The Washington times., 1914-06-21

who doesn't care what he writes will
print a real story about the people of
the stage and smash some uf the Coli
Nehlohal notions of actors and ac-
| resses. those Of US whose business 1t
Is 10 De thrown constantly In their
company nave few of the pictur esaue
ad'entures or experiences SO dear to
the popular mind. My experience has
been most matter of fact. A leading
iaoy or my acquaintance much prefers
lemon pie or chocolate cake to Ameri-
San peauty roses or jewels. Another
very much esteemed and rarely beau
uah,, IiIhi woman will forsake the most de-
ilshtIuI party for the chance to get an
ice cream soda. And in so many other
ways tney fa:l to run true to form. But
the limit came last week. o..
Nat Willis is IL!
You know the popular superstition re-
sarons the esteem in which the stage
favorites hold themselves? You know
that It Is seldom you can get one of
tnem - admit there are others worth
while-at least there is popular i'm
preston to that effect. Just erase Nat
wills name from the list of such you
might have. OF course, he doesn't exc
actly hate himself, but he isn't In that
class at all. Nat, as every one knows
here. Is Washington product. who
was stage hand once. and worked his
cause he thought he had something
funny to tell the audience. He's been
telling those funny things to audiences
ever since.
Nat is a confirmed vaudeville fiend.
l mean by that he likes TO watch the
shows. We went to the show at keith's
together last week. And Mats little turn
in the orchestra chairs was even bet
ter than the work he did on the stage
a few minutes later. He has been IN
vaudeville hong enough to know pretty
nearly everybody who has any standing
in the business, and he did his best to
enlighten me. >He Is the finest little
booster for an assorted collection of
talent such as Keiths bills contain 1t
hs has ever been my pleasure to meet
bill that he didn't boost. As long as
he could stay in the front Of the house
he sat there and sang the praises of the
various acts. 1t wasn't just boosting
for effect. because the show had gotten
an the publicity II could get from me.
He really meant 1t. And he enjoyed it
all himself. There wasn't a person in
the audience-not even the host OF peo-
pie who paid real money to get in-who
enjoyed II as much as he did,, When
he had to leave he gave me a rapid
summary OF the remaining acts and ad-
vised me to stay for all OF them-even
the pictures. And not once during the
whole time did he mention himself ex-
ScPS " say tudl ne u just como from
Chicago and the town was burning UP.
Again. 1 say, the limit has been
reached-and Nat Wills Is II!
Has 1t ever occurred to you that We
buy the privilege Of hearing music IN
the form of the human voice in much
the same way that we buy women s
hats?
Isn't 1t very often the case that the
singer We take great delight in hearing
really learned most or all Of what she
knows about using the glorious musical
Instrument nature gave her right here
IN this country-but was compelled by
the force Of sentiment to 60 to Europe
for an artistic equivalent Of the Rue
de la Paix label the dear ladies are
so fond Of wearing inside their miiiio
merry?
There were two very interesting
items Of news In the dramatic papers
this week that suggested these queries
Milton Aborn had gone abroad To ge;
american singers! And IT further
stated that he would take none unless
she had a European reputation! The
other item dealt with the will Of the
late Lillian Nordica and contained the
information that she had Ieft a iarpe
trust fund to be used in founding an
American conservatory of music where
aspirants to operate honors could OBJ
tain the necessary training.
an aSuudlHtdnCe with The singers of
the Aborn company. which closed its
season at the National Theater last
night. might bring a great light to bear
on this fancy of the people for the
brand OF a marchesi rather than good
Anglo-Saxon Smith or Brown or even
Spinks. The names of the principal
singers are suggestive of foreign origin
Ald when the names did not so suggest,
the statement was volunteered regard
Ing foreign training. Thus, for instance,
we have been told that Orville Har-
rold, a really great tenor. made a won-
derful success during the last london
season. There was nothing about the
fact that Harold was a native OF this
country and sang for several years be-
fore audiences at theaters like the Gay ,
ETY. and old Kernan's before Hammer
stein heard him, and transported him
to England to head the big opera COM
pany he established there to fight the |
historic Covent Garden. Louis d Angelo |
sounds sufficiently foreign to get by |
without any other label And Louis I
d Angelo is a native OF Patterson. y. J. I
There isn't anything foreign about |
d d'Angelo except the name he wears on |
the program. Edith Helena, Louise lie
Barron. and probably half a dozen |
others are in the same class. 4
Lillian NOrdica herself great as she |
was, bowed to the convention of for
eign names. She twisted Nordica out !
Of Norton. Emma Nevada and Nellie
Melba We're slightly more original. Nine.
Nevada was a daughter OF DR.. WiNom.
Of Nevada City. New. and she took her