Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-24


failed to attract large audiences who
delighted in the voice Of this sweet
singer and his breezy comedies that
we're always. written 60 let tho star
shine at fun offulgehce.
Rose Couehlan Popular.
Rose .Coughlan appeared here many
times i'm Masks and Faces and is yet
remembered I'm the scene where she,
as tho first dramatic star of Eng
land. had broken away from the flat-
terry and adulatlon of courtiers and
gone TO play the fiddle for tho pleas
tire Of somo poor family. who mad
hitherto known nothing but sorrow
Annie Ward Tiffany is also recalled
as one of tho favorltes OF the early
Wilmington theatre-gOers and jennie
Wlnston's comedy company was no
less q favori,c. and came ALMOST year
~ for several seasons Minnie Pal
mpr. Dcnnan Thompson i'm Old Home
stead. Mime Elmee and her opera
ilounp eLmpany from Paris. Francis
Wilson In Ermini6. Dewolf Hopper.
William Glllett aud Robert Mantell arc
still remembered MS the stars OF ear
lior days. Wilson and Hopper are back
IN Erminie elsewhere in the coun-
try after flling n score or more ether
roles.
Then comes the memory Of James
\. oates. local printer who had en-
listed In the civil War and while on
duty nj Norfolk met and married the
| singer and actress who became fam
ous rs Alice Gates, and who attained
to some popularity in roles that sug-
gestcd a slight degree of naughtiness.
but compared with the risquC shows
of today were as insipid as tomato
catsup compared to tobasco sauce.
Oates had been n member of "A loca.
dramatic association before the war.
and he fell in with the singer and
they were married. She Is recalled for
the delightful morrimcnt and VI
brancy of her singing in burlesquc
or In the light opera. Giroiie GirOfa
then freshly imported from Paris
M'Cal's aud Boston Ideals.
This review OF 90 years Of activity
might go on almost indefinitely. 1t
has not considered the performances
given here 10y the Mccall Opera Com
pany in the Gilbert and Sullivan COM
positions, nor in the beautiful Queen s
lace Handkerchief, that brought
Laura Joyce Bell, a prime favorite. 10
Wilmington, and her husband, Digby
Bell. a very comedian, especially as
koko in The Mikado, or the winsome
Marie Jansen. the goddess of the front
row: Annie Meyers and John Chat
terton, the tenor. Nor does it account
for Carncross and DiXey's niinstrels
who almost always finished their sea-
son with a performance or two here
where Hughey Dougherty aud the
two principals were always welcome.
> One engagement that was always
looked forward-to with much interest
was tho annual coming of the Boston
Ideals in a repertoire of light operas
They brought Baruaby, that fine
comedian, Frothingham. Tom Karl
Marie stone, and her husband. W. \
Mcdonald; afterwards Della dc Lus-
san, who became the wife of an Eng
lish composer. after she had estab-
lished herself on the London stage
The recurrent events were attended
by social teas and luncheons and
similar informal functions, for every
lone was fond of the people of the com.
pany which was regarded as an or.
ganization apart and superior to the
other travelling players or singers
These events We're under the loca
direction of "A well-known young mar
of the day whose enthusiasm anC
popularity brought much aid in swell.
ing the receipts of the box Office
and made visits of the artists an oc.
casion OF much pleasure.
Neither must the presentation O.
the Grand Opera Aida be overlooked
, Ii was the mostN ambitious musica
event that had ever been ATTEMPTED
, here, and was attended by very larg,
audiences. Indeed, it was regarded
with so much interest that one ol
, two Of the city or county official bod
les attended tho performance, bu
7 many Of these explorers into this new
field of amusement found ii not par
) ticularly enlivening to unframed ears
: This applies especially 10 the Lev,
Court Of that period. The Performance
was given by the American Operi
5 Company that was backed by Mrs
) Francis Thurber, whose ultimate air
I in the work was 10 inculcate a create
Y love of music in this country. Sh
Y required that all of her singers shoul
Z. be Americans-American a
3 least-and sing their roles in Englisl
Her worthy purpose partially faile
$ and left her with a huge deficit TO NEE
y at the end of one or two season.
h efiort.