The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-31
De Wolf Hopper.

The announcement of De Wolf Hop
per's coming to the city conjures many
reminiscent records of this distin-
guished American comedians long and
brilliant career on the English speak
ing stage. 1t is over a quarter of a
century since De Wolf Hopper first
attracted American theater audiences
to his exceptional talents for fun MAX
ing. Like a number of notable artists
of Histrion's temple. Mr.. Hopper be-
gan in college theatricals in the his
toric New England town of New
Haven and Yale. This was away back
in the eighties. The college effort of
the drama was the role of Talbot
champneys in "Our Boys" while the
first leading professional part played
by Mr.. Hopper possessed a significant
title. It was "A Hundred Wives"
We first recall him in stellar garb
as the elongated king of Siam in that
tuneful opera Wang by Cheever
Goodwin and Woolson Morse. This
achievement kept Mr.. Hopper ~ the
Broadway theater in New York for
two years back in 1923. He toured
the country in the opera for another
two years and even then the public
was not tired of it. wang" was laid
aside for another conceit known as
"Panjandram," which was followed by
a work of Sousa, Eel Captain" and
ran over a year at the Knickerbocker
theater, New York. 1t was then taken
to London where Hopper made an in
Simultaneous hit with the English thea
ter audiences. At the end Of the 18th
century and the beginning of the goth,
Mr.. Hopper appeared in such operas
as 1.-THE Charlatan," 1.-The Lady or the
Tiger. 1.-THE Queens Lace Handker-
chief" "Dr. Syntax' and "Mr. Pick
wick"
De Wolf Hopper turned his attention
TO the works of Gilbert and Sullivan,
in which he toured the country at the
head of his own company. appearing
with eminent success in 1.-THE Mikado,'
"Pinafore," Patience" THE Pirates
of Penzance,' 1.-The Scorerer," THE
Trial by Jury" "Iolanthe" and 1.-The
[ Yeoman of the Guard" During these
years of unusual achievement he found
! time to appear in a number of remark
able real "all-star' REVEALS. He was
David in the famous Joseph Jefferson
revival of 1.-THE Rivals" and played Fall
staff in The Merry Wives of Windsor
in an al fresco performance at Saratoga
in 1896. In this cast was Mrs. John
Drew, the mother of all the DrewS and
the grandma of the Barrymores. In
an all-star setting of Julius Caesar
Mr.. Hopper was selected to play Marc
Anthony. In the mob scene were such
famous actors as Sothern, MantelI,
Hackett and other notable Lambs
members. This production was staged
by Augustus Thomas, and was given
first at the Metropolitan opera house
in 1910 for a Lambs gambol. The
critics at the time placed Hopper's
rendition of Marc Anthony'S Grafton as
one of the great moments in Shakes
pearean drama. This sounds strange
in view of the fact that Mr.. Hopper has
been considered more of a comedian
btlffnOn narfOrp1ar- OF fTa Sfaoa
Nevertheless. his Interpretation of the
= character has been recorded as one OF
the greatest since the Bard of Avon
wrote the historic work
Mr.. Hopper has the envied reputa-
ton of being one of the best speech
makers in America, and when it comes
to the auctioneer business he stands
alone. In looking over the last quar-
ter of a century of American theat.
ricals and the stars who have made
theatrical history, there are few who
began with Mr.. Hopper. DIR. Frank
Crane, in writing the American Maya
zlne for January places Hopper in his
twenty great and inspiring satellites oi
the English-speaking stage, and has
remarked that no eccentric comedian
has ever equalled Mr.. Hopper in his
art. Hopper comes to the Grand Feb.
ruary s.
"a Prince There Was.s
In the up-to-the-minute comedy by
q George M. Conan. "A Prince There
Was" which Cohan and Harris are
bringing to the Grand next Monday
there appears the name of very dis.
tinguished person, Miss Adelaide Will
son, daughter of Francis Wilson. thu
we'll known and greatly beloved CO.
mediaL.
Miss Wilson plays the part OF Mis-
Vincent" an excruciatingly funny per.
son. who with many other poor un.