The San Francisco call., 1908-09-13

Z
presents new melOdrama, and the
Orpheum. Empire. National Wigwan1
anu Cnutes prOmieS new vaudeville
pills, This is what the publicity agents
Tor the various thsaters have TO say
about their attractions:
Alcozar
The Music Master" is the vehicle
XWe.eeteSd WsseS. oy David BelascO 10. serva
W Narneid after his star had finished
three successful seasons in The Auc-
toAeer Ihls was little comedy
that mingled farce, lighter comedy sen
timent and tears. Il was WarfeId's
nrst starring venture. He had always
oeen seen before that period in tha
t1Wer forms OF comedy as offered by
the better class Of burIesque houses
6urlesque in the truer artistic sense.
Nhen II was announced that Warfield
Vas Has 20 star under BelascO" in q
as Well as laughter. the wise ones
NSrneidSI friends IS shook their heads
remembered that these same well mean
ing friends had advised him not TO ao
with weber and Field where he later
proved TO be the greatest favorite in
a cast Of notables. The sweeDine non
membered.
Then came a season or two OF idle
ness forced upon the manager and HIS
star Dy the theatrical syndicate bur
BelaScO grew all the time. instead OF
1abislIs Cbar1sss D{ "a, dhe wayside. He directed
-
master When the play was finished
70 Belasco'S liking and the theme and
character announced tAe same wise
Irlends We're ready with their admoni-
JiOns- and BelascO's enemies with their
sneerS Warf1eld listened TO the kind
duFIee and said nothing. BelaScO heard
II and smiled The eve of the preniere
came II was great ~BelascO night
al the BelaScO theater his first New
1ork playhouse on West FOrty-second
street when, Just five seasons ago.
David Warfeld stepped upon the stage
IN the character of Herr Anton Won Bar
VIZ, a musician OF Ieipsic- 1t was a
greater day the next morning when
the New York dramatic writers first
sounded his success, that echoed and
Ie-eShoeq across the country as tri-
umph- FOR several months. at every
performance, the Belasco theater wa-
nlled 10 its capacity BY that time
BeI2ScO mad another play ready for pro-
fouction. and as he had no other avail
able theater for a new piece il was
necessary for Warfield and The Music
Master 70 move farther down Broad
way The BiJou, theater owned bv
May Irwin and conducted independentIy-
was glad TO receive WarfieId and here
ne settled down for run And what
After a few months of triumpbant
travelling or this sort WarfieId returned
70 New York. after playing three con-
sec0tlNe seasons there, and announced
The Music Master for an engacemenr
OF four weeks at the Academy OF Music
I Lnls historic playhouse is one of the
largest IN the country. 1t was New
Yorks first home of grand opera ana
later many memorable enZagemenrS
OF Americas great dramatic stars were
held there. The financial record for
America was held by Booth and Barrett.
who played their farewell engagements
there in 1SSS.
The gross receipts for two weeks
were about $4,000. or ,an average 81
S2O.50o week. DavidE EWarfield came
back for four weeks, He had only
one play. 1t was little parIOr COM
edy'-sO termed-that had PLAYED far
ther up town for three cOnsecutive
seasons. The gross receipts for the
cordlng 10 sworn statements. which
was an average OF almost SO. 900 a
week Last season-the fourth since
I il was pFOduced--after a SuccesSfffI
run of "A Grand Army Man. for sew
eral months. The Music Master was
revived. and again packed houses were
the rule every night 1t was necessary
10 make reservations weeks in ad-
vance and when the end came two
seasons aSo-when BelaSco booked a
short tour of A few eastern e-ifies
there was no indication of falling pop
ularity or failing prosperity. Indeed.
the Few weeks preceding the end OF
turned away from the box Office than
ever before
The road tour. that Included cities
OF the larger class from Boston 10
every city all previous records for at
tendance were broken The sight 0s
a line of patrons two blocks long at
the opening of the seat sale was an
experience met with in every city on
the tour
In Columbus. O. where an engage
ment of three nights was played. the
first person to start the line arrived
90 hours before the opening OF the
sale. and others quickly followed
A riot enSued and the police We're
called In Kansas City the rain began
TO descend gently at O'Clock in the
morning on the heads Of hundreds:
{ . 0f In 7rrrr ~ A.
hours and the crowd increased with
the water. At 3 o'clock. when the sale
opened. the line. dripping. mOurnful
procession sheltered by umbrellas.
stretched for three blocks The man.
agement has photographs of this ex-
traordinary event as documents in evil
dence-
So great has been the demand Of
local theater goers for David Warfield
to continue 10 play The Music Master
another week that the star and his
manager. David Belasco. have respond
ed TO the pressure brought to bear
upon them and the announcement ia
hold the boards at the Alcazar for the
third week Of Warfield's engagement
This viii neceSS<are the temporary
postponement OF "A Grand Army Man
David Belasco's idyl OF rural America.
that was scheduled for the third week
Every seat was sold Tor every per
formance OF last week. and only few
seats remain al the box Office for the
present week It is not expected that
even sevea additional performances
will satisfy the desires Of Warfields
townsmen. and he has also agreed to
play another special matinee this
week This extra performance will
occur Thursday afternoon.
Seats for the third week of sHTha
Music Master" which will also be the
last will go on sale at the box Office
next Thursday morning at 9 o'clock
Seats for the special Thursday matinee
viii be offered at the box Office OF the
A1cazar tomorrow morning.
Van Ness
At the Van Ness theater tomorrow
night The Girl Question a ronsfr.
play with q record of sIIccass In, (sl,i-