Evening star., 1905-02-18

MISS ELIIOTT'S BALL TICKET.-Max-
inc Elliott has lust secured ticket No. for
the inaugural ball, and will no doubt be
one of the most admired personages at that
interesting function. 1t required no small
amount of wire pulling for Miss Elliott to
secure the ticket. but she was anxious to
secure the coveted pasteboard because of a
wager made as jest some weeks ago with
Clyde Fitch, who, by the way, is also com
ing on to Washington to see the inaugural
ball. Through the courtesy of Mr.. w. II.
Rapley of the National Theater who is a
member of the inaugural committee, Miss
Elliott put in her bid for ticket No. 1 last
December. and when the tickets were dis
tributed ticket No. l came to the National
Theater, addressed to Maxine Elliott. Miss
Elliott has never before been able to at
tend an inaugural ball, as her engagement
in other cities Invariably interfered. This
year she plays a. the National Theater in
auguration week, and Saturday night, after
the performance of Her Own Way" she
is going to the ball. Mr.. Fitch, author of
the play, will be In Washington for the
same purpose, as 1t appears that he, too,
has never attended an inaugural ball.
TOPICAL SONGS-Harry Bulger, the comic
Jay Bird in Woodland" recently said:
There is no use in denying that the topi-
cal song is the thing audiences want. Comic
songs with general application have been
popular ever since the days of the early
English stage, but the song in which local
events are satirized is of American origin,
and of comparatively recent date One of
the first American comedians to give the
topical song a vogue was the late Nate
Salisbury who about twenty-five years ago
organized a troupe which he called The
Troubadors.' 1t was not long before topical
songs became the rage and comedians like
Jpb, Diyhv I)a
per, Francis Wilson and others introduced
them into all the light opera productions
of the early eighties. Then for time the
topical song fell into disfavor, and theater-
goers would be heard to say that they We're
sick and tired of that feature. But it was
not long before the appetite for 1t be-
came as strong as ever, and now no man.
ager would think of Offering a modern
comic opera production not containing a
topical song.
'"Thers is to be remembered, however,
a bad one will prove frost just
promptly and positively as a good one
will make a hit. The singer can hardly
ever tell till he tries it on an audience just
what reception his effort will meet. A great
deal depends on the first verse. This should
have a clear, striking point, which the
dience can grasp quickly and should refer
to some subject of very general knowl-
edge. If this lands the audience will do
the rest, for it will usually keep recalling
him until his verses are exhausted All top
ical songs should have two or three, what
may be called, general changes to be sung
in every town, but the up-to-date come
dian as soon as he gets to the next city
will Immediately look around for some To-
cal subject, and before the opening per-
formance will have written or have some
one write for him two three verses
touching on and appertaining to- local af-
fairs. Some times the first verse or two
of the songs fails to catch on, and your
know there is scarcely anything more
CHASTITY than a comedians gags which fail
to go with an audience, but a third or
fourth verse will catch their fancy and
then one is all right In a case of this
kind l generally transpose the verses so
that the strong ones will come first
AN APPRECIATED GIFT.-When Gus
Rogers was in Paris last summer he de-
cided to purchase present for his wife,
and SO made tour of many of the novelty
stores and establishments where they sell
antiques and costly oriental importations.
In one of the stores he greatly admired
rare Japanese lacquered cabinet which was
as bargain. The box fascinated him. and
the more he looked at 1t the more he
thought he would like to present it to
Mrs. Rogers. He asked the price. thinking
perhaps it would cost $25 In American
money The dealer told him he would let
him have 1t for the remarkable small figure
for a moment but he wanted the box af-
ter the dealer had explained the rare value
of the lacquer on even such a small box
for 1t was q little affair, just large enough
to hold q few handkerchiefs or q couple
pairs OF gloves, He paid over the money