Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-05-15
Frank Daniels Career.


Opera House on Monday evening. May
-. IN his newest laughing musical his
Miss Simplicity is now at the very
height of his success as a nationally
popular comic opera favorite. This
new opcratic comedy has proved to be
much the most successful offering that
h has ever made and throughout his
tor this season he and his company
ana Miss simplicity" have been the
centre Of furore OF prosperity ana en-
thueiasm. This happy state of affairs
reached its climax during the recent
rum at the Casino in New York where
the rotunl little merry-maker enjoyed
Il remark lble rui; through almost The
entire winter.
III view Of Mr.. Daniels success, it
seems worth while to offer a review oi
the comedians facetious and felicitous
career.
As in The case Of several other comic
opera stars, II. NJ. s. Pinafore" was
responsible for his initial appearance
before the footlights. He played Dick
Dcadeye in one Of the innumerable
juveniln 'Pinafore' companies that
toured the country when the Gilbert
ana Sullivan opera was in the first
flush Of its success. Some of Daniels
local admirers may recall him in this
earliest of his representations. It is
said chat he was intensely funny in his
methods even at that early stage Of his
career. From "Pinafore" Daniels
elayitated to farcical comedy, appear
ing with a combination known as At
/ l;irson's Jollities. il piece called Tho
/
play was almost identical with Au-
dran's famous Partisan success, La
! Poupec' which more recently has be-
come familiar to American audiences
urder the title of "Papa's Wife" Mr..
! Daniels toured not only this country.
| but the length and breadth of Great
/ Britain. and established an internal
| tional reputation as a highly clever
eccentric comedian through his droll
| impersonation of Christopher Twitt III
THE Electrical Doll"
| 1t was in this character that Daniels
! happened to come under the eye of
Charles II. Hoyt. then the dramatic
critic of the Boston Post. and budding
playwright. whose ambitions had al
ready assumed Napoleonic proper
tioHs. Mr.. Hoyt had written a farce
called "A Rag Baby" and he believed
that Daniels was the precise in
dividual to give life and vitality to the
principal character, 'Old Sport" Mr..
Hoyt was right in the choice Of a
comedian. Daniels scored an in
stantaneOus hit as "Old Sport" and his
song. Let Me Shake the Hand that
Shook the Hand Of Sullivan was
sung from one end of the continent to
the other.
So emphatic was Mr.. Daniels sue
cess in Rag Baby" and so numer-
Gus a clientele OF admiring theatre
goers did he acquire, that when after
several seasons he went starring on his
own account in Little Puck" he
easily took position in the front rank
Of contemporaneous comedy
| After appearing as Little Puck" un-
til he had not only tired of the role
but was fearful that his friends would
| likewise become weary of it, he cast
| about for n change of vehicle: and it
was at this stage Of his career that he
CHANGED 20 make 50 pronounced a hit
| in comic opera. that he at once de-
cided TO continue this line of enter
| tainment. The hit in question was in
the part Of Shri1nps in Willard Spen-
GERS successful Princess Bonnie"
then at the height of its popularity. IT
was Mr.. ]. G. @. Duffy, a Philadelphia
dramatic writer. who suggested
Daniels as the new incumbent of the
role of Shrmps After accepting the
part, Daniels evinced his talent by
making an altogether new creation OF
n - 4
diverting stage business With which