Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-30
AtnuSet

Holy week. which is considered by man
ayers OF amusement enterprises through
out the country to be the least profitable
Of any Of the forty which constitute a
theatrical season, proved a decided excep-
ton to the rule In this city, and Manager
Burgess Of the Boyd is elated over the
tact that the receipts Of his theater dur
Ing the week fell but little short Of being
the largest Of the season. To Henry Irv-
Ing and Ellen Terry belongs the honor Of
having reached the h~igh-water mark, and
Viola Allen is entitled to the distinction
Of having very nearly, IL not quite, equaled
the limit. Miss Aliens receipts for the
three performances amounted to a little
less than 5000, or more than that OF any
other star charging the same scale OF
prices and giving the same number OF per-
formances that has appeared In Omaha N
several seasons. The theater was crowded
at the special matinee given Thursday
afternoon, and a more representative or
better dressed matinee audience has not
graced the Boyd In many a day.
The Orpheum likewise enjoyed unusually
good business for this season of the year.
This was due principally to the fact that
the vaudeville bill was one Of uniform ex-
c~ellence and well worth the patronage Of all
lovers Of this form OF theatrical enter
tainment. At the Trocadero the usual bill
OF burlesque brought out all Of the patrons
Of this theater.
For the week commencing today there is
much meritorious entertainment Of a varied
character in prospect. Williams and
Walker, who open the week, are the rep
resentative entertainers Of their race and
were either Of them without the ebony
color they might be well up among the
prominent comedians Of the day. 9TH
Explorers" a comic opera from the pen Of
Bert Lester Taylor, will be given its first
Omaha presentation the middle Of the week.
1t enjoyed a long run in Chicago and has
been we'll spoken of by the dramatic writ
ers In the different cities where It has
been seen. Nat, or Mr.. N. C. Goodwin, as
this popular American comedian calls him
self since he has taken up his home In
England. and his handsome wife, Maxine
Elliott, close the week with a perform
Rnce Of two of their old plays, when We
Were Twenty-one" and IAN American Citi-
gen."
Harry Adkins. who looks after Viola Al
y . hNtAGoNo III NhC AAOhI VI ~ NhNoNVA
tells a story on Miss Allen that is worth
repeating. When she presented I'm the
Palace of the King in Nashville recently
81 was charged for almost every seat 10
the house, and as the Vendome theater Of
that city is a very large one and was
crowded in every part, the receipts mounted
up into the thousands. Eve days later upon
Miss Aliens arrival at Atlanta she was tho
recipient of a small package, by express
which, from its neat appearance, might
have contained a rare jewel. Upon its
being opened 1t was found to contain a sill
yer dollar resting upon a pink plush cush-
ion, and with 1t was the following note
bound with a silk ribbon: Dear Madame
The enclosed was found on the streets Of
Nashville the day following your splendid
performance and record breaking attend
ance at the Vendome theater. Knowing
that you gathered in all the money that wa
in the city and that there was none let
after your departure, / presume, naturally
that the dollar belongs to you. Being hon
est, II poor, l beg to restore your propert,
to you, hoping meanwhile that you will
come this way with as good a play anC
wipe us out financially soon again."
After Viola Aliens matinee performance
was over last Thursday not all OF tn
women who constituted the greater portion
of the large audience were willing to g.
their homeward way without a further lool
at the great actress. Partly attracted b.
curiosity and partly through admiration hal
q hundred women hung around the stag
entrance Of the theater awaiting the ext
Of Miss Allen, but they were doomed I
disappointment for, as is her custom, sh
had arranged to spend the time interveninI
between the matinee and night perform
ance in her dressing room. Her manage
had sent a large couch to her room carr
in the afternoon and Immediately after tn
anal fall OF the curtain on the matine
she donned a pretty blue and white chin
silk kimona and a light skirt and afte
giving orders for a light lunch she chatte
pleasantly with her father, who has bee
her travelling companion ever since she be
came a star some few years ago. and
few others who happened to be in the room
This was shortly after 5 o'clock and q
IAte as half-past there were a few wome
waiting patiently at the stage door to 81
a view Of the style OF her hat. the cut
her suit, a glance, a smile or anything
the way OF a look at the actress SO tha
they might known just how she appeare
"with the makeup Of" as one Of the
nut it. When they were told by one
the stage hands, a practical Joker, that Mis-
Allen had left for her hotel via anoth'
exit more than an hour before the keene'
disappointment was pictured upon the
faces.
All OF this time the actress was Resin
quietly In her dressing room. giving ov'
part of her time to conversation wit
those around her and part to the study
some drawings Of costumes and diferei
materials for making the same for a pre-
duction OF THE Hunchback." which 81
Is to appear in shortly. Speaking OF tn
work she said: IT find enjoyment in Il
study of these drawings and the ehoosii
of the different materials that are 10
used In the making Of the costumes. VIII
was with the Empire company we d
not go into the costuming OF a play
quite the same extensive scale as we
VA"