Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-11-10
STARTS WITH RUSH
Record First Days Sales Of Sea-
son Tickets for Augusta En-
tertainment- Course. Public
Evidently Quick to Recognize
Worth of Attractions Offered.

set the public talking, but started a sale
Of season tickets such as has never been
known on the first days sale of any Of
the seven preceding courses. The man.
| agement's excellent advice to avoid dis
appointment by buying early is evidently
being taken. Last year many who waited
too long were unable to secure season
tickets.
How can you afford for 800 to offer
six such high grade attractions" asked
the Journal representative OF one of tho
managers. That's what everybody is
asking" was the reply. 1T Is made pos
sible only by our cooperative subscrip-
ton season ticket plan and by filling big
City hall to its capacity at every enter
tainment. Frankly, we may have this
season offered more value than we ought,
but if true, it will be the public's gain
and our loss. AS is now we'll known, our
special aim and purpose is to provide the
people of Augusta with the best enter
tainments at the smallest possible cost"
us not your this seasons course
stronger than that of former years.
asked the reporter? "Unquestionably su-
perior to any we have ever given" replied
the committee man, "for every attraction
is the highest of. it's class-the best that
money can obtain.
Take for example The Meistersingers.
who. by the way. have never appeared
on any lyceum course in America ana
probably have never been heard IN SO
small a city as Augusta. When this mn
est collection of male voices ever brought
together were first booked for one week
at Keith's Boston Theatre, crowds were
turned away and it was necessary to ex-
tend the engagement to an entire summer
to satisfy the public. So extraordinary
was their Boston success that the late B.
F. Keith took them to his beautiful Pal-
ace Theatre in New York where they re-
ceived a similar ovation, the New YORK
papers stating that they could be re-
tanned indefinitely. For six years they
have annually repeated their successes In
all Of Keiths big city play houses. Au-
gusta has great treat in store.
"Montraville Wood, the popular scien-
fist and inventor, in his startling Mod
ern Miracles cannot fail to prove one
of the most pleasing features OF the
series. Prof. Wood drew large crowds at
Mechanics Building last winter, and the
Boston papers devoted columns Of space
| in describing this marvellous popular
demonstrations. He will bring here his
entire outfit including the wonderful
Wrestling Gyroscope, one of the most
fascinating novelties ever seen.
Then it will be a great event for Au-
gusta to hear Ralph Bingham, Americas
| foremost humorist This remarkable en-
| tertainer's songs and stories are known
world wide through the Victor records.
4 1t isn't necessary to more than mention
the twelfth Boston Symphony Orchestra
Players, for their reputation as the fin
est artists in the world is everywhere
known and acknowledged" t.
but why" asked the reporter, do yo.
bring a noted vocal artist on the same
evening with the Symphony Players?"
Simply was the reply, Ito have the
satisfaction of giving to the people of
Central Maine one of the greatest musi
cal treats of their lives. Grace Bonner
Williams is one Of Americas leading
singers and has toured the country sew
eral times as a full evenings feature.
The same is true of Grilley, the humorist,
who is coming with The Meistersingers
He is also usually full evening enter
tainer-one of the finest in the land.
Anyone expecting that the Chimes of
| Normandy will be the usual lyceum tab
loid edition will be happily disappointed.
| 1t Is q complete production Of the grand
old comic opera given by full profess
| sional cast, chorus and orchestra. The
cast is made up of excellent artists who
have played leading parts in such Broad
way productions as Naughty Marietta
The Merry Widow 'Firefy' and
| Katinka.'"
PERSONALLY, 1 shall be glad to again
hear Ott," remarked the Journal man.
YES" was the reply, "Dr. Otis lecture
was one Of the best features of our last
seasons course. AS lecturer he is GER
tainly in a class by himself. and it is said
that The Haunted House. to be given
this season is even better than his Sour
| Grapes of last year.
"How does it happen that you are
| bringing Nina Morgana this season when
you already have such excellent tai
| ent on your regular course?' asked
the Journal man. ut was in this way"
was the reply. when our commit
tee heard the marvellous songbird at the
Bangor Festival and again at Portland.
and witnessed the most remarkable ova-
tons given to any singer in many years.
it was decided that Augusta must hear
her even If her price made it almost pro-
hibitive. AS it was too late to place her
| on our regular course as all contracts for
same had been placed, she will be
brought as a separate attraction.
You ask why we give season ticket
holders a reduced price on this great
drawing card when we could probably fill
the hall at regular prices. Undoubtedly
true, but we want our patrons, who by
standing by US have made the course
grow from small beginning to its pres
ent size and quality, to share in the pro-
fit and pleasure"
The Journal not only congratulates the
public on having the opportunity Of en-
joying these high grade entertainments,
but the Augusta Entertainment Course
Managers for their enterprise in making
it possible.