The times., 1899-04-23

I
lie patronage. The Dramatic Mirror
for October %. 1898. gave the names of
4e2 companies on the road, and since this
roster left out nearly sixty troupes that
had been included in preceding editions. 1t
is but fair TO suppose that the list might
nave been heightened materially. clas5i-
ted catalogue, arranged for reference re-
Garding the conclusions printed in this
column of last Sundays Times, included
ISS organizations of one sort or another.
but these had existed, ceased to exist, and
begun existence during the period covered,
so that it bore no regard to the roll of
troupes which toured simultaneously.
Some interest attaches to the knowledge
that nearly thousand amusement enter
prises were conducted between September,
1898, and May, 1899, but the financial mag
nitude of the term can best be realized
from the Mirror register.
But small minority of this multitude of
shows" ever reached the eye of the up
per ten among theatregoers. Probably
popular priced attractions as Casey S
Wife" Johnny on the Spot, "A Spring
Chicken and THE Waits of Great
City, while another quarter included only
the various burlesque combinations. min
strels, hypnotists, magicians, and travel
ing vaudeville aggregations. Resident
stock companies in the larger cities of
ganizations which play at 10, 20, and 30
cents, and of which few urbanites ever
hear, made up more than a third fourth
of the roster given.
\ surprisingly large per cent OF this bet
ter class of performances was of great sue
cesses and a much smaller one of failures.
Between the two came many enterprises
that lasted out the year without either
notable profit or perceptible loss, others
hot 1aeva aria for
and still others which took the form of
productions made by stars whose personal
followings assure them of satisfactory re-
turns whatever their vehicles. Viola Allen
made her debut as candidate for para
graph notices in THE Christian" and Mrs
Leslie Carter assumed an extraordinary po-
sition in 'Zaza," both being triumphant.
Alice Nielsen was also well received in
1.-The Fortune Teller James X. Hackett
dropped money with THE Tree of Knowl-
edge" and won 1t back in Rupert OF
Hentzau,' Jefferson de Angels has made
THE Jolly Musketeer" pay and Annie Rus
sell accomplished her accession to stellar
honors in Catherine" without apparent
difficulty. All Of these people were new
to big type. but have proven their warrant
to it by producing hitherto untried but
now established plays. The James Kidder-
Warde and MacLean-Tyler Hanford trium-
futures, while Blanche Walshe created
one of the sensations of the period when
she stepped into the shoes of the late
Fanny Davenport and it was found that
she filled them completely
OF successes won by recognized stars
who have staged fresh pieces and of fresh
pieces which have won success without
the assistance of any stars at all there are
several After trying His Honor the
Nav III,
vival of "A Virginia Courtshp." the unfor-
tunate William H. Crane has found an
adequate vehicle in THE Head of the
Family" after carrying "A Colonial Girl
and trying various other works, z. II.
Sothern is being carried by "The Three
Musketeers:" Sol Smith Russell followed
the disastrous "Uncle Dick with more
possible vehicle in the form of Hon John
Grigsby;' Stuart Robson has made money
both in The Meddler" and in the very re-
cent Two Rogues and Romance" James
O'Neill did well with When Greek Meets
Greek" and is doing better in THE Mus
keteers," and Olga Nethersole revived her
old repertoire, staged The Termagant"
and produced Mrs. Kendal's "The Second
Mrs. Tanqueray" with credit to herself
Nat Goodwin, in Nathan Hale and THE
Cowboy and the Lady" John Drew, in
"The Liars" May Irwin. In Kate Kip,
Buyer" Richard Mansfield. in ''Cyrano de
Bergerac:" Minnie Madden Fiske, in a
line of vehicles new outside of Gotham;
Tim Murphy, in THE Carpetbagger;: Ma
thews and Bulger. in by the Sad Sea
Waves Chauneey Olcott, in "a Romance
of Athlone;' - Andrew Mack, in THE Rag
ged Earl" Della Fox, in THE Little
Host" De Wolf Hopper, in THE Char
latan:" Francis Wilson, in THE Little
Corporal;" Julia Marlowe. in "Colinette;"
Ada Rehan, in ''The Great Ruby" the
Liliputians. in THE Golden Horseshoe"
the Rogers Brothers, in "A Reign of Err
ror," and apparently Willie Collier in
Mr.. Smooth" have all done well. ire
spectiye Of whether their efforts were clas-
sic or farcical. whether the ventures in
volyed thousands or hundreds of dollars,
and whether they were produced in New
York or the provinces.
Other important profitable enterprises OF
the season have been "on and Off,"
Sporting Life" Mistakes Win Happen
which closed in Washington, but en-
joyed considerable prosperity in the West
''Phroso." Way Down East" THE Tur-
tle," why Smith Left Home "A Brace
of Partridges," Hotel Topsy Turvy,' THE
White Heather The Telephone Girl"
THE Three Dragons" "a Runaway Girl"
"Trelawny of the Wells" Lord and Lady
Algy," John Ingerfeld," at the White
Horse Tavern" Because She Loved Him
So" Mile Fii," THE Purple Lady"
Charles Frohmans THE Cuckoo and "A
Dangerous Maid" none of which had seen
the light of the theatre outside of one city
until the beginning Of this season, and all
of which have proven valuable to their
possessors.
For the rest, Dan DAILY was to have been
starred in THE Belle of New York" but
was featured instead Otis Harlan was 10
have gone out in my Innocent Boy" but
postponed the tour; Virginia Harmed was
TO have tried her drawing powers in THE
Adventure of Lady Ursula" and did not;
Henry Miller was 10 have tested THE Am
but contented himself with the
cast-off offerings of John Drew; something
was heard of Robert Downing's projected
productions of "A True knight" and THE
as well as of Eugene Blair
in "A Creole Romance" but Mr.. Downing
has dropped out of sight and Miss Blair
is appearing in "a Lady of Quality" James
Corbett was to have been seen in THE Ad-
but took saloon instead:
Mouse Trap Tobe'' was to have been ex-
plotted, but did not materialize and the
much talked-of The Greek Slave" has not
yet landed on these shores.
Charles Coghlan has closed his New York
season in Citizen Pierre" Roland Reed
failed with THE Voyagers," "A Distin-
guished Guest" and a version of His Alb
sent Boy" Burr Mcintosh did not get
far with "a War Correspondent" and Russ
experience in "vagabondia'' was
short. while Ferris Hartman's ',The Pur-
SER" Clara Thropp's Where's Matilda"
George Monroe's Her Majesty the Cook"
Sam Bernard's The Marquis of Michigan" |
the Bostonians' Ulysses" Eddie BaId's |
"a Twig of Laurel" James A. Herne's