Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-09-22
TROUBLE OVER
ORCHESTRA AT
THE OPERA HOUSE
Forced to Get Along with Pianist
at Thursday Evening Per-
Torrance Through Trouble
with Union - Statement
by Manager Cuddy

A packed house witnessed the per-
Torrance of The Prince of Pilsen,"
staged at the Opera house last evening.
and when the show was over. went their
way satisfied with the evenings enter
tainment, despite the fact that this
production is the first musical comedy
to be put on in Augusta without an or
chestra. owing to the fact that the To-
cal branch of the American Federation
of Musicians refused to let the COM
pany's orchestra appear. But the beau
tiful costumng. the attractive faces,
melodiouS voices and unique settings
employed by the cast were enough in
themselves to be we'll worth the price
of a ticket, and the offer of the man.
agement to refund was accepted in only
one instance 50-cent ticket. The plot
of the play centers around the expert
ence abroad of one Hans Wagner, a
his daughter Nellie. who stop at
French hotel where the Prince of Pilsen
is expected. are taken for the prince and
his daughter, and pose as such until the
arrival of the real prince, who falls in
love with Nellie, allows her father to
continue to pose as the prince, and
CIGH Tie love SUITES VI TdHCOlSS, COIl-
cierge at the hotel, and Sidonie, la
dies maid is brought in to further
complicate matters. Lieutenant Tom
Wagner. son of Hans. falls in love
with Edith Adams. a Vassar girl and
Hans himself falls a victim to the
charms of an American widow, Mrs.
Madison Crocker. whose other admirer.
Lord Somerset. doesn't fit at all aft
err the arrival of Hans as the Prince of
PilSen.
Later it develops that FRANCHISE is
planning to sell a set of diagrams of a
fort to some foreign power. Hans is ar
rested as being in the conspiracy, but
is freed in the end. At one stage of the
play, Lord Somerset and Hans prepare
to fight a duel. but settle it by the SIM
pie method of Tipping a coin to decide
which shall shoot himself. Hans loses,
goes into the garden and a shot is
heard. IT'S a tragic moment, but in
moment he re-appears with wide grin
on. and waving the smoking revolver.
cries, Missed Charles Horne as
Hans Wagner" was the big hit of the
show. He kept the audience in an up
roar with his funny remarks and lu-
dicrous performances, and little Miss
Dorothy Delmore. as Jimmie" carried
off her part in a manner which did her
much credit
The Message Of the Violets," pic
lures in the Smoke and Heidelberg"
were three of the most popular and
we'll rendered pieces in the production,
and the hunting scene, the bathing
scene, and the finale, in which the
;y,t he axtr
with two big American flags and
young lady attired as Miss America,
with the chorus attired also in ma
tional colors, got a big hand from the
attending public, who were satisfied
with the play in every way
Following the performance Mr.. Cud-
dy made the following statement: Il
had known for some time that the
Opera house \ was on the local So
called unfair lists, but I did not
know until late this afternoon that it
was on the national unfair list. At
that hour I was told by the leader of
the company's orchestra that ne had
been shown a letter from President
Weber of the American Federation
of Musicians. stating that the orches-
ira could not play here. I then, with
the manager of the company, went to
the local union headquarters and stat
ed my case. Their demands. to my
mind, were so unreasonable that
found it impossible to comply The
manager of the company was in full
agreement with my position despite
his disappointment. Consequently we
uora ohl;ped to nut on the show with
a local pianist, without a rehearsal
feel that it should be said in Justice
to this musician that her performance
was most creditable under the circum-
stances. The next big musical SHOVE