The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-24
San rancisco
Tivoli
News Letter

1t is all settled that the Tivoli is TO
be rebuilt on its old site as soon as
the present leases on the property ex-
pire Mrs. Kreling has set her heart
on this decision and is on record that
she wants no more ventures in new
| Tiyolis with new ideas. The old
Tivol, with it's regulation operas. at
regulation prices and patronized by
the steady music loving patrons drink
| ing and smoking in comfort is plenty
good enough for her. How the new es-
| tablishment will get along without that
backbone of the old house, the opera
| library, remains to be seen. To any
| light opera house the old Tivolfs coll
lection of music, librettos and accumu-
lated stage properties was priceless.
Nothing in that line compared with it
in this country. 1t was the magic
wand that enabled the Tivon to give
such excellent presentations for SUCH
low prices-a handicap that no local
competition could beat. Times with
out number competitors tried to cut
into the Tivoli's rich field but such at
tempts invariably ended disastrously.
Gustav Walter, who started the Or
pheum, made several fortunes out Of
that playhouse and lost all but the last
one in struggling to give light operas
in opposition to the Tivoli. His un-
timely death only prevented his losing
his last fortune for he made money in
his line of theatricals so easily that
with Teutonic stubbornness he never
would admit that the Krelings could
hold the light opera field against him.
Ed stevens in his inimitable way
told a number of good stories about the
old Tivoli the other. day. He was one
of the chief players in it's greatest days
and none knew the life there better
than he On one point, however, there
was dispute. He stated that the suc-
cess of the old Tivoli depended in
great measure on the old German beard
of directors who used to show up dur
ing the first few performances of each
opera and criticize the singing, stage
and interpolated LEGAL
jokes till the presentation ran in a
way to suit them. AS a matter of fact
there was no board of directors, Ger
man or other kind, in the old Tivolf.
The Krelings ran the place to suit
themselves, or rather to suit their Gus
toners I remembered the bunch Of
first nighters" very well to whom
Stevens referred. There were some
twelve or fifteen old cronies who had
been attending the Tivoli from it's in
ception. They talked Tivon and spread
Tivoli so industriousIy and well that by
degrees Billy Kreling let them all pass
the door. Unconsciously they were the
best workers the Tivoli had to drum
outside business and Billy knew it.
They had virtually grown up with the
house and their criticisms were pointed
and sound. Billy would listen to them
and be governed accordingly. But
those old patrons had no more to do
with the direct management of the
house than any other oldtimer. Billy
was always on the lookout for tips thai
would make the house Ego" and he
succeeded financially and every other
way. 1 remember quite well when his
estate was probated, the receipts of the
Tivoli were part of the record. Year
in and year out for a long period his
individual profits never fell below $1,000
a week No wonder stubborn old Gus
tav Walter tried so desperately to cut
into the business.