Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-16

she coyly whispers in Boston's ear II am
anybody to contradict lady. But it must
be admitted that when Eugene was here
something like a decade ago she knew an
oVerpowering lot for sixteen years.
Manager Chase has returned from Il
business trip to New York, and feels well
pleased with a comparison of the current
vaudeville offerings IN that city and his
own programs the New Grand. To Il
Star reporter he said:
i went to Tour vaudeville theaters over
there, and it is a fact that not in any oI,e.
of them is there bill that costs as much
or Is as much appreciated as the one al the
New Grand this week. | saw all the future
bookings for these houses and they simply
don't approach the engagements listed for
the Grand. Why, they were surprised at
our nerve. let me call it. in getting up such
bills as we propose to give. In The first
place, | have extended the term of the bio
graph pictures eight weeks longer, and
there Will be twelve entirely new pictures
each week, commencing Monday next. We
shah get the best and the latest the most
interesting being those of the war in
Africa Then, / engaged the famous Girl
With the Auburn Hair who has been
drawing hosts to keiths Theater. 1t is
wonderfully effective vocal and scenic act
( and of the kind that will vastly please
Washington, Her identity is as much a
mystery now as it ever vas, and public in
terest in the beautiful singer continues I'M
ahated. Cissie Lotus, the greatest mimic
ard entertainer of the day, is another
whom engaged. She initiates all the great
actors and actresses and furnishes Il most
charming act. especially effective with the
ladies. l also made terms with Camille
ID Artille, the operate star and she will
appear in due time. Tony Pastor. the vet
eTan vaudeville manager and specialist is
another attraction that ought to be pleas
ant1y received here. He remains today one
of the mos admired of New York's enter
tainers-more SO than Edward Harrigap. |
should say. novelty of the most daring
kind, which l put under contract, is fur
nished by the Austin sisters who do the
greatest aerial act I ever saw. Mile Aimee.
the human fly she is called. will soon
be seen at the Grand. Edwin Milton Royle
and his wife, formerly Salina Fettcr signed
with me in their sketch. FilsOn and Enrol,
Wit WITH their two farces. "A Tip on the
who are the hit of the bill this week at
Hyde & Behman's in Brooklyn. also will
appear here. l must not forget Dolan and
Lenharr, whose farce, A Heightened Bur-
giar. is one of the most laughable ever
played / got that, too. My little patrons
Will be pleased to learn of the engagement
ierbert's dogs. Ezra Kendall. heading
Harry Williams Own Vaudeville Company,
will come later in the season. and Hep
kins' Transatlantic Vaudeville Company
and the two fulgora ail-star speciality COM
panics Travelled for time with me. but it
is not settled. There is chance that we
may get Ching Ling Eco. the great Chinese
juggler. and [ have gone so far as to LEI
him fix his Cwn salary if ne can give me a
week. Another word. It's the policy of
most managers to put in weak bills Christ
nas week on the theory that people will
patroniZe the theater no matter what the
attraction. I shall not follow it. I have
engaged one of the strongest bills 1 ever
devised for the holiday period"
Within the past decade there has sprung
up a new school Of English novelists. and a
singular thing about their writings is that
most of the stories lend themselves readily
n fi.zslt
cessful in novel stage form. To this
school belong such writer's of fiction as
Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson.
DR.. A. Conan Doyle. J. NJ. Barrie, Stanley
Weyman, Hall Caine, Thomas Hardy and
Anthony Hope. When the narratives of
any Of these have been used for stage pur-
poses they have proved not only intensely
interesting, but successful in a popular and
financial sense. In years to come, whether
these authors will have standing among
such standard writer's Dickens, Thack
cray or our own Irving, Cooper and others
cannot be foretold at present. Certain it is
they enjoy a great vogue now, whatever
may be the case in the future. Anthony
Hope leaDed into sudden fame with his
Prisoner of Zenda," owing to the novelty
of the story; he added to his reputation
with the beautifully written Adventure of
Lady Ursula and his ''Phroso'' has been
successful: The immense popularity OF his
latest work, Rupert of Hentzau," Is a mat
ter of record, Personally, Mr., Hope is
man slightly below middle height and
grave of aspect. His is a stern practical
face. His head is quite devoid of hair, and
he wears no beard or mustache A re-
semblauce has been noted between Hope
and the late Eugene Field. far as out
ward appearances go. Originally Mr.. Hope
was a lawyer, or ''barriSter" in London
A few years ago he made lecture tour
of some of the larger American cities, Civ
ing readings from his famous Dolly Da-
logues," among other things. Rupert of
Hentzau' is the first of his stories which
he himself dramatized; it is likewise the
first to be done in this country before be-
ing given abroad. In Glasgow. a month
or so ago, Rupert had its first Euro
pean production, George Alexander playing
the dual part.
Naturally, the American tour of Sir
Henry Irving invites the publication of a
series of the gentle anecdote. designed to
| add to the personal admiration of the
player as well to his professional reputa-
ton.
and comparatively unknown, Shakespeare's
play Much Ado About Nothing was
about to be presented to the public by
certain manager of prominence Irving
had part assigned to him which he dill
gently studied. Letter perfect in his lines
he felt assured of ultimate success. but I'M
fortunately the Manager dishked his acting
OF 1t and took occasion to cenSure him be-
! fore the company, to his modification. Fur
thermore, the manager took the part from
him and gave him another, less prominent,
Years went by and Irving steadily
climbed to fame that brought him knight
hood, while the critical manager gradually
lost ground. One day shortly after Irving
announced his intention of producing
Much Ado About Nothing" the old
| manager presented himself and asked that
part be assigned to him. Irving granted
the request and gave him the very part
he had forced Irving to play years before
During rehearsal Irving narrowly watched
the managers acting and at the conclu-
sion went up and shook his hand, after
gravely complimenting him upon his rem
derins of the part Then he promoted him
to the part from which he had been re-
duced Il never knew what Goals of fire
meant till then" was the remark which
the old actor and manager was overheard
to make when Irving retired.
Since his early college days James X
Hackett has excelled as a swordsman.
While he has possibly inherited some of
his skill from his father James H. Hackett
I-"Fals.aff'' Hackett-who was an acknowl-
edged master of the sword most of his
ability is the result of the intense interest
he has always taken in this accomplish
ment and long and constant practice Mr..
Hackett has studied fencing and broad