Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-06-30
NO LITTLE CHRISTOPHER
Stage Manager Stevens Fails 10 Keep His
n Contact
Was Not on Hand Last Nlgbr ana ihe
Audience Had to be Dis.
missed.


pher" at the Salt Palace opened last
night, but Immediately closed again, A
guodc audience was IN attendance,
CHORUS, orchestra and principals were
on hand, and the curtain was Just
about to be rung up when some one
mentioned that MI Stevens, the stage
manager, and principal comedian had
not been seen around during the eve
ming. a visit TO that gentlemans dress-
ingroOm disclosed the fact that there
was not yestige OF the many cos
tunes worn by the private detective 70
be seen, neither grease, paint, wigs, nor
any OF the other appurtenances or his
art Further search showed that the
prompt book parts and orchestral
scores we've missing. ~
Under hesefcirCumstances there was
Haply one ching 20 do aud that was
dOnel The audience was dismissed. with
few words OF regret from Kenneth
.KoIt, lis money was handed back, the
characters In the opera dressed. ann
went home. and the house was again
closed It'll further notice"
From all that can be- learned Stevens
left Tor New York on Sunday lie gave
his word 10 Manager Myers that he
would iill out the second week In order
10 help that gentleman recoup some OF
the losses he had sustained on the first
Everyone else felt wen disposed toward
Nh Myers. who had tO0ted all the Bills.
aud Il was thought stevens could be
relied on IN spite OF his statement that
he hud received an urgent call 20 re-
turn 70 New York. However f)r come
urgent reason, which oply stevens can
explain, he visited the SALT Palace az
some hour when the place was un0ccu-
pied gathered up ali the music and
vanished
That Stevens Is a "fakir" in an that
the term implies, there can not be
much doubt Hp came TO Salt Lake
with a considerable fourishng Of trum-
pets, and announced that he had had
unlimited experience in New York.
mounting and staging light operas. He
tried TO obtain the Salt Lake theater
for a summer venture hut gave II up
when Manager Pyper Informed him
that a weeks rent would cost him $1,000
and that he must have security or The
money be In sight He then wrote TO
the Witmark Music Library OF New
York. giving the name Of the salt Lake
Opera company. and asking prices on
several new operas The Wiimarls al
once wrote to the management Of the
Salt Lake Opera company, asking
whether Stevens had authority TO use
their name The answer was returned
that he had no such authority and eV-
identity Nitmark broke or negotia lions
with him for he obtained the music and
orchestral parts for Little Chrsto-
pher' from Arthur W Tams OF New
York, That gentleman. however. was
shrewd enOug 10 send the package OF
music c. o. ID. and Mr. Myers had 10
put up $3.50 before the manuscripts
could be released from Tie express o.
fee
stevens work In directing showed
that he had q knowledge of what a
stage manager ought 10 be, but he had
no system, and his work was so poor
ly attended 10 that Miss Fisher and
others Of the principals grew desper
ate as the date Of the frt performance
drew near. a number Of those con-
cerned In the production state that mad
not Miss Fisher come 10 the rescue
during the last two or three rehearsals,
The opera would have been presented
with. little or no business" whatever,
The massacre that Stevens perpetrated
on the role Of the private detective is
still fresh 10 the memory NJ the public.
II was one OF the suhlimest exhibitions
Of gall on record, that he should
have attempted TO carry of such re-
sponsible part
one Of the most puzzled men in Salt
Lake over stevens actions Is Prof Ne
Clelmn. who had a contract with him
10 write the music FOR an 0pefh the u.
Dretth and lyrics Of which were 10 De
furnished by Stevens I'm fact Prof No
Clellan says that Stevens gave him the
outline " "a plot which struck him as
being undoubtedly clever and be- also
gave hin the words 40 a number Of
songs which he SCI TO music only sat
uriay night he and Stevens had agreed
to meet early Monday morning 20 push
work on the opera. and Do % supper
given at the Commercial club Saturday,
by Manager StrObcll Of Calder's music
store 70 the principals 0t the Little
Christopher company Stevens arose
and gnnounccd that he had closed with
The Sew York Casino for a production
of his new opera in September Mr. Ne
Clenau says b. rather doubts Whether
Stevens b not half crazy, IN View u
all the circumstances he. however,
has me satisfaction of having In bis
possession all the music he wrote for he
lgrle- submitted boy Stevens; Just what
use Doe wiz put them 80 is as yet q mat
Ter " uncertainty, T. r.
Sc Nyers said this m0tnmr that the
published reports of his Being out a
thousand dollars or more we're all rub
biqh." The receipts OF the week had
been uout 1900 and the expenses
vCr' only llt.le more How much he
might have been out had he sub
miHcl ~ the mighty "touching" an
peils That Stevens made Ia him Tor q
settlement or something on account
he saws De does not Know, but he was
shiewl enough 10 keen ull the receipts
iu bis own hands and to pay on the peo-
pie himself By so doiAR he saws he
thought he had a guarantee for stevens
appearance last night bat he evidently
reckoncd without knowing his man.