The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-17

himself as the star, notably Little
Puck" In Princess Bonnie he made
one of the big hits of the production as
Shrimps, the champion canoeist of his ma
tive village. Another member of the same
company was Miss Eleanor Mayo. a
| daughter OF the late Frank Mayo, who had
Just been graduated from convent and
who entered upon her stage career with
the advantages of a beautiful face and
decidedly pleasing voice. She was an in
Simultaneous success and her work con-
tributed not little to the fifteen weeks
run of the opera in the Quaker City. 1t
was during her engagement with "Prin-
cess Bonnie that she met and married
Mr.. James Elverson, jr., the son of a
prominent Philadelphia newspaper pub
Usher. She retired from the stage, and
has not been seen behind the footlights
since.
Following its successful engagement in
Philadelphia, Princess Bonnie" was taken
to New York by T. B. Harms & Co., own
ers OF De Wolf Hopper's success. Wang"
and it was expected that IL would repeat
its Pennsylvania record. But metropoli-
tan theatregoers fought shy OF it, and the
venture cost the managers $4,000. In no
territory in which Mr.. Spencer's opera was
afterward presented did the receipts
amount to more than the expenses.
Mr.. Spencer's new composition is said
TO possess many points of excellence. in
Guiding a number of songs that should at
once spring into popularity. The story is
interesting, and the advance announce
ments are to the effect that company Of
much worth will be engaged in the presen-
tation.
In this connection IL is worthy Of note
that Nixon & Zimmerman are branching
out quite extensively as managers of mu-
steal pieces. They already control Francis
Wilson, and have secured the American
rights to THE Messenger Boy" soon to
be done in London. The firm practically
control the theatrical situation in Phila-
delphia, as they are proprietors of the
Chestnut Street Theatre and Opera House,
the Broad Street Theatre, the Park The
atre, the Peoples, popular price house
while they have the Academy Of Music In
Baltimore and the Alvin in Pittsburg.
The Wise Theatregoer at one of the
local theatres last Wednesday night hung
around the lobby until few minutes after
o'clock, when he approached the box Of
fee and asked for two seats on the aisle,
six or seven rows from the front. They
were promptly handed out, and as he
showed them in vest pocket, he said to
a friend:
'If / had asked for those tickets five
minutes ago / would have been told that
the funny part of it would be that the
ticket seller had told me the truth.
or course they we're not there at
the time, but as soon as that messenger
boy from the Arlington Hotel left the
window there were number of desirable
seats to be had Just bear this in mind
in the future, If you want really the best
seats in a theatre: Don't expect to get
good locations until few minutes after
Z ~ uh
hotels have been received. for each prom
inent hostelry gets a dozen or so OF the
choicest orchestra seats every night, to
be sold to their guests All that are not
disposed of at a quarter to s o'clock
are sent back to theatres, and that is
when you want to step up to the window
There isn't night in the week when you
can't get fine seats in this manner. Then,
too. IL is at this hour that the seats that
have been reserved but not called for are
placed in the rack and put on sale. so if
you only watch your timepiece and get in
front of the theatre treasurer few min
utes after s you will usually get
about what You want in the way OF good
seats. This may be giving away a secret
worth possessing. but it's true one,
nevertheless
When the affable young gentleman who
presides over the box office at one OF
asked to corroborste the Wise Theatre
goer's remarks he merely said: Il don't
know anything about it, but the old fellow
evidently is on. for he always buys his
tickets just after s. and usually sits
in aisle seats"
Richard Mansfield has just completed
run of FIVE weeks in Chicago, presen. ing
his great production of Henry W uninter-
cd IL IA 0u-da cd had
extend the time twice. This is a record
for Shakespeare. Never before in that
city has one of the great dramatist's
plays run for anywhere near this length
of time.
The receipts for Henry V" were UMPIRE
cedented even by Mansield's own record
in other successes. He now returns East
again, breaking the trip with a week in
Cleveland, and will play Baltimore March
4, Philadelphia (return engagement March
II, Washington, March IS, Brooklyn (re-
turn. engagement March 20. and open his
Boston engagement. Easter Monday,
April s. Thus far Mr.. Mansfield has ap-
peared In only six cities. His engagement
in Henry W. was extended over the origi-
nal time in New York, and he packed the
Garden Theatre with the brilliant pro-
duction during ten weeks.
of an engagement he played some years
ago ia a one night stand near this city
The Rogers Brothers at that time were
travelling with large burlesque company,
and, getting into the town late. Gus did
not, as usual, go up to the theatre until
just about time to make up" for the per-
Torrance.
When he reached the theatre, he found
everything In confusion. the company
CT linz ,t4tz l. id
marks about the dressing rooms. It seems
that there was only one dressing room in
the theatre, that being quite large one.
and the stage manager informed him that
the company had TO dress together
Rogers Immediately waited on the man
ager of the theatre and informed him
that 1t would be impossible for them to
give a show as they had no place to
dress.
The manager, after a few minutes of
deep thought, replied: What's the mat
ter; don't they speak?"
There is trouble in the camp of vaude-
Vile and in the first encounter between
the organization of performers known as
the White Rats and the managers the Rats
were victorious. The little battle oc-
CURED in the cities in which the Keith
theatres are located. The vaudeville &C
tors selected a time when the managers
were in session in Chicago to demonstrate
their strength.
For years it has been the custom of the
performers to pay agents who secure en-
gagements for them a commission of per
cent of their weekly salaries. When the
Association of Vaudeville Managers de-
cided to do its own booking and estab-
lished a central agency for this purpose.
the per cent commission continued