The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-21
STORY OF ROBIN HooD.o
History of the Opera Since Its Pro-
duction in 1890.


The recent revival of the DeKoven
and Smith comic opera, robin Hood"
CARRIED entirely afresh with a magnif-
cence that made all other productions
of this world famous piece seem in
significant by reason of its gorgeous
stage equipment has stimulated interest
in the statistics of one of the most won
derfully successful properties of the
American stage.
The first performance of Robin
Hood took place at the Chicago Grand
opera house on the evening of June 9,
1890. Its success was entirely unexpect-
ed, rehearsals having been far from sat
iSfactcry and the staging of the most
Inexpensive order. Even today the au-
thor and composer cannot realize why
Robin Hood still holds sway, outliv
ing every other opera of their cola bor-
alton, that has cost them infinitely more
labor and, in their opinion. more artis-
tic work. The critics have often tried
to enligbten them on this point, but they
are hard of belief. After the first per-
Torrance Messrs. Barnabee and Mac
Donald had an inkling of the value of
their production, but although MessrS.
De Koven and Smith would have sur
rendered their entire rights for $1,000,
they we're not sufficiently Sanguine to
make the investment and have con-
tinued to pay full royalties for every
performance since, which have resulted
in q grand total of one hundred and
forty thousand three hundred and fifty
dollars, munifcent revenue from
work often despised by its authors This
does not include the authors fees re-
ceived for the performances of robin
Hood in England and Australia, nor
for the rights of the foreign TRANSACTIONS.
Hood has been performed in the United
States and Canada is 2,445. OF these
performances the No. 1 company, which
still includes several of the originals,
has presented robin Hood 1921 times;
the gross receipts aggregated two mill
lions three hundred and forty five
thousand four hundred and twenty dol
lars, a trif1e over a thousand dollars a
performance. The highest receipts for
single performance reached $3.50 and
the lowest $495.
New York managers were slow to be-
lieve that robin Hood" was the Dhe
nomenal hit the westerners acclaimed
So Robin had 10 beg hard for a metro
politen hearing and finally the Bos-
tonians were compelled to rent the
ater- 1t was a question between Days
and the old Standard The former de
manded $500 a week more rental with
most exacting conditions, but it had the
advantage of popularity. The Standard
was far from being a successful house
and 1t required a piece of wonderful
drawing quality to attract paying au-
dience in those days. When it was sell
tied to go to the Standard everybody
ridiculed the idea 1t tempted instant
fascO, and the first nights audience al
most demanded inducements to enter
the theater. On the second night the
old Standard was the playhouse of the
city. and the harvest of the sDeculator
began Engagements for the road had
already been made and when. at the end
of the five weeks allotted to Robin at
the Standard, the Bostonians, with an
advance sale that would have crowded
the theater for the season, tried to post
pone Out-of-town enga gements they
! fO1Jnd If Thn f,.rt VrY,t-
production Of robin Hood took place
on September 2S 1891. On the following
May is it was revived, playing late
into the summer at the Garden theater
On November Z, 1892, robin Hood had
its third revival in New York enjoying
a run of seven weeks. Since then five
REVEALS have taken place at various
It win be interesting to compare the
original castINith that of the big revival
| this season
Original production. 1890
- n. Y. Academy Revival 1902
Characters.
| Sheriff of Nottingham
H. c. Barna bee. ............,H 9. Barnabec
Edwin )" H07 Win Scarlet. Harold G0rdo'
Eugene cowles Allen G. Hinclley
w. H. Macdonald. Nv. H. Macdonald
Friar Tuck.
| G. B. rockingham. G. b rockingham
Guy of Osborne.
Peter Lang. ................C Campbell Donald
Lady Marian
Marie Stone. .....--..- Grace Van Studdifor6
Alan-a-Dale-
Jessie Bartlett Davis. Olive c. Moore
Anabel.
Carlotta Maconde!.. .Sabery DOrsel
Dame burden.
Josephine Bartlett. Josephine Bartlett
Out of one thousand seven hundred an6
twenty-one performances by the No.
| company. Mr. II. c. Barnabee has ap
peared one thousand six hundred and ter
times and Mr.. w. H. Macdonald on
thousand four hundred and six times.
robin Hood will be played by tn
Bostonians at the New Crawford MONDAY