Evening star., 1921-09-11


performances where the profits aris-
ing from such performances lover and
above all incidental expenses) are
proved to the satisfaction of the may
or to be for charitable purposes,
without being obliged to take license
performance. anything in any law OF
this corporation to the contrary not
There is another section to that
act and which provides that the
Museum of Natural and Artificial Gu
riosities. established by James Grit
fiths in this city. shall not be sub.
ject to the provisions of any act
of this corporation imposing q fine
on shows or theatrical exhibitions"
at this point the names of two
of our entertainers which have not
heretofore found a place in these nar-
ratives. Can you not recall with
pleasure the Harris brothers-"Bud
Harris and "Arty" Harris? When the
Rambler sets down the names of two
operas. "The Three Dukes" and ''The
Hula Girl" does that mean anything
to you? 1t must to many. "Bud's'
formal name was w. H. Harris and
"Arty" was down in the Washington
directory as A. P. Harris. The Ram
bier has received from Frank Dooley,
an old Washington boy in the real es-
tate and investment business in Pitts
burgh, note in which he says: Il
know that you cannot possibly recall
all the old ones unless some Of us
give you a little help and know that
you will remember the Harris boys,
Arty and Bud. 1 regret that I have
not q program, but l know that all
the old boys and girls will enjoy
seeing their names in print again.
Bud was the author of the librettos.
the stage director and a leading play
er in the Harris operas. Arty was
the composer-that is, the writer of
the music. Poor old Bud has not been
gone from this world long, for it was
only last April that he passed away.
Just as his last illness came upon
him he had made arrangements for
stage of several Of the Harris operas.
THE Three Dukes" was presented at
the National Theater February 6. 1894.
and among those in the cast were
Bud Harris. Frank Rebstock, come
Gardner. bass; Felix Mahony. bari
tone; Alice Judson, soprano; Grace
Mccullough. soprano: Fanny Atlee.
mezzo- soprano: Gertrude McCullough.
contralto. and Webster Cullison. r. T.
Raleigh Luckett. 'The Three Dukes'.
was put on at the Academy Of Music
and ran throughout the last week In
May, 1894. with two matinees. and In
the cast with nearly all the others
named above were Hans Roberts, Dor
othy Byrd Rogers. Bertha Lincoln ana
Cecilia Sullivan
"The Hula Girl was exhibited first
at the Lafayette Square Theater. June
2. 1898. and ran for one week with
two matinees. 1t was put on again at
the Columbia Theater and ran success
September Il. 1888. At its first pres
entation it was given with an all-male
cast by the Columbian University
Vaudeville Club. and in the old press
notices the Rambler finds these names:
W. H. Harris. James cottrell: VIII
Evans, Abe Bertram shader and Clyde
Shade. In the press notices OF "The
Hula Girl'' at the Columbia Theater in
September, 1898 appear these names:
Eva Whitford, Edna Scott Smith, Dor
othy Byrd Rogers. Marie Howe. Belle
Billy Conley. Will Morsell. Bud Harris.
George O'Connor. Clyde Shade. Clar-
ence Howard, Paul Evans. James Cot
trell, James Mccarthy. Mortimer Car
uana and Theodore Friebus.
The Star of February I, 1894, had
/
Not since John sousa's "'smusglers' has
sented here until yesterday afternoon, when
:sThe Three Dukes" a comic opera: hy Ar
thur thu New N:i,cn.i sTse Tse.ser ' The
which VII w wa. written BY ne brothss Of ths
Nj. W ,a:, HATS na i.. . nse zen wsn az.
veioped plot The opera IL filled with gems
Of melody and many Of the numbers are tune
time. 'a ali Tow of Which have an easy and sraceful
swing % that is very attractive. "; Harris ha:
developed musical ability Of high order @ ana ana
moos mo eo and coostruetion that i remarkable in
4 young man and indicates whas may oe ~.
him n the ISSrsn 1hss an he eS ":
dences Of ambitious tendeneies to the more
lofty themes Of the romantic school. But as
for his conmendabae efiort. The work Of The
Il. to e.us q and
training. The. opera could b repeated With
pro6t and enjoyment. and # L underssoSsa
err who had entire charge Of the business
management Of the performance.
The gentlemen who write the the
atrical news for the papers approved
of .The Hula Girl' and said that the
company did splendidiy.
+ X + 4 %.
IL this reminds me that John De-
~ witt, father of the Dewitt Sisters.
Josie and Winnie, wrote comic opera
called "our American Minister" John
organised a company and called it tho
Leland Opera Company and they went
on the road, stayed on the road for
some time, and the Rambler happens
to know that when they came back
to washington they came by train:
The players in this troupe were very
young. indeed some OF them were
children, George Crump was in 1t and
40 were Billy Ryan, Lille Lawrence.
Alice Brewster, Bessie McElwain and
Jimmie Kearney. In the first act these
members Of the company were on
ship. The ship caught fire and the
company landed on an island inhabited
by pygmiesl and the Pygmies were
Josie and Winnie Dewitt. Hans ROD
erts, Eddie OConnor. Georgte OCno-
nor. Annie Lewis and Lillian Lewis.
Annie Lewis was a pygmy prince.
and q note at the Rambler's hand says
that Annie "was picture ana q dream
Of loveliness." George OConnor was
the pygmy king. This was before the
DAYS Of "wang," and Jimmie Kearney
had a blackface part, and the survtv.
ors Of this old company will tell you
that IL was the first blacikface part ever
shown in . comic opera. Lille Law,
renee was the daughter OF Atkins
Lawrence, the celebrated actor, and 1t
is said Of him that "in his day he was
considered the handsomest man on
the stage" Lille was beautiful girl.
ter q = ,nyrnl1enf aon,.ano vnicA Hans