The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-26
HERE
RECORD OF THE MANHATTAN
THEATRE, JUST CLOSED.
In II the Gilbert and Sullivan Craze Started
-0ther Notable Productions There
-Vlcisyitudes OF the Princess. Coins
into TFade-P avs mi Payers.

Two theatres that possess a certain
historical interest for New Workers have
closed their doors and will soon disappear,
The Manhattan. known as the Standard
during the golden days OF It's career, will be
destroyed altogether within n short time.
and the aerial perch, called during its last
stage the Princess Theatre, has retired
! altogether from the arts and will go into
trade.
The Manhattan was opened by Josh
Hart as the Eagle or October 10, 1875. It's
first seasons were not notable. otherwise
Hart would not have given up the theatre,
and William Henderson when he took 1t
would not have changed the name so
promptly to the Standard, the title by
which It was known during the greater
part Of It's existence.
Mr.. Henderson was a manager who had
made his reputation at P~ittsburg. The
first play with which he attracted the
patronage Of the public was 'our Boarding
House." which carried those two young
comedians. Robson and Crane, into a wider
sphere than they had known before.
The next notable production was a play
written by the wife of the manager, Mrs
Elite Henderson. now manager OF the
Academy Of Music in Jersey City. 1t was
called almost a Life" and had . lccg -un
here as well as in the other cities to which
it was taken. Maude Granger, then an ad-
mired beauty and one OF the city's favorite
actresses. had the leading role, although
she shared honors with Rose Osborn, who
ceased TO act soon afterward.
Eben Plympton was a matinee idol in
those days, and others associated with
these actors in the cast were Gustavus
Levick, Ben Maginley, B. T. Ringgold,
Harry Eytinge and Charles Lecleroq. 1t
would be difficult to collect to-day 80 many
performers equally famous. The piece
as we'll as the production made a sensa-
tional success in its time.
It was IN the next season of its existence
| that the golden period OF the theatre came
| in. Those were it's Gilbert and Sullivan
days.
James DUFF, father-in-law Of Augustin
Daily and a manager Of a comic opera COM
pany, as well as a theatre owner, had the
| rights to an English work known as H.
| M. s. Pinafore"-at least he thought he
had the rights, although IL turned out
afterward that nobody had. He sug-
Rested to Henderson that they produce
| Jn6 WOTK ~ IuC DJduudIut 40 lO Va ORCh
time there.
This happened, Of course, in the days
when New York playhouses had managers
and not janitors. So II happened that
the two got together, and on January 0,
1879, produced, in all innocence Of what
was going to follow, +Pinafore.' Within a
few months the opera was running stimuli
t~aneously at four theatres. But they
could not be expected to know all that In
advance.
II was a notable cast that introduced the
work here, and was a up about equally
Of singers and actors. The Sir Joseph was
Thomas Whiffen, who died a few years ago
and has left a son of the same name who
shows something Of the family talent. His
wife, who then called herself Blanche Cation
and lie now the admired mother OF society
drama, sans Little BuHerctp, and she was
then in truth "a plump and pleasing person
Eva Mills sang Josephine and Vernona Jar
beau, who looked about 70 at the Actors
Fair last week. was Hebe. She was then
just out OF one OF the public schools-the
old Twelfth street school,, which also sent To
the stage Zelie lie Lussan.
William Davidge, lent by Augustin DAILY
from his stock company, was Dick Deddeye,
and Henry Laurent the Ralph. Tit success
Of "Pinafore" is historic.
j, K. Emmett came in afterward for a
brief intermission Of drama. IL Fritz was
a drama, before more operetta. Plan
ouette's rip Van Winkle," which intro
duoed Richard Mansfield TO New York
audiences, and Les Manteaux Noirs,' sung
don to produce these operas, failed to find
anything like the success OF "Pinafore' OF
sBiIee Taylor" which was the operetta
that came after Fritz Emmet. Carrie Bur
ton, then a girl with a beautiful voice that
lasted her only a few seasons, was the great
uanoa ~ spillno Tia ylOr v alfhnnnh IHNe
Burville, q noted London beauty, was in the
cast, along with Rose Ch6pp1h.
The lustre Of the Gilbert and Sullivan days
returned with Patience" which was pro-
duoed in 1881. Carrie Burton was the
heroine, and the gigantic Augusta Roche
came over to sing Lady jane. William
Carleton was the Captain at first, while
James Barton sang Grosrenor. Later Garlic
ton sang Grospenor and Barton retired from
the cast. j. H. Ryley was Bunthorne.
Patience lasted until ~"Iolanthe.' from
the same writer's, was ready. Again Ryley
Carleton INT Augusta Roche were In the
cast, and Marie Jansen was the beautiful
fairy Of the operetta, which never duplicated
the success OF the two that came before 1t.
In the years that followed the Gilbert and
Sullivan productions were transferred TO
other theatres.
There was an unauthorized production
OF The Mikado' at the Standard in 1885.
This was under the management OF Dun
i who out into IL all tne nOUeQ blnReTb OIL
English opera that could be found, including
Zelda Seguin at Rdtishd. The theatre had
passed then into the direction OF Brooks d
Dickson.
In 1898 It was DESTROYED by fire. and when
IL was rebuilt J. X. Hill was its manage
One OF its good turns at this time came in
lSss-Se. when the first Of the Gaiety Theatre
companies came here to produce a burlesque
Just as IL was done in London.
The troupe really was the company from
the Gaiety and brought all its favor here
in their prime. Fred Leslie. and Nellie
Farren headed the company. The. COM
PAW opened In Monte Cristo, DR. before
a small audience which was to witness for
the first time the skirt dancing that had
made Sylvia GRAY and Lefty Lind famous
In London. The two women were then
young, and their graceful gyrations, en-
urelv novel to Americans. aroused inn
mediate enthusiasm. Marion Hood was
another beauty Of the company.
The business steadily increased until the
engagement ended in great financial sue
cess. The other burlesoue was Miss
Esmeralda," Fred Leslie and the dancing
made the pieces succeed.
II had ALWAYS been a tradition that the
Standard was on the wrong sid OF Broad
wav, and that II was therefore difficult 10
make q piece succeed there. 1t had in fact
much the same renown that the Garden
o-..a. .aIa. Thz naiaty -aa ma ~