Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-11

FRENCH CANADIAN SCENES-The
scenes in Otis SINNERS Richepin play
were all painted by Walter Burridge. who
visited French Canada in person to catch
with his own eye the tone and atmosphere
of every view presented.
The first scene is that of a golden har
vest field glowing in the warm red-yel-
lows of the summer sun. with the fair val
ley of the st. Lawrence rolling away in
harvest splendors to the river horizon. This
scene is susceptible of magnificent shad
ings into deeper reds and browns as the
sunset effects" come on at the act end.
The second set is a typical cottage in
terror of French-Canada in the early fifties,
with it's great fireplace shining brasses
and low. broad easements wide-open to a
Millet-like scene of field and farm beyond,
again warm and glowing N the midday
sun. This scene reflects in a notable way
the entire peasant locale and color of the
play, with its quaint and picturesque "hab
liant types The third act shows the scene
before an ancient village inn at Dominique,
and the somber shades of woodland and hill
in the brown green tones of the dying day.
The fourth act discloses the most beauti-
full scene of all-the walled garden and
apple orchard of the rich seigneur. This
is a masterpiece of idyllic beauty. with its
wealth of white blossoms and its realistic
effects such as the naturally bending
apple bough. by means of which the gypsy
swings himself from the wall.
THE CHEVALIER COSTER SONGS
Although Albert Chevalier is no longer de-
scribed as the ''coster singer it is interest
ing to learn how he earned the now dis
carded appellation. He says:
Il was playing with Willie Edouin in a
burlesque called Aladdin, and he asked me
if had a song. l had just written bit of
a song 1 had picked up at what we call
over there harmony meetings. think you
refer to them here as smokers-and l
showed it to him. This was at the very
last minute. In fact, it was the day Of
the night we were to open. Edouin said he
did not think it would amount to anything.
but after some discussion, told me 10 go
ahead. If failed it could not be helped.
Il went down to the theater at 6 O'Clock
and rehearsed the number with the bandit
beg pardon, the orchestra-and then wen.
off to make up. 1t was II 30 o'clock before
| had a chance to sing 1t, and the play had
been dragging fearfully. You can appre-
ciate what | was to go through with song
that had been condemned in advance. 1t
was brand-new idea, too, for don't think
any one had tried the coster song at that
time. However, | went on. and the song
made hit. l don't think any one was
more astonished than l.. 1t did not strike
me even then there was anything in that
lass of lyric. and it was only for my own
amusement 1 used to go about with the
boys to the smoking concerts ana PICK up
the patter and the general atmosphere of
the cockney and the coster. l used to do
these songs after 1 had written them for
the amusement Of my friends
Zone evening a manager asked if l
had ever thought of doing those songs in
character al music hail. He offered me
a years contract on the spot. He was the
head of the big music hall syndicate then,
and l thought he laughing at at
first However he convinced me he was
perfectly serious, and I consented to take n
contract for a week, telling him at the
same time that l had no faith in the idea,
and if 1 failed Monday night he would not
hear of me for the remainder of the engage
ment.
1.-The songs made a hit. and it was then l
got myself into trouble, for from that mo-
ment whenever or wherever l appeared
was a 'coster' singer, and | had TO wear
the pearlies' and do the songs. or course,
l have no real reason to complain, for It
has been very profitable for me. AT any
rate that gave me my first idea of these
character sketches in song, which l man
aged to make successful.