New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-25
HOLLANDS BIG BENEFIT.
PERFORMANCE NETS $2S, 900
Record Breaking Crosod Testitfes Its
REGARD for Absent actor.

,. 1o.erson Holland went out of town yes
1880 while the benefit was being given for him
= 49, Dsa+ronoiitan Opera House by host OF his
<.s Had he been present and OF all. how
- - more heartwarming spirit of free handed.
..a,eous charity could have infused the per-
..,,ca and the audience Only ''Parsifal" has
- o,era House held such a crowd-In this case
- composed of every actress and actor in town,
q r4ists and writer's. Of wealthy patronesses, and
20 the public who have admired Mr.. Hollands
I.z4nz Before the doors opened $4,000 had been
t.ken in The numerous actresses who sold flowers
cad programmes in the lobby-Miss Dorothy Ten
ont Miss Rcard and a more-turned in an
additional 81 600 Victor Herbert paid $3.50 for pink
,ornation. Perhaps $500 more was taken at the
v5ndow for admissions. The expenses for advertis-
ing and for the rent OF the Opera House were
about 5000, so that $4,000 was cleared for
MI Holland. This is the largest benefit ever held
N America: ID is said to be the largest recorded
anywhere. Many old timers yesterday said that 1t
Was the most successful, too. as an entertainment
Certainly in that respect it surprised even its pro-
Inoters
The C,pera House large it seemed almost GER
,in most OF the entertainment would be lost in its
wide spaces. Some Of IL was But so carefully was
the programme arranged. and so careful were the
rlavers that the bulk OF IL reached everybody
Comedy and burlesoue were the prevailing notes.
and every player star. Mr.. Herbert started
of the afternoon with orchestra OF sixty, play
ing bis own delightful light music. Then the Lambs
presented a burlesque. called THE Music MIS-
ter
hest vein William Courtleigh burlesqued David
varaeid He had fed from his child sixteen years
before the curtain rose because she played so badly
She was a baby when he left her. she must De
nine years old nowi'' exclaimed somebody in the
cast His reunion with her was disastrous. She
played again and smashed the piano and refused
20 have anything TO do with her.
Following this burlesque Mrs. Carter made a neat
little speech her voice and her excellent enuncla-
ton combining to fill every corner of the house.
Latte from
10 MI. Holland. who is his godson Mr.. Jenersons
letter in part follows:
requested by your parents to oie dte. as
godfather to Joseph Jefferson Holland OF course. l
81 tears your father wreathed in smiles. You re-
Sd ar he bg Shiny saTched Fs
and rues to make any young one low spirited Vol
should Co. and the way you did go was tremendous,
for d69Tsh And naM Su dear joe fee It
be gratifying for you to know that though through
been from fault of your own and that thousands
OF eager hands have been stretched dST1n 10 rase
father
William Gillette and Miss Barrymore then ep-
peared IN delicious travesty on the character OF
Sherlock Holmes doubtless written by Mr.. Gillette
although authorship mentioned. Miss Bar
rymore was mild sort Of lunatic, who came TO
call on him, and the great detective carried his
taciturnity TO the point Of never saying q word
He wrote all his replies on a sheet of paper. His
great detective feat the discovery that mis-
visitor insane! IT a keen and subtle
burlesque. and suffered more than the others from
the size Of the auditorium. Joe Weber and his
company then played The College Widower." aid
ed in the second act by the football teams from
The College Widow and 'Strongheart." The
stage looked like the Yale field after a game, and
sounded so. Miss Dressler. however, preserved
at least one grand opera tradition physical one!
Julian Edwardes conducted the orchestra in the
intermission, and tho second part Of the pro-
Eramme consisted of burlesque Of Mrs. Fer
nandez's entertainment agency" in wh/h Lew
Fields Blanche Walsh, Nat NJ Wills, hugo To-
land David waraeId. Francis Wilson Digby Bell,
Arnold DAILY. Phoebe Davis and many more took
part some doing songs that they have made
famous and some little travesties on themselves,
Trepared by George BroadhCrst. The whole thing
was capitaily planned and carried out with great
comic effect The audience was in q roar all the
time George Marion is said to have been stage
manager for the benefit. The smoothnoss WIN
which everything went of and the total lack or
delays make this seem quite probate.