The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-12
NOTE AND COMMENT
OF AFFAIRS DRAMATIC.

MULE AMI OOmnENA
OF AFFAIRS DRAMATIC.
The event of next week in the theatres
of Manhattan will be the opening on
Wednesday night. October 16. of David
Belasco's new theatre, the ~Stuyyesant, on
Forty-fourth street. The opening OF the
theatre will be coincident with the first
metropolitan appearance of David Warfleld
in his new play, 1.-The Grand Army Man.
The interest In this double event eclipses
everything In the nature OF theatrical de-
velopments in New York this season, for,
aside from the radical departure from the
policy of other managers which marks Mr..
Belasco's determination to present his great
star In a new play during his record-break-
ing career as the exponent of the leading
character in "The Music Master public
interest is keenly whetted to the expecta-
ton Of something unusual in the equipment
and furnishing of the new theatre. Mr..
Belasco has sought to give practical ex-
preston TO some long-cherished ideas re-
garding the construction and appointments
Of a theatre which shall in the fullest sense
create hat feeling Of comfort and init
macy between the public and the stage,
distinguished by the absence of everything
suggesting theatrical trumpery and be Gre
alive of a feeling that the spectator is sur
rounded by the temperarlental environ
ment OF his own library while witnessing a
play. To this end the resourceful play
wright-manager has not only superintendent
most painstakingly the building plans and
designs, but has availed himself of sources
for the decorative scheme and embellish-
ments of this new playhouse which have
never before been drawn upon.
Mr.. Belasco himself has collaborated in
the writing of THE Grand Army Man.
with Pauline Phelps and Marion Short. Mr..
Warfield's role is evidently very similar
to that of Won Barwig in 1.-THE Music
Master" 1t appeals with the same beau
tifully touching humor and pathos, we are
told, and though so much in the same
vein, yet allows Mr.. Warield a somewha
wider range for the expression of his ripened
talent. Probably most people will be glad
that he has not deserted the field of act
ing which is his forte in a misguided en-
deavor to prove his versatility.
When '"The Grand Army Man was tried
out in Providence the Tribune of tina
city said of it: THE piece is by all odds
the most carefully constructed of all the
Belasco works, which implies super-excel-
lence of verlsimilitude of effects not mere
ly as to the exterior detail but as to the
nice calculation of grouping of lines, of
AAtAIPAA7 G1AAo " ttN NN1AS ~ "
keying the suspense and relieving the ten
sion. 1t is a play of pathos more logical
in its continuity even than is THE Music
Master" and in the contrast of pathos and
humor 1t marks the sure hand and ma
turer art of Belasco, the more ripened
artist. 1t provides Mr.. Warfeld a
straightaway, usual and familiar type of
character without the requirement of dia-
lect. and gives him the opportunities in
which he is particularly the master. The
story is one of the touching devotion of
a veteran, Yves Bigelow, who has adopted
the child OF his comrade in battle and has
reared him. the child, in which he sees
every virtue and to whose weakness he is
blind"
Miss May Belfort, the English singer who
has been delighting the audiences at the
Shubert Theatre this week, writes to this
paper to take exception to some few idle
remarks in the Thursday evening issue
which included mention of her act. She
shall speak for herself:
10 the Dramatic Critic Of the Evening Star:
Dear sir-I want to thank you for your
kind appreciation OF my work both in Tues
days and today's papers. l am sorry,
though, you should have had the faintest
idea that my work was like or In any way
at all a copy of the artists you name. The
song. Experience was sung in London,
i England, at the Tivoli Theatre. and is an
English song. l learnt only a few days ago
that 1t was being used in the Little
Cherub." The coster song I wrote myself,
and L try TO act the part of a Coster in that
song just as | should do il l were taking
the part of a coster in any comedy. The
dramatic song you do not mention, but
you know, OF course, that Yvette Guilbert
(who is a personal friend of mine) never in
her life gang q n rob caor .,..f. - L.
l try to be individual in all my work. and
when l am compared to others 1 fear | fail
to be what ! try to be. Now, please do
not think that l am "kicking"-to use an
unoriginal world come to thank you for
having taken an interest In my work, and
because you do this / open my heartfelt
feelings to you. / am of a French mother
and. Irish father. and born In London,
England. Trusting you will receive this in
the spirit 1t Is meant, believe me, In all
sincerity MAY BELFORT.
, We present our apologies to Miss Bel
fort In all humility. We did not intend
! to imply that hen work was a copy of
anybody,s 1--WE did, indeed. saw II was
differently. though we do admit that The
discussion of 1t in the midst of n heart
felt protest at the Imitation mania now
possessing the musical comedy and van
|" deville stage might easily convey that
s Impression Her claim to originality we
i heartily and unequivocally indorse, and
e the more gladly because OF its SO great
Y rarity. We should have made it clearer
that in no sense was her work an lmi-
IS taiton of Miss Williams or Nine. Guilhert
y WHO were merely mentioned in passing
or Miss Belfort's charming individuality
& (whatever the ancestry. as expressed
ii with such verve in her singing and act
e ing. we are duly and truly apprecIative
Il
One Of the most important announce
ments since the Inauguration of "advanced
n vaudeville" was recently made bv A. =.
Erlanger. president Of the United states
s Amusement Company, that there wo,,Id
I. be no merger In Klaw & changers var
deville interests with other vandeville
Is interests now in existence. On this
d other hand. Mr.. Erlanger announced that
is he had made two new connections that
mean the establishment Of .advanced
ID vaudeville from New England "a The
Pacific coast, They are with the Ameri,
in can Theatrical Company, a western cor
poration made up Of wealthy men. and
the william Morris Amusement Company.