The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
THE PASSING SHOW.

|
Once more has grand opera in English
proved to be losing venture, and with
last nights performance at the National
Theatre the Metropolitan company, under
the management of Maurice Grau and
Henry w Savage, passed out of existence.
The enterprise has steadily lost money
from the very first week at the home of
grand opera in Gotham, although there
was balance on the right side of the
ledger when The Mikado' and "Pinafore"
were sung. The public showed great
interest in these two Gilbert and Sullivan
favorites, and with the unusually strong
casts that were offered immense houses
were attracted to the big theatre.
The announcements that were sent from
| the offices of the company in New York
each week recorded the fact that large
audiences were the rule. and the average
reader of dramatic affairs was led TO be-
lieve that the management was coming
money whereas the very reverse was the
truth. 1t was merely another triumph OF
the press agent over actual fact. At
times the box Office takings of the Metro
politan company are said to have aver
aged $4,000 a week, but what is $4,000
Wien only an ordinary attraction must
take in So 900 a week when playing on
|
alone a profit. The Metropolitan easily
costs more than twice as much as any
of the other New York playhouses to run,
so ii is not in the least surprising that up
to the time the Grau-Savage organiza-
tion left the metropolis for Chicago the
books showed a deficit OF over $4,000.
This was very materially increased IN the
Windy City, and although Buffalo and sew
eral other New York State cities turned
out in large numbers to hear the opera
singers, the expenses were so large on
the road that the city of Washington was
reached with loss OF fully hundred
thousand dollars.
The business in this city was not what
1t should been been, and everyone con-
nected with the financial end of the en-
terprise doubtless breathed sigh OF re-
lief when the last curtain was rung down
on what will be in all probability the 1nai
attempt to offer the American public
grand opera in the mother tongue. Many
of the principals will be Distributed
among the Castle Square companies,
while come of the more important mem
bers may be heard with the Metropolitan
Grand Opera Company during the present
season in New York. Miss de Lussan, IN
particular is under contract with Henry
W. Savage in person, and is guaranteed
ten performances a month and receives
$500 every time she appears on the pro-
gramme.
Many persons have criticised both Mr..
Grau and Mr.. Savage rather severely for
not risking more money in their venture
by supplying casts that contained more
famous names. OF course. grand opera in
English would pay If only properly pre-
sented these critics have asserted, and
have supported their statements by re-
ferring to Malibran's turning from
Italian to English lopera some sew
enty-fve years ago; how the Pyne-
Harrison English troupe was sensation
in the SOS and how Clara Louise Kellogg.
Parepa Rosa, and many more were ad-
nired and patronized in paying numbers
in opera in the vernacular. Even Emma
| Abbott has been held up as striking
illustration that IL Colonel Savage and
| Mr. Grau had onTs gone about this thing
of furnishing English opera in the right
| way they would have made almost untold
| wealth, instead Of utilizing the city of
| Washington as the burial place of their
| artistic and financial ambitions. These
| self-styled critics have. however, failed
to note the fact that popular fancy is
always changing and especially in the
matter of stage entertainment. The
| American afterward the National Opera
Company, of ten or fifteen years ago. had
! rather a substantial backing 1t col
lapsed, though. after Colonel Locke, its
| manager, had succeeded in hypnoLizing
.most every railroad passenger agent in
| the country into transporting the singers
| and the productions for nothing, and had
| drawn upon many box Offices in advance
for such simple matter as the paying of
| claims of obdurate hotel proprietors.
| Emma Juch and Pauline L'Allemand were
among Mrs. Thurbers singers. just as
Zelie de Lussan Phoebe Strakosch.
and Philip Brozel were among the Savage
Grau forces The experience of managers
| h1u nd ND rha 10
business should be a convincing and I'M
| answerable argument in support of the
!. assertion that the American people do not
want grand opera in English, no matter
| at what price-excepting always the
cheaper organizations which seem to have
the knack Of prospecting with but thirty
or so persons on their payroll.
However II there is any philanthropy
\ cally inclined person with super luity of
coin of the realm who believes to the con-
| trary, be can secure option on some
| very cheap scenery and costumes by ad-
dressing MIR. Henry W. Savage, in care of
| the Metropolitan Opera House, New York
City.
Another musical organization that will
| close its season soon is the Lulu Chaser
| company seen week before last at the
| Columbia Theatre, this city, in Sweet
Anne Page" Miss CHASER appeared In
/ Harlem last week to such small-sized au-
| diences that she determined that II was
no use to longer expend her money for
| the sole purpose of cavorting around the
centre OF the stage and seeing her name
| on the billboards.
| The experiment has cost a small for
| tune which is all the more to be regretted
as personally Miss CHASER is a clever
soubrette. and with suitable piece would
undoubt eddy win artistic and monetary
| favor The Chaser company is scheduled
to stop work next Saturday night.
Mr.. G. f. Wegefarth proprietor Of the
| Bijou Theatre is III the city for several
weeks, during which time he will begin
the erection of a new theatre in Baltimore
| on the site OF the old Front Street Thea
tire, which will be devoted to burlesque
! and run in conjunction with the Bijou,
| this city, and the Court Street Theatre,
Buffalo Mr.. Wegefarth is Baltimorean,
and announces that he purposes to con-
burlesque playhouses In the country. 1t
| is expected that ground for the new thea
| tire will be broken within two weeks, and
according TO Mr. eWegefarth, the house
| will be opened ee.iy next season.
In this connection, II is worthy of note
that Messrs Herman G. Rife. proprietors
Of Kernan's Lyceum, this city. and the
| Monumental Theatre, Baltimore resent
the encroachment OF Mr. Wegefarth upon
| their territory, and they propose to re-
taliate by erecting aitheatre in Buffalo,
which will be run in direct opposition to
the Court Street House. Both Mr.. herman
and Mr.. Rife havS been in the New York
1 ,I,v during the uagt weak lnokinp