The San Francisco call., 1910-12-18
FOvOrite Of Former
D0vS Sings in
Vaudeville

land rink surrounded by a coterie of
maids, obsequious servants and attended
by her husband and victorious DOC.
Leahy. who had managed, in snite af
Hammerstein to bring the beautif,,1
singer to this city where she made her
start. Outside there was 4 clamoroue
crowd of not less thar 1000 waiting to
hear the singer whose voice had
brought them into the big. harnlil-e
place. The other interview was with
singer known in San. Francisco. too.
and much beloved. Edith Mason wife
OF Thomas Persse and former star of
tile Caste square opera company, when
that organization was a Henry M
Savage production in Philadelphia and
Boston
Edith Mason and her husband ar
riying toward the conclusion of their
public yocaiism, are charming audi
ences at the Empress theater. which
is a vaudeville house: and while
| talked to this singer the audience was
gathering at the ra te-from box
, office standard-of from 10 to 30 cents
a throw. The two were about to put
on scene from "Cavalleria Rustfcana. ;"
| which, as it happens, though alleged
/ to be high brow music, is sufficiently
red blooGed and vivid to hit the hearts
of those who seek vaudeville for sur
! cease
FCRGETS OLD CHARACTER
Edith Mason has sung easily 200
roles. she has made the passing ac-
quaintsnce of so many heroines of
/ light and grand opera and musical
/ comedy that she is even confused a bout
not even tell me the character she
PLAYED and sang in Rice's production
| Of Evangeline.'' 1T was a boys part,
she said, Il remember that"
From ''ETangeline" to 'Rigo1etto." in
which she sang Verdi's melodies al
lotted to Guilda. and 'LoIlengrin,'' in
which Wagnerian music drama she was
! Elsa; Faust, "Tannhauser" and then
! back to "Sinbad the Sailor" and Said
/ Pasha' Miss Edith Mason has trav-
| eled successfully.
! 1t was in Halifax Nova Scotia. that
| she made her professional debut The
| piece was Said Pasha," by Stahl. who
was San Francisco man when he
wrote the musical piece. The year was
! 1891. That s not such an awfully long
/ time ago, is it?" asked Miss Mason
whose voice is still fresh and pretty
and flexible.
She sings better now than she ever
did. said Mr.. Persse, her husband. and
i later the audience at the Empress ius-
/ tilted the statement by ringing rounds
of applause
!
/ Within a few months after her debut
in Quebec she met Thomas Persse. who
was borAjn Limerick. by the way. They
/ joined tlfsir fortunes in the opera com
1 pany managed and owned by Matt and
/ Jules Grau, cousins of Maurice Grau
and since that time they have remained
! stars to the public and stars to them
/ selves. They have never separated.
/ After four years of starring with the
/ Co..
| the two came to San Francisco in 1sea
/ and were "the leads in the Southweil
opera company. which played a season
at the old Grand opera house During
/ this time and while with Savage, Miss
Mason sang different opera every
/ week. That should account for at
least 200 operas, shouldn't it?" she
asked me.
t the concert in Drea inland rink
/ yesterday afternoon Tetrazzini was
brinming over with the spirit of I'M
| mediate success. The audience had
been great success in her estimation,
| and Detective Burke who did not let
me out of his sight all the time I was
in the room. had been successful in
his efforts to keep the diva and her
diamonds together.
Assisted by Doc Leahv. two maids
and her husband. Bazelli, Madame Tet-
razzini told me that in all her life she
had never studied 1t was true she
said. that for three months she went
to a teacher in Florence. who advised
her that she should save her money
His knowledge of the science of singing
could not possibly be of any advantage
to her
DIFFERENCE IN SINGERS
'I did not ever she said. take les.
sons in acting. either.
..I can very well believe that" said I
Nobody could teach this diva anything
AS a duck knows how to swim. a birt
, to fly or a flower to bloom, so TetraZ-
, zini Knows how to sing.
And T thought of Miss Edith Masor
and the successful struggles to gair
fame and fortune. The one can tall
about the art of music by the hour and
prove her theories. The other care,
: not and can not talk about the art o.
; music at all The one who knows leas
vaudeville 'eTetrazzini was touched
with a divine gift said Miss Mason
who knows more operas than any thre
! prima donnas you can name
The final concert of Emilio de Co
: gorza will be given this afternoon a
: the Columbia theater. Robert Schrniti
will be the accompanist SO many re
: quests have been made for specia
: songs that the program will be trip
Heated The general scheme will b.
! followed as per the printed schedule
but there will be wealth of worthy ad
! ditions. In the Interpretation of Span
, l.ish songs De Gogorza is unsurpassed
and many of the melodies from the 1an'
of the Dons will be presented.
De Gogorza will sing in Oakland mex
Tuesday afternoon.
The Bevani grand opera compan,
closes a successful engagement tonigh
at the Princess theater with a perform
ance of yerdi's trusty II Trovatore.
Bookings arranged in advance preclud
the possibility of the company's ex
tended stay at the Princess which vii
he. after tonight. dark" for a week
The playhouse will reopen Sunda,
fafternoon, December rs, with "A Broker
: IDOL" a musical comedy which come
e with good recommendation as to musi
: and comedy.
< Nine. Gerville- -Reache, the Frencl
contralto who is said to have been on,
{ of the greatest stars of the Hammer
stein season at the Manhattan opera
house and Covent garden last season
has beer. engaged by the California
8 teachers association for special con
8 cert 10 be given during that organiza
+ion,e convention in this city the latte