Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-07
At the Tbeafer.

! monk" is without doubt the greatest
! horse actor in the world. His stage
careers cover period TO eight years.
beginning as it did in 1899. Monk
is a highly intelligent equine and
+ knows the cues and situations in Cen
eral Lew Wallace's grand biblical play
as well as the actors who speak the
lines. He dearly loves the applause OF
an audience and invariably acknowl-
! edges it by profoundly bowling his
handsome head, whether he is in the
scene or in his stall off the stage. I'm
| like the average successful player
monk" has never acquired swollen
Uranium and has never yet asked for
raise in his salary.
] Stars to Be Heard.-The announce
! ment OF the coming of Puccinfs opera.
Madam Butterfly" to the Illinois in
| Chicago for a two weeks engagement
I beginning Jan. 21 has aroused wider
| interest among music lovers than any
production Henry w. Savage has sent
west since his celebrated "Parsifal.
! Those who have already heard the
opera during its record breaking run
at the Garden theater. New York. de-
clare it the most beautiful production
of grand opera that has ever been
| brought to America. The Japanese
| settings and costumes are picturesque
and brilliant. while the wizard COM
poser. Puccini. according to II. e.
| Krehbiel. the dean of American music
critics. on the New York Tribune.
says: The music has the very fra
| GRANGE OF the flowers" Henry w. Saw
age spent eight months in organizing
| his new company. his agents visiting
every prominent opera house in
/ Europe for available prima donnas 70
| sing the eXacting title role. Walter
/ ROthwelI. the conductor, who was so
1 highly praised for his work with the
"Parsifal'' orchestra. together with the
composer himself. found one of the
prima donnas at Budapest where
/ Madam Butterfly" was last winters
operate sensation. This is the little
Hugarian beauty. Eliza SZamOsy, a
daughter of a celebrated physician at
| the University of Hungar::-. and a pro-
| tege Of Queen Carmen Sylvia. She will
! probably he heard AT the opening per
/ formance At his home in Milan Puc-
cini also found Miss Rena Nivienne,
the talented Duluth girl who was in
| trOduced in Europe by the great Victor
Naurel. after three years of special
| coaching Miss Vivienne sang the
opera for Puccini at La Scala and so
charmed the composer that he cabled
Mr.. Savage to engage her at once. The
frI fnt MI
coloratura soprano. Florence EastOn.
| from Covent Garden Miss Easton is
well known for her success last sea
son in America in "RigoIctto." At the
| Berlin Opera Comique Mr.. Savage
found Harriet Behnee. the contraltO,
who sings the role of Suzuki, the little
Japanese maid to Butterfly. and at
Dresden was secured Estelle Bloom
field, pupil of Lilli Lehman, an ar
fist so versatile that she sings either
the title role or that of Suzuki Ethel
Dufre HOuson. the contralto who was
brought from Paris three years ago
for the Savage Grand Opera company,
has also been engaged for the role of
Suzuki. From last years well remem-
bered English grand opera company
tenors. Francis Maclennan and Joseph
F. Sheehan The entire cast for Ma
dam Butterfly numbers nearly twenty
roles with a chorus of Geisha girls,
Japanese officials and native friends
Of Butterfly. The big orchestra of 60
musicians will be under Walter Roth
well from Vienna. Albert Feith from
Berlin, and Cornelius Doppcr from Am
sterdam. Arrangements are being
made for excursion rates on all rail-
roads during Madam Butterhy's" en-
gagement in Chicago
Had Record Breaking Crowds.-The
record breaking crowd for vaudeville
houses was that at the Elite theate~
last evening. Every seat in the NOISE
was filled and the corridor of the
building was crowded with pe0p.e|
waiting for the second performance
Owing TO the fact that tickets cOu.i
not be sold fast enough at the Uicket|
office it was necessary for Manager
Friedenwald to install a table in front
of the theater to supply tickets for
the second performance.
When the cold winds dry and crack
the skin get DeWitt's Witch Hazel