., 1898-11-13

Fer twenty years I have attended with
very few exceptions) every Shakesper-
ian first night at the leading West End
theaters, and I can remember only one
break in the dead level of enthusiastic
ovations.' Now, it is not for moment
conceivable that all these forty or fifty
performances were equally good. If
applause bore any relation to merit 1t
would certainly, in these twenty years,
have had occasion to run the whole
gamut between frigidity and fervor.
But no. there is a stated measure OF
enthusiasm awaiting every actor-Inana-
ger who chooses to present himself in
a Shakesperian part; and this lack Of
discrimination on the part of the first
night public is due, not, assuredly, TO
over-familiarity with the plays pre-
serted, but to total ignorance Of the
ideals and possibilities of this particu-
lar branch of art"
Sir Henry Irving intends to produce
version of "Cyrano'' at his Lyceum
Theater, London. For the first time he
condescends to reply to the reports chat
he has said that Miss Ellen Terry has
lost her memory, and that she intends
to leave his company. He adds that
the American press is too just and too
generous TO publish such scandalous
nonsense. Sir Henry has too exalted
an opinion of the American press.
Ever the list grows of American
musical and choral Organizations y
new society has just been formed in
Baltimore, under the able direction Of
Carl Mindt. The new club intends to
give cantatas, choral works and light
opera.
Paderewski's long-expected opera
'Stanislaus," will receive it's first pro-
duction early in December, at the Dres-
den Royal Opera, under Schuch's lead
ership. The rehearsals began early in
October.
Edward Owings Towne, lawyer, and
author Of play, "Other Peoples Mon
ey." was sentenced in Chicago to a fine
of 81, 800 and an indeterminate sentence
in the Joliet Penitentiary, for trying to
wreck a loan association. Mr.. Towne
slIould have eschewed Other Peoples
money"
Some charitable persons in London
have started the idea of giving concerts
in the court-yards of the worst quar-
ters of the city. 1t is question wheth-
er the pauper does not prefer beefsteak
and potatoes to vocal aria or
Beethoven sonata.
The music critic of Figaro" Lon
don. hopes there viii be no Wagner
cycles next year The same scribe
also makes the startling assertion that
there is more human nature about the
niggers on Margate sands than in the
whole menagerie Of Der Ring des Nibe-
lungen.'"
Eula Vaughan is the name of a mus
ical prodigy that has lately appeared
a. Bowman, near Elberton, Ga. Eu!a
is only 6 years old and already plays
wonderfully on both piano and organ.
But these precocious accomplishment
are as nothing to what else IS told Of
her. When she was only two-and- half
years old, seated in her nurses lap, she
already performed on the family cr-
gan. Mere performances of this kind
are now an easy matter to her; at the
last commencement OF the John Gibson
Institute, her pianoforte performance
was accompanied by the orchestra. and
r. is said that she had had no previous
practice on the pieces. Some of her
infantile improvisations have been
written down by her uncle, Professor
]. B. Vaughan, and when she is a lit
tie older Eula is to be put through such
a thorough musical training as may
make her the first great American COM
poser Of the coming century.
%&
J. H. stoddart has been engaged to
play the part Of a naval chaplain in a
new patriotic play called Red. White
and Blue which will be produced in
the Grand Opera house, New York. at
the end of November.
Owing to an unexpected question cf
copyright having arisen with reference
to the new comedy by F. TORN Blair.
that was to have been produced at
Terry's Theater, London, Richard
Saunders has determined to POSTPONE
this play, and in it's place to produce
new piece by Captain r. Marshall. an
thcr of His Excellency the Governor"
A new melodrama called Going the
az HA4C1 has just U06n DTOQuCGQ
in London, deals with the fortunes of
a country gentleman, and the career
Of his famous horse from the hunting
field to the cab stand and the circus
The circus scene furnishes the chief
spectacular effect of the show.
When a Mans Love-" the play by
Anthony Hope and Edward Rose.
Vhinh ha Sr,~%
London Court Theater, appears to be
of very light texture. It was called in
the first place "A House of Cards. "
and a good deal depends upon a game
of poker in the second act In @he
third act an photographic ma
chine plays prominent part
"Cyrano de Bergerac' has been
translated into Russian by Mile.
Schepkone- -Copernic; into German by
Fulda; into Italian by Signorina
Lambertkin, and into Portuguese by
NJ. de Simoes. the husband of Nine.
de Simoes, the principal actress of the
Royal Theater, Lisbon.
Mrs. Kendall, as already reported. has
been praised very warmly by the Lon
don critics for her acting in THE Elder
Miss Blossom" She has been incau-
uous enough to admit that she has
pasted all the pretty things said about
her in scraD-book for future refer
ence, and some impudent newspapers
are asking whether her expressed con-
tempt for the press refers only TO un-
complimentary opinion.
T. B. Thalberg is to be the leading
man of Miss 0grra NefharsaIe,e e,,rY,orr