The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-31

the NTH and final item OF Madame
simone's nrst American engage
ment-one of tho brightest incidents
OF season OF notable successcs-she
appears for the first time anywhere
as the heroine OF Ludovic Halevy
and and Henri Meilhac's "Frou- Frou."
Inc emotional drama was acted for
the FIRST time in America February
10. 1870. and Immediately made tho
fame of Agnes Ethel. Indeed. that
actress never duplicated the one sue
TO her ,delicately pretty face and to
me snowy part. rather than TO
any exceptional merit OF her own.
Miss Ethel married young. living.
ithercupon, in opulent retirement until
her death, about five years ago.
Among, the subsequent actresses OF
especial note who have assumed the
CHARACTER tho most mentionable are
S,rs sarah Bernhardt' MARGARET Angin;
twho played a small part in the first
production). Helena ModieslSa. Wini
fred Emery. Hortense Rhea, Jane
Hading: Kate Claxton. Minnie Mad
dern F1ske and Grace George. the
last named being Madame Simone's
latest predecessor,
MADAME sIMONE Is a clever
A'A and resourceful French actress;
and you may we'll point out, in
answer TO the distinction implied by
that .'Frou-Frou" is a French play
But she undertakes 10 act II in Eng
lish. Perhaps / cannot better eX-
plain the consequent blemish on an
otherwise excellent performance than
by quoting from two recognized ex-
ponents OF the character OF the doll
Wife. Ellen Terry, who used to play
the misguided featberbrain In an
English version called THE Butter
n.y., says. IN her captivating "Story
al the time. but when I saw Sarah
Bernhardt play the part 1 wondered
that ] had the presumption to meddle
woman who has only just begun to
act IN English The drama In ques-
t'on having been only the third or
fourth the late Modjeska acted in
our tongue, her words. in her Mem
ories and Impressions" certailny ap-
ply to Madame Simone's case: 1.-The
title part OF Frou- Frou' was more
difficult for me to learn than any
other ! had played before, because
Of the rapid speeches, In the third
ACT especially my scene with Louise
called for so much speed that my
tongue. not quite used to the, for
eign language, in addition to my
nervousness. made me make such
That L could scarcely understand my
SELF not TO speak of the audience"
That Madame Simone triumpbantly
surmounted such obstacles would be
preposterous TO pretend, On the
other, hand, it would be absurd to
question her ability TO get everything
out OF the role that It contains II
is not hard part: many a lesser
actress than Madame Simone could
play IL Tor all II Is worth. To esti-
al ability II took The Return
from Jerusalem" and "The Thief.
but the revival Of ''Frou- -Frou." none
the less, offers n thoroughly com
sion used is not the old Augustin
DAILY play. but a more up to-late
arrangement made by Harrison Grey
Fiske for the professional re-entry
OF his extraordinary wife. about
seventeen years ago, after her mar
rage and retirement
GEORGE NJ. CoHAN hasn't any
~ doubt that "Forty-F'ive Minutes
From Broadway" is his best play,
and so II Is not surprising to OBJ
serve him succumbing to the wish TO
Tie more than seven years ago. as a
means of bringing Fay Templeton
back to her place as an individual
star, after her joyous association
with Weber & Flelds's. and she
played In it till she married and re-
tired. But il never really suited Miss
Templeton, whereas the supposedly
subsidiary role. written for Victor
Moore. was so good and displayed
his abilities so generously that Kid
Burns became the central character.
The favorite George, appearing In
the purple-lined theater dedicated 10
himself, and his royal family. now
acts the slangy and soft hearted
more of the actors personality and
less OF Kid Burnss in the character
than when Mr.. Moore presented IT,
the histrionio requirements are we'll
within the actor-author's talents and
his geniality is of an infinitely more
engaging nature.
The play that made New Rochelle
famous is still lot of fun Indeed
found 1t more amusing than ever.
Here and there II has been fresh
humor, similar TO the racy wit of the
Charles II. Hoyt farces, and tho
CohaDesque slap-dash are happily
apportoned: and Sallie Fisher Is an
ton. She sings well enough and looks
extremely pretty; and one does not
suffer from the old time feeling that
a great artist was being wasted on
a triFling task that any bright. In
telIigent and pretty. novice could
carry off as we'll or better II Is
real pleasure TO renew acquaintance
with 80 Long. Mary and Mary
is Good Old Name. two of the
most engaging songs George NJ.
Cohan ever turned out. One of the
intermissions lis enivened with
spirited medley OF his music; and,
above all, George himself is there,
to excite holster demonstration by
simply twisting down a corner Of his
mouth or by single wisgle of his
person than n. n, Sothern can rea-
sonably hope for with ITO Be or Not
10 Be-" or Caruso, with the little
thing that gets "Pagliacci' going.
Such IL is 10 he the idol OF the hourl
Those dear stiff -jointed fogies who
bewail the days OF George NJ. Cohan
and the Turkey trot and bore us 10
extinction with recolections Of tho
halcyon days when comic opera-hy
which they mean something slightly
more up-to date than Belfe-should
hall the coming of Baron Trencle"
with unbr!dled Joy For nothing quite
so Legitimate he's heen heard since
robin Hood with such very rare
EXCEPTIONS as The Chocolate Sol
der" However. I hope the enemies
Of glitter will let us enjoy the
'Trenck" play also. for. in spite Of
them a taste for occasional frivolity
does not necessarily argue total lack
OF musical appreciation. Unbelievable
as IT. may sound. l actually could
name several persons who genuinely
enjoy May Irwin and Debussy, Sam
Bernard and "Sumurup"'
Baron Trenck'' takes itself very
seriously. That fact. due rather TO
Robert Bodansky and y NJ Willuer.
7,I,o ,urrfc fbp original hook than