The Washington herald., 1910-06-26


The New NafiOnaI-The Aborn Opera
Company IN 'sThe Bohemian Girl"
The CasinO-COntinuous Vaudeville.
The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Vaude-
vile and Circus Features.
TO-night-GraBd Operate Concert
by the AbOrn opera Company, at
the New National.
One or two items of general interest 10
those who follow the movement OF things
. theatrical have appeared during the past
week, taking the shape of rumors rather
than announcements. but they are worthy
OF comment
The first IS that Henry w. Savage,
hitherto allied with the Theatrical Syn
dictate. has betaken himself and his at
fractions to the independent managers.
The New York Dramatic Mirror, in COM
menting upon the fact that Col. Savage
attended meeting Of the National Assoc
eiatbn Of Producing Managers at the
Hotel Aston. at which William A Brady
was elected president. says:
The greatest interest is naturally ex-
pressed as to what Col. Savage viii do
whether he viii ally himself with one
or the other faction. or remain neutral
and book his attractions when and with
whom he likes.
He is the wealthiest manager IA the
United States. and can afford 10 be Inde-
pendent. He has always preserved an at
titude OF neutrality as far as possible
in the past. Both sides want his attrac-
tons, and he is likely 10 place them
where his best interests lie"
When single individual owns two such
money-making attractions as 1.-THE Merry
Widow" and Madame X" it is natural
that great deal OF excitement should
attend his decision as to an alliance In
the present low state OF the syndicate
attractions, IL is obvious that they need
him very badly. though. OF course, as
long as the syndicate people are intrench-
ed behind Charles FrOhman, no great
financial harm can come TO them.
The decision Of Mr.. Frohman to take
his theaters and attractions under his
own Independent control would be a
solution OF the whole problem and save
many sleepless nights and vexatious
days. II would probably result IN the
collapse of trust methods on both sides
II IS evident 10 the logical observer that
Nv. FrOhman even now does pretty much
as he pleases. He is iTF a position 10
dictate. He controls the American rights
10 vast number Of desirable foreign
plays He has quite coterie Of favor
tie actors under his management, and
number Of theaters whose clientele is of
the best On more pretentious scale,
hn
10 that Of Augustin Daily a decade ago.
Miss Maude Adams succeeded Miss Ada
Rehan as the most popular actress in
New York or elsewhere, and while Mr.
Frohman existed as a manager before
Miss Adams was a star, il is upon the
prestige Of a personality and a loyal fol
lowing that this Napoleon OF managers
has arisen.
He is unassuming, capable, wants to
make money, minds his own business,
and refuses to appear in print in con-
sneetion with the chickering's of the vari-
Gus managers and policies" Like
Mr.. Savage, he is able TO discern, with
out artificial aid TO his vision, in which
direction his interests lie.
Mr.. Belaseo is another manager who
combines art with astuteness. He de-
serted the Independents after David War
field in The Music Master had ex-
hausted all the territory not controlled
by the syndicate Under his new al
lance he took this great money-malSing
attraction into syndicate territory and
added hundreds OF thousands OF dollars
TO his exchequer. The new allies were
mighty glad 10 get him and his stellar
attraction. and pocketed their share Of
the proceeds with no reluctance There
is nothing to prevent a manager from al
lying himself with whom he pIeases:
neither syndicate nor independents can
hold him against his will, but a more
liberal policy with regard to booking
and sharing OF receipts will be very at
tractive to any manager. And above all,
no man who has a good thing likes TO be
dictated 70 in the matter of exploiting
It. He rightfully feels that he should
enjoy an the privileges himself.
The second runor Of the week was the
one concerning William Golfers part
nership with Lew Fields. Collier used TO
help Fields and Weber eXtort laughs
and dollars from willing public. in the
old days at the Weber-Fields Music Hall.
so the two are not strangers to each
other. Collier is a peculiar sort OF
comedian, whose appeal is not made TO
the unintelligent~thea -goer. He must
have jury of hrs peers, as Il were, 20
get away with his case. He is in the
@. p. Huntley class, and, to reiterate
an OverWOrked quotation, Is caviar to
the general" unless il be that his play
IS something unusually funny. like ''The
Man from Mexico" for instance.
Our friend, the Washington correspond
"a z
known reason persists in referring to
the Columbia Players as the Columbian
Players at the Columbian" Theater.
This does not look right to me and
smacks somehow Of the cid days OF
the Worlds Fair at Chicago, when every
thing was Columbian" I hope this is
merely a misprint on the part of my
friends amanuensis.
Two striking operate performances
We're given at the National Theater last
week; or, rather, eight. because each Of
the two Verdi operas was given four
presentations. ''Traviata" and ''Rigo-
letto." particularly the former, represent
the pure. flowing Italian school Of music
that grows on one more and more with
every hearing.
The Sunday evening concert was so
successful that the Aborn management
has decided upon another for this even
ing, when the piece de resistance will be
one act Of Leoncavallo's IT Pagliacci."
which the patrons have been clamoring
for ever since the company came to
Washington. Other notable operate
gems viii be feature OF the programme.
which will practically close the grand
opera season. for THE Bohemian GirI''
cannot be classed as other than a semi
grand or ballad opera. It is, however,
full Of familiar melodies and always at
tracts a large number of music-lovers
The three performances OF Shakespeare
by the Greet Players brings up the clas-
sic standard for the Washington season
TO pretty high point. Shakespeare IAN
guished during the early part of the sea-
son, but the coming of the Sothern-AIar-
lowe COMPANY began the list with os,.,,.