The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-02

While it is still somewhat early in
the vacation season for the managers
to have definite plans for next year, an
outline of general plans and prospects
will be interesting to theatre-goers. Mr..
Mulvey of the Grand has just returned
from New York, where he left an office
busily engaged in making bookings for
the coming season. The date of OPEN
ing and the first attraction, Mr.. Mulvey
is as yet unable TO state. The class or
attractions will be along the same lines
as last year, with marked advance
in quality all through. A years ex-
perience has been of great value, and
Mr. MulveY has made arrangements
whereby only the best of the popular
attractions will come to his house.
At the Salt Lake theatre, Mr.. Piper
is busily engaged getting things into
shape for next year. and already mas
some notion of what the season VIII
bring TO his patrons. The Theatre VIII
open on Sept. Is. with Clay Clement,
who is a great faVorite in Salt Lake.
He will be seen in his new play en-
titled "A Southern Gentleman" and
also i'll The New Dominion, which
first brought him fame in this part Of
the country.
why Smith Left Home" the sue
cessful farce comedy which was taken
TO London this season, will also visit
Salt Lake. The road company of The
Christian" will come here, and the COM
pany which has made a great success
this season in Sousas new opera, The
Bride Elect" A whole week has been
booked for Denman Thompson in The
Old Homestead Among the regular
yearly visitors will be the Bostonians.
Willie Collyer, and Vests Ministries,
and one of the big attractions will be
that delightful and favorite comedian,
Sol Smith Russell.
There is an interesting rumor to the
effect that Sir Henry Irving will go to
San Francisco when he visits TINS
country next season. and if so. he Will
be seen in Salt Lake. The bookings
made thus far are, of course, only the
preliminary ones. and from now until
September the list Will be greatly in
creased, with, no doubt. the most i'm
portant attractions. Mr.. Pyper looks
forward to A most suspicious season,
from the playgoers' standpoint, as
well as the managerial.
4 strong effort will also be made to
bring the best musical attractions in
the country to the Salt Lake theatre
an ambition which Is certainly backed
by public inclination. Many excellent
concerts, such as some we nave had
during the past year, would do very
well to come TO the Theatre. In the
somewhat tin1e-worn discussion of the
subject, we have frequently heard that
high-class concerts do not pay" at
the Theatre. With the opportunity.
and proper handling, at Will be proven
that they do pay, and once demonstrate
ed, there viii be no further trouble on
the subject.
So. along with an excellent dramatic
season, we may also hope for d COM
panion season of music.
In converse ton with Mr.. Pyper the
other day. he spoke of that old man
a4erial bugbear-the uncertainty of
public taste. Jessie Bartlett Davis
said. I remember, in speaking of pro-
auctions: Actor, author and manager
may together decide the fate of play,
and count it, naturally, a most COM
petent opinion, but to come down to
facts. the public is the only judge-the
one that makes success or failure, and
in many cases, completely reverseS the
expert opinion This is true, and
then besides. there is also a wheel
within the wheel The public taste
of one town." says Mr.. Pyper, is no
guarantee for the public taste of an
other. This is proved notably by such
q play as The Sign of the Cross. In
New York and Chicago, II was dire
failure. while it was an enormous sue
cess in Philadelphia and Boston: It
failed utterly in San Francisco, and |
pleased immensely in Salt Lake. It |
has been truly said that the theatrical /
business is one long, endless series OF !
risks
In regard to cheap class of plays |
which appear at the Theatre from time |
TO time, Mr. Piper claims that there is |
an element among his patrons which |
demands it-that he must consider the |
gallery as well as the parquet. Then,
he, says that while the regular theatre |
goers may not be pleased with piece /
like ''McFadden's Flats" there were (
many who were willing to pay dollar
to see it. and Of course the people must
be pleased. In a controversy between
the prestige of the house and a possible
profit, whether from parquet. gallery or
a widely-extended bald-headed row. 1t
is not difficult To see which would win.
Besides, Mr.. Pyper explains, in sys-
TEN of syndicate booking, he must
necessarily except all and take chances.
SO also must the public, and, all things
being relative. if there were not oc-
casional dissatisfaction, there would be
no pleasure.
The New York papers which have
Just come to hand are full of criticisms
and reviews of Sarah Bernhardts
Hamlet" which has been produced in
London. Clement Scott, the eminent
critic late of the London Telegraph,
and now special correspondent of the
New ynrl- He'-ald. eulogiZed the whole