The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-07

does not always run smoothly, and one
reads in this delightful little chronicle
of greenroom "reminiscences of sun
dry alarums and excursions that fiut-
tered the dovecotes during Madame
Angot's" memorable run. There was,
for instance, that little "affaire" Victor
Koning, who, as one of the three au-
thors of the piece, strongly resented
his name appearing on the bills in
smaller type than that assigned to his
confreres. M. Cantin, who was direc-
tor of the Folies-Dramatiques. had, 1t
appears, fallen out with the aggrieved
librettist, and a council of dramatic
authors summoned him to explain the
typographical affront he had offered
him. After another of the three col
laborators, M. Clairville, had protested
loudly against the treatment accorded
his colleague. there was nothing for It
but for the manager to express regret
and promise reparation. His amende
took the form of having the, injured
authors name printed for several days
in type that made him at least twice
as important as his two collaborators
together. NJ. Cantin, you observe, was
bit of a wag.
Then there was that delicate "af-
faire" Clairette (whose other name
was Angot). which produced almost
devastating results. 1t began with a
gala performance of the famous opef-
eta at Rouen, wherein Mile Zulma
Bouffar so greatly distinguished her
self in the title part that the amiable
composer at curtain fall said to her,
"Mademoiselle, you are the Clairette
Of my dreams" Imagine the chagrin
of the original (Parisian) Clairette,
Mile. Paola Marie, when a kind friend
apprised her Of this horrid fiattery!
There was no end of a pother-letters
to the Figaro excellent copy" no
doubt, explanations from Lecocq.
| who disclaimed any idea OF invidious
comparisons, playful lampoons, and,
as an apparent corollary, fiat refusal
on the part of the offended actress to
fulfil all her obligations to the man
agement of the Folies-D ramatiques.
There were performances at which
she could not be persuaded to sing all
Clairette's songs-to the public's ex-
| treme annoyance; others from which
she absented herself altogether. There
was one month in which she failed on
twenty-one occasions to put in an ap-
pearance. La diva est incorrigible,"
wrote one paragraphist. How Lecocq
must have deplored his politeness to
her rivali
But nothing could stay the trium-
plant course Of the piece. Our inform
ing chronicler of the "Foyers ct Ceu-
lisses" published significant box
office figures. For the first three
weeks the receipts, he tells JUS,
amounted to 103,76s francs. BY the
time the fiftieth performance was reg
istered some 100000 francs had gone
into the managerial exchequer, while
the total for the first hundred repre-
sensations reached the "chiffre fabu-
leux'' OF 512, 507 francs. (Small WON
der that the happy manager celebrated
the Tooth night by very festive sup
per to which all his artists were bid
denD In the merry month of May
the receipts at the principal theatres
in Paris, as officially tabulated, showed
that Madame Angot" had drawn the
public to the tune of 159, $50 francs,
as against 13s,76S francs taken at the
Opera during the same period. The
first 200 performances produced a to-
tai OF 911,713 FRANCISCAN average Of
4,55S francs per show.