The Washington times., 1906-12-30

trimmings, from a neighborlng cafe.
/ The dinner was served hot in eight
covered metal platters, and each mer-
maid, before she entered the water tank,
received one of the plattsrs containing
dinner The plum pudding was pro-
Vided IN a separate receptacle. Inc
young women have a wait of almost
thirty minutes under water before they
are required TO come TO the surface
and il was in this time that each mer-
maid enjoyed her turkey dinner ana
plum pudding, Representative Rhinock
was on hand at the end of the scene,
and each mermaid exhibited an empty
platter as proof positive that she had
partaken of the food While she was un-
der water.
Between Heinrich Conried and oscar
Hammerstein the opera. like the poor.
we have with Us always. There is a
change of bin nearly every night, and
one can imagine the musical critics, with
Msrcutio, exclaimins; a plague on
both your houscs!'
There is keen rivalry and some per-
sonal feeling between the impresari,
though Mr.. Hammerstein seems utterly,
Indifferent to the financial success or
failure OF his enterprise. Il have done
nv share" he says. Il have built a
maguifceut opera house. and in it /
have given line renderings OF the best
operas. For the rest, l am not RESPONSE
hle. The place is here; the public can
come or stay away as IL sees fit
! Rather remarkable talk from man
whose personal investment is something
like s. 600.
But when all is said and done. "the
only Oscar has reason to be more
than merely satisfied with the result or
hIs opera season at the new and beau
tiful Manhattan Opera House. He would
have been very we'll pleased, Indeed,
and not in the least surprised, II his
actual losses. had run up to the average
amount of 5000 a week. To meet this
possibility the impresario had laid
aside a fund of 100000 IN cash. but his
shortage on the season Will not begin
TO reach so large a figure. Meanwhile
the brand of opera being given by Mr.
Hammerstein is so distinctly better and
finer in every sense than that put for
ward by the Metropolitan management
that FOR the second season of the new
undertaking there Will undoubtedly be
a subscription OF quite sufficient mag
uitudc to make the venture paying
one upon most expensive scale. One
hears nothing but praise Of the work
that is being done by Mr.. Hammerstein
and his aides in every department and
IL is noticed too by those who follow the
newspaper reports that many Of the
oldest and hrmest adherents OF the Net
ropolitan Opera House are turning their
attention 10 the other establishment. All
in all it looks very much as though
the road stretching out before the mar
| veIous Oscar HammersteiE was not
nearly az rocky as most people antici-
pated at the beginning.
1t is said that the fame OF Mrs. Fiske
and the Manhattan cOmpany's success
/ i'm "The New York Idea" has already
/ reached London, with the result that
Harrison Grey Fiske has had several Of
/ fers to transport Mrs. F'iske and her
/ encourage to that metropolis. But Mr.
FIske has declined all offers looking TO
such a transfer, owing to imperative
bookings which The New York Idea
must I'll in this country after the New
/ York run: and thus it is certain that
the principal cities here will see Mrs.
/ Fiske and the Manhattan company Ia
/ this PLAY before any offer whatever look
/ ing to a London season shall be censld-
4 cred II seems inevitable. however. that
/ sooner or later Mrs. Fiske must go to
4 London. At various points of her re-
markable artistic career oyertures from
I London have been made 10 her manage
/ ment. As she has from time 70 time
/ achieved new distinction in the various
| notable productions with which her
name has been associated, curiosity to
! witness her work and study her artistic
environment has been. repeatedly quick
/ ened "a London; and many of her
/ friends ia this country, although 10th
| to lose her even temporarily from this
stage. have wished that for the sake OF
/ American dramatic art Mrs. tiske
/ might unfold her unique dramatic per-
/ sonaIity in that great center OF English
/ civilization. The New York Idea has
not only appealed to many Of the cN-
/ pert observers OF the stage here as an
admirable vehicle for Mrs. Fiske's first
! London appearance. but number Of