The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-11-24
MUSICAL SHOWS AT
THREE .THEATERS
Revival of 'tRobin Hood" at the Ma
tional-Last Week of "a Win
some Widow" Tour.
By JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

in WASHINGTON IN 1887 as q vaudeville
artist supporting Albert Chevalier and
the English vaudeville company Charles
Frohman had imported with the coster
singer, she and her sister Jessie went
on the programme as the Abbott sisters,
the name selected being that Of their
mothers family. They were the Pickens
both Of them pretty, and both OF them
IN their teens,
All this was fifteen years ago. since
o. which time Bessie ABBOTT has unQues-
tonably become the most prominent
American girl in grand opera, posi-
ton attained through many years Of
hard work, both in this country and
abroad.
After seven years Of study In Paris
under Jean de Reszke came the memoir
able night Of her operate debut, upon
which hangs the thread Of my story.
When NJ. Gaillard was arranging the
programme for the debut Of the young
American songbird he became greatly
disturbed over her name. and frankly
Informed her that no grand opera singer
could succeed in France with a name
like Abbott, which the French would pro-
nounce "Abo." Whereupon he created a
new and beautiful name for Miss Bessie.
which was SO fancy, however, that It did
not appeal to the singer. She refused to
Reszke came to the rescue with the sug-
gestion that the French rule would re-
quire the pronunciation OF the final T
il one was dropped, which accounts
for the losing of a B from her name,
facts which refute the pretty little press
agent story that has been SO often re-
peated to the effect that the printers
made the mistake upon the night of her
debut and that Miss ABBOTT, being su-
.perstitious, adhered to their spelling.
But what's in a manner" Miss ABBOTT
by any other name would sing as sweet
ly, and Washingtonians who will hear
her sing Maid Marian in the de Koven
Opera Company at the National this
week would be just as grateful that the
directors of the Metropolitan are also
directors of the de Koven company,
which fact enabled Manager Daniel V.
Arthur to secure the loan OF Miss
ABBOTT for the present revival, which also
includes two other members of the Metro
Politan Company-Florence Wickham as
Alan-a-Dale and Herbert Waterous as
VIII Scarlet
Walter Hyde, of Covent Garden. will
sing the tenor role of Robin Hood" and
Carl Gantvoort, of the Boston Grand
Opera Company. will be the Little John.
1t is now twenty years since Robin
Hood was written by Reginald de
Koven and Harry B. Smith, since which
time both composer and librettist have
written innumerable other works, but II
is to be doubted II any one of them holds
such high place in the affections Of either
the authors or the public as the never
dying melodies Of Robin Hood"
A letter written to this department by
Mr.. Lionel H. Keene from the Hotel
Bellevue opens a question upon which
there has been great diversity of opIn-
ion since the characters OF William
Shakespeare first began TO walk the
boards. The letter reads:
1T has long seemed to me fragrant
absurdity that Portia in the trial scene
in The Merchant of Venice should not
wear some disguise or attempt to change
her voice. 1t is the weak spot of the
play that Bassanio does not recognize
his wife, Portia, merely because she is
dressed in the robes Of an attorney
Why should she not wear a beard or a
mustache? Now that Julia Marlowe will
shortly appear here with Mr.. Sothern in
this play, would like to have you or
your readers give an opinion on the SUBJ
ject"
Following the text of Shakespeare we
find no provision made for disguise in
differentiatfng the character Of Portia,
the beautiful and gracious woman of
the drawing-room, and Portia, the stern
doctor Of law, save a change OF robes.
Those who have seen Miss Marlowe In
her portrayal Of this, one of the most
interesting and intellectual of Shakes
peare's women, would be difficult sub
jects In the persuasion that she needed
more than the Doctors somber robes,
the short wig, and complete change of
voice which she does employ to differ
entiate the two characters. Her appear
ance as a doctor Of Jaw is SO unexpected
by Bassanio; her enactment Of the role
so natural; the atmosphere in which he
finds her so foreign to the one in which
he has but just left her, that IL does not
seem to my mind surprising that Bas-
SANTOS mind fails to connect the wom-
an Of the drawing-room with the one of
the court room.
In support OF my argument, I would
recall to the memory of my readers the
late Henry Irving's duplex characterize
ton in THE Lyons MAIL in which he
created with consummate skill Dubosca,
the good man, and Lesurques, the scoun-
drel (two distinct characters) without
Tesorting to either a beard or mustache
Another example Of extreme character
differentiation without the use OF other
than facial changes as a disguise may
be cited also in the late Richard Mans
fields DR.. Jekyl and Mr.. Hyde.
F. ziegfeld, jr, after protracted Pc
Rod of thinking the matter over" has
arrived at the determination of bringing
the tour of "A winsome Widow to
close at the end of its engagement at
the Columbia Theater this week.
The production was one of the musical
hits Of last season, and has enjoyed large
patronage en- tour, particularly In Chi
cago, where II filed the Colonial Theater
night after night through a seven weeks
engagement
But Mr.. Ziegfeld's troubles began when
the piece began a tour OF the one-week
cities, where the producer found It i'm
possible to offer 1t In its entirety, II be-
ing necessary to close a theater for a
day or two in each city for the instaIla-
tion Of the ice plant, by which the SEN
sational skating scene on real ice was
made possible. In addition to this fact,
a large financial outlay was required for
the ice rink In each city. Mr.. Ziegfeld
was placed in an embarrassing position
particularly as the skating scene had
been heralded all over the country as
the spectacular feature Of the entertain
ment. Rather than offer the attraction
incomplete, he has decided to withdraw
It entirely.
Lew Fields brings this week to the
Belasco Theater a well-known aggrega-
ton of entertainers in his hodge podge
Of fun, which he has been offering for
two years under the not very illuminating
title Of 'Hanky Panly."