The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-08
PRINCE OF THE STAGE
MIR. MARCUS MAYER IN ST. PAUL
AFTER ELEVEN LONG
YEARS
WAS HERE LAST WITH PATTI

in the Country Has to Say About
the Business Has Been "a Past
Master I'm the Art of Theatrical
DipIOmacy-Thinks That Stars He
Managed Weren't Very Grateful.
al almost had to build a house for our
performance the last time 1 was In st.
Paul." said Mr. Marcus R. Mayer, the
veteran impressario and manager, yester-
day THAT was when I brought PATTI
here" he continued, ''and we played in
the Market hall. 1t took lot of work
to put the hall in shape for the concert.
But even then 1t wasn't any harder than
our task in Minneapolis. Patti appeared
there at that big rink on Washington
avenue, and Sullivan was there the
night before. 1t took an army all the
next day to put the building in shape for
use. had to get thousand chairs from
st. Paul and had them hauled over on
wagons"
Mr.. Mayer didn't say anything about
the way that part of the Minneapolis
| audience broke through the line that
marked off the high-priced seats on that
memorable occasion and appropriated
them to their own use while some Of
the members of the company were nearly
| frightened to death al the occurrence.
All that trip with it's hardships and in
cidents is now a pleasant "reminiscences
to Mr. Mayer, and he didn't mind it SO
much then because it was successful
financial engagement in both cities.
why have you remained away so
long, them" Mr.. Mayer was asked.
1.-The railroads wanted all the re-
ceipts for carrying the company, and so
| l kept away. I had planned to bring
Patti up here again, but changed the
| plans"
Mr.. Mayer has always devoted his
energies to the best and biggest attrac-
tons In. the United States. He was here
with Lawrence Barrett and Fanny Dav-
export in the seventies; with Christine
Nilsson, Bernhard, Mary Anderson and
Patti in the eighties, and now he, after
a lapse of eleven years, brings Olga
Nethersole.
His success as a manager has been
equal to that of any man living, proba-
bly,, and through the years he has been
in the business he has not known what
1t Is to have any real trouble with the
people for whom and out of whom he has
made hundreds of thousands of dollars,
which means at least that Mr.. Mayer
is a diplomat of the highest ordsr, for
| drink or worse by the whims and kicks
| of star. Not Mr.. Mayer. He remem-
| bers them all with kindness, although he
| has always had an idea that one particu-
| lar stage favorite in whom he was ffnan-
| cially interested never did bubble over
| with gratitude MI. Mayer cannot for
get an incident that happened once many
| years ago in which the lady in question
| figured. She was playing in New York.
| Mr.. Mayer had noticed that Fath conten-
| plated another trip to America. He sug-
| gested to his longtime partner, Mr.. Alb
| hey, that they must go over to Europe
before any Of the ether managers and try
| to secure Patti for the proposed tour.
| They were then managing the woman in
| question and had conducted a successful
season. The night before Mr.. Mayer
| and MFR. Abbey sailed for Europe they
| dropped in to bid the star goodbye. She
| said goodbye, but failed to say she hoped
| they would have a pleasant time, or to
| call and see her when she had closed the
engagement and gone home. She didn't
| even take the trouble to THANK them for
| the part they had taken III her success
| She did shake hands with them. When
! they went seut Mr. Abbey said to- Mr..
Mayer:
Marcus. I don't think --- likes
you
st know damned well she doesn't like
you," replied Mr.. Mayer.
And they felt so badly about it that
| they went and drowned a part Of their
sorrow in bottle or wine.
Mr.. Mayors experience has not been
| confined to America and Europe. He
| took Patti and Bernhard through South
America when that country was terra
fncognita to theatrical travellers from the
/ United States. In Buenos Ayres he found
/ different schedule of prices prevailing
| from that to which he had been accus-
| toned, and so, with characteristic sang
| froid, made the seats for the prinla donna
$40 a performance-about SIS III American
| money. For over two months the theater
| enjoyed such popularity as it had never
| known before. When a benefit was given
| the songstress $z5, 900 in gold was taken In
! at the box office, and the imDetuous
warm-blooded Southerners showered
| thousands Of dollars of presents upon the
| object of their favor. The success with
| which Patti ingratiated herself must be
| considered the more remarkable because
| at that same time Tomagno, the famous
| Italian tenor with a company of $50 peo-
| pie from his native land, was appearing
| In Italian opera at another theater in the
| same city, and because Of the further fact
| that In South America tenors have the
| general preference over even sopranos.
| Mr.. Mayer afterwards entered into
contract with Tomagno. In 1855 he open
! ed the Auditorium with him IN Chicago.
! Speaking about the Auditorium Mr.
Mayer said there was growing feeling
! In Chicago that 1t Is too large "People
| In some parts of the house. said he ARE
so far away from the stage that the sing
ers look like pigmies. Patti could be heard
outside of the Auditorium, but she could
| hardly be seen from certain parts Of the
| house. Such a large building permits
| playing attractions at lower prices, but I
| believe that people in Chicago, or many Of
them, would prefer to pay more and have
a chance to sit where they can see as
| we'll as hear
| And now Mr.. Mayer is Wooiug the f1ckla
| goddess with Olga Nethersole as the mag
net. so far his usual success has attend
| ed him. For two years following her first
! arrival in America, in 1884, OLGA Neither
| sole was with the Frohmans; but when
| after visit to Germany last summer.
| she decided to come back to America. she
placed herself in Mr.. Mayors hands The
company opened this year in Her Majes-
| tvs theater, London, playing "The Ter
magant." After a tour of the PROVINCES
sailings were booked for this side of the
Atlantic. A daring experiment was tried
In the repertory adopted; but 1t worked
out with unexpected briIliancy and sue
cess. No new productions were put on:
nothing but standard plays-"Camille.' .
"The Second Mrs. Tanqueray." New
| York, notwithstanding its rigid prejudice
against rehabilitation, was won over.
Both in New York and Chicago, as well
as Eastern cities, NethersoIs's houses
have been large. One feature of all her
| productions this year has been the faith
fulness with which costumes and Access
series represent the age to which thew
are accredited
And / have never been interestad In :,