Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-06


on the part of her managers that Miss
Maude Adams might not be able to appear
in Washington. Her performance on Mon
day night in the title role of The Pretty
Sister of Jose was her first appearance
after several days of Illness at her nome on
Long Island. Miss Adams played with
grace and enthusiasm which were quite SUI
fcient to guarantee her complete recovery
from the attack of grip, assigned as the
cause of her ndIsposition. The play Is
rather tepd connection in comparison
with other creations of poetry and song that
have eranated from the land of chile con
carne bull fights Carmen and hot tamales.
There is no red pepper in this, the latest OF
Mrs Burnetts plays. THE Pretty Sister
is wholly unlike the traditional senoilta-
She is mild and while possessing a liberal
share of fleeting and changetul MOODS, Is
rather a sedate and retrospective little lass
Miss Adams invested me role with the at
fractions of her own personality. which are
as complete as they are indescrlbable, ana
redeemed the piece by individual effort Al
the outset the play promises literary value,
but its artistic proportion is destroyed by
the constant distortion of probabilities in
order to make the heroine a girl of the &C
cepted type and to provide an agreeable
conclusion to the story 1t is like a drama
tized heart-to- heart talk, and despite the
strum of the guitars and the tinkie of the
mandolins. is unconvincing in its atmos-
phere Delightful and interesting as the
heroine is, she is always palpably of our
own western world.
= X K
The Savage Grand Opera Company under
took and accomplished a task of extraordl-
nary dimensions at the Columbia Theater
this week Any one of the operas 1t pro
duced would constitute a performance OF
such magnitude as to run ordinarily for
weeks engag cement. Only man of Mr..
Savages extraordinary enterprise would
have undertaken so great task, and the
Washington public responded with an en-
thusiasm which showed both appreciation
and discernment As is always the case
with an English opera season the famlllar
pieces were the most approved. 1t was for
Carmen" for II Trovatore' and for The
Bohemian Girl" that the largest attend
ances were in evidence The performance
OF "Othello' on Monday night established
the company on a secure footing with music
patrons of this city. There has been
dearth of operate entertainment here, anc
this enga cement doomed up before the
desert. 1t proved TO be no mirage; the sup
ply was both copious and wholesome. AS
the week progressed interest in the engage
ment increased, and what was at first re-
garded as doubtful experiment before
Wednesday had established itself as one
of the most profitable and popularity enjoyed
events of the winter.
II is not often that an attraction becomes
so popular that 1t is impossible to accom-
MEDIATE all the people DESTROYS of seeing It,
Yet this was the case at some of the per-
formances of the Savage Opera Company
The reception given this organization was
another evidence of the independence with
which Washington theater-goers judge
their entertainment. There was little in
the way of vogue to commend this engage
ment to their attention. 1t is true that the
companys merits have been heralded from
afar. but as a rule an aggregation of song
sters including such names as Sheehan and
Golf would naturally be distrusted in an
enterprise that ordinarily enlists the serv-
ices of people whose names indicate their
Italian ancestry But Monday nights per-
Torrance inspired confidence and that of
Tuesday night left no doubt that an Eng
fish company can be and has been organ
lZed, competent to interpret the works of
the greatest composers III manner satisfy
ing to discriminating musical taste as well
as to the general ear. The return of this
company to Washington from season to
season will, If it can be kept UP to its pres
ent degree of efficiency provide a week of
entertainment that will stand out as an
important episode in the winters attrac-
tions.
At Chase's Theater there We're two ner
formers who practically rank as head
liners. Frank Bush has an inexhaustihIa
1Gnd OF stories which he tells with won
uerIuIiy humorous effect, and Aldrich pro
vldes line of comedy which. though onite
instinct Is no less entertaining, executing
10 those who, by devoted attendance AT his
performances in numerous seasons, have
become familiar with his work,
K
Al the Lafayette an actor new to Wash
ihstoh appeared in a rural drama of bic
own construction. Mr. Ernest Tancor
proved to be player of much IMPRESSIVE
ness. but his play was scarcely worthy of
his abilities ~
"A NUMBER or extraordinary rumors have
been set adoat this week in reference to
'he CONSERVATION of theatrical managers
hho"H as the syndicate. The latest raport
Is to the effect that Klaw & ErIaneer and
stair & Havlin have effected a combine
ton. by which each agrees not to cross tho
dividing line between high-priced and non
ular-prlced attractions in such a wav as to
interfere with the others interests No
mention is made Of the attitude OF Nfxon
zimmerman in this deal. which apnar-
entity leaves the so-called independents
without foOthold Mr.. Belasco has taken
definite stand in opposition to the svn-
dictate. and publishes the following adver
tIsement i'll a dramatic paper:
70 the Managers of Theaters in the
United States and Canada:
I have decided to book my companies
direct with theater managers, and call
your attention TO the fact SO that Won can
communicate with me If you care to play
my attractions.
Il have concluded. for business reasons,
not to book hereafter through KIaw & Err
LANCER Yours truly,
DAVID BELASCO."
1t is also reported that Mr. Belasco in
tends to build theaters in a number of
cities. Including ;,