The Washington herald., 1908-01-12
ACTORS WHO'S WHO?

pearing in the role Of Horrigan. the polI-
teal boss, in 'aThe Man of the Hour"
was for ten years the squire In Way
DOWN East. Fischer might stiU be
Dossing that historic New England
household and nightly driving Phoebe
Davis into the most frightfuI storm,
imaginable had not William a. Bradv
decided that Fischer's huge pronorffons
ana Joye-like voice were eminentlv suited
70 the part of big Stick Horriean' In
Broadhurst's play. The fact that Fischer
ls now playing the role OF HOrrigan NAV
De one Of the reasons why THE Man 81
the hour has proved such marvellous
success. 1t would appear that Fischer
iao acquired the faculty Of joining the
casts OF plays that live for many sea-
sons He recently expressed himself an
tIlis subject BY saying. L was ten long
seasons with Way Down East. and
STOOD the hisses Of the orchestra and
gallery It will be easy now to stand
tnese Kisses for ten seasons in THE Man
Of the Hour"
hed Is certainly the mascot color of
Miss Ethel Johnson, the lively little SOU
brette who has been for over a wear one
OF the potent attractions Of Charles TH-
lingham's musical Offering. .oThe Red
NIL" During the seasons run of this
piece in New York, Miss Johnson. from,
all accounts, caught the fancy of tbe
Town IN no uncertain fashion. Miss John
son, like Marie DOrO, Edna Nav Marie
Cahill, and numerous others made her
start in the chorus. Her stage 5ebut oc-
CURED in The Burgomaster." She vas
soon promoted from the-ranks and as
signed the role OF Daisy. Subsequently,
/ she appeared in "The Tenderfoof as =
red-haired walf. and later In "Tfs
Storks. playing the part Of Peggy. Red
seems TO be a color 10 cOniure with f1-
/ Miss Johnson, at least In each part sbs
has played since Daisy, including her
present role Of Tina in "The Red Mill,
brilliant hirsute crown has been con-
| spicuous. Miss Johnson is clever
dancer and has a pleasing soprano voice.
/ She is also endowed with much personal
magnetism, which is said 10 fairly exuds
/ in the part which she is now PLAYING.
/ Her role is stated 10 be a prominent one.
and In it she has two good songs. "Sffg-
nonette' and Il Want You 10 Marry Me
May Irwin, at Chase's this week. start
/ ed in the business at Tony Pastors.
in New York. and the good Fra An
Z
I And, By the way Fra Antonio has hew-
ed. split, polished. and turned out mora
modern vaudeville stars than the mills
/ Of the gods Flo Irwin was with MAY
/ then and, think Of IT, both were sIen-
der maidens still in their teens. but even
/ then they did d good sister" act. as
/ they were called. She was with Fra
/ Antonio seven seasons and also acted
parts IN the ''nigger 8fterpieces." then
\ very pOpular-a vogue that continued I'm
ninstrclsy for years. OF these times and
( years Miss Irwin reminisced lately in
/ the following regretfuI strain:
! owe all ] know about acting to-day
/ 70 the experience gained IN PLAYING i'm
those old afterpieces. In rehearsing ths
/ sklts We never used any cues. The man
putting on the piece would 20 through
/ the different parts and say; When Z
say so and so, you do this or that. and
We had TO figure out our PARTS largely
for ourselves. It made each member ~
the company self-reliant after a little ex-
/ peTience.
There was no 'vode-veaP in tbozs
days. They called il variety show. There
were no headlineTs. Every act was sup
posed 10 be the best Of its class. and
there were no favOrites with the man
! agement- They all ranked alike and
salaries were very small compared ,rf4n
the princely sans paid vaudeville actors
/ to-day. Some of the best acts received
sle0 a week. If those same acts were
put on now they would command 81 05)
+ a week, and the managers would be glad
/ to get them"
Ramon Bianchart, one Of the principal
oarytones of the San Carlo Grand Opera
Company. is an exile from Spain because
he displayed too great a belief in the
/ pTowess OF the United States lust prior
/ 10 the Spanish-American war. One dsv.
While in conversation with the private
secretary OF Gen. Weyler. known as the
Spanish Bulldog" upon issues betwaeu
the two nations and the probabilities OF
bloodshed, Senor Blanchart SAID he did
not think Spain was prepared 20 meet so
great nation as the United States in
/ war. The remark was taken as an in
crimination against him, and the secre-
! tary Immediately challenged him 10 q
duel The barytOne is an excellent
swordsman and drew blood upon his op-
ponent, but did not end the affair fatally.
Although SenOF BIanChart was the ia
yOTite barytone or Jha Royal Opera oF
Madrid, he was banished from Spain and
became a wandeTeT III other lands. chiefly
in Italy where he has been singing in the
theaters of the principal cities. During
the period of his exile. which continues
yet for two more years. Senor Blanchart
has not been permitted TO so much as
visit Madrid or Barcelona, hts BIRTH
place. Notwithstanding the fact, the po-
sition OF director Of the Royal Conserva-
tory OF Madrid is open to him al any time
he chooses to accept bat the genial senior
is so charmed with the cities Of the
United States which he has already visit
ed with the San Carlo Grand Opera Com
pany that il is little wonder he prefers TO
make the land whose might he cham
pioned HIS home. His father, a wealthy
manufacturer Of machinery IN Barcelona,
wished Senor Bl9nchart 10 grow up In the
business and ultimately succeed him. and
when he insisted upon a stage career the
Obdurate father denied the young artist
money for study. and he was compelled
TO become his own teacher. SeuOr Bian-
chart covered the walls OF his room with
mattresses to prevent the sound of his
vocal exercises disturbing the other MEN,
bers OF the family, and by persevering
developed what IS one Of the most beauu-
ful barytone voices TO be heard on the
stage to-day.
one OF the most charming personalities
on the stage to-day Is Miss Allene Cra-
ter (in private life Mrs. Frederick Stone),
the prima donna OF The Red Mill" OF
ganizaIion. Miss Crater has always oc-
cupied a prominent position on the stage.
She has never appeared in a minor role.
From Western music college she grad
uated direct 10 the leading soprano role
in David Henderson's mammoth spec
tacular production. Aladdin, Jr., which
some years ago. From this position she
..-nr,t .sfIsEa r.-l,snh -l,c