Great Falls tribune., 1922-02-19

in the west by any professional troupe
The first home talent production by
Great Falls people was given in the
new opera house on March II. 1892.
1t was kathleen Mayourneen. Among
the players were Herman Ludke, Will
liam Biggs, James King and James
Dunn.
Calhoun Opera Here
The first professional opera com
pany to visit Great Falls after its new
opera house was opened was the Cal
houn Opera company who played here
in December, 1892 when stockmen who
had not seen real musical show for
years came from miles around to see
this one A reporter for the Great
Falls Tribune records that he over
heard one rancher say to another,
when the opera chorus danced across
the stage, Great Caesars ghost, What
herd Whereupon the other cattle
man replied that he thought the shirt
tails of the chorus girls were pretty
short.
Among the young men Of 1892 who
worked in the theater as program
boys, ushers or stage hands were Victor
Ario, 4. f. Caufeld. H. r. Aver,
..
G. Anderson and Thomas Reynolds.
Since Mr. Steege's association with
the Grand he has maintained the policy
which the promoters of the enterprise
had planned for it-.'a temple of
drama''-befitting the work of the best
of artists A glance over the list Of
actors and actresses who have ap-
peared on the Grand opera house stage
in the last 90 years will show the
names Of many who have been or are
now prominent in the amusement
world: David Warfield. Al Jolson. Otis
skinner FEanccs Starr. Guy Bates
Post. Margaret Ellington. Willie and
Eugene Howard Margaret Anglin.
Willie Collier May Robeson Elsie
Ferguson. Harry Lauder. Leonora
ITlric. Ina Claire, Ernestine Schumann
Heink. Theodore Roberts. William II.
Crane, Weber Fields, Nat Goodwin.
Gaby Deslys. John Mason. Lewis
James, Frank Bacon. Dougla Fair
banks Dustin Farnum. William Far
mum. Montgomery and Stone. DeWolf
Hopper. Frank Daniels. Jeff De
Angelus. James T. Powers. Stuart
Robeson. Anna Held, Mrs Leslie
Carter. Richard Carle. Raymond Uitch-
cock, Eddie Foy. Nora Bayes Maude
Powell, George NJ. Cohan. Jerry and
Helen Cohan. Josephine Cohan fthe
Office'o, Fred Niblo. Marjorie Ram
beau, Ruth Chatterton, Fay Banter,
William S. Hart. II. p. Warner Henry
b. Walthall, Edna Goodrich. Charlotte
Greenwood, Maxine Elliott. Peggy
ONeill, Marguerite Clark, Mcintyre
and Heath. Antonio Scot, John Philip
Sonsa, Walker Whiteside. Ezra Ken
dali, Rose Coghlan Alice Brady.
Francis \. Bushmau. Beverly Rayne.
May Irwin Louis Mann and kolb and
Dill
During the past two years the citi-
zens Of Great Falls have often agitated
the question Of erecting an opera house
In keeping with the other notable build
ing improvements made. The growth
of the city has brought about the con
structlon of many fine buildings to be
used for busines purposes and not a
few handsome residences. but little had
been done in the interest Of the amuse
ment loving public. The few struggling
theatrical companies that occasionally
stopped off to play one night were CON
fronted with the fact that the town
could only boast of hall in which per-
formances might be given. As result
1t soon became pretty generally known
among the managers of theatrical
troupes that the promising city of
Great Falls, one of the best known
towns In the state, could not afford
suitable place for first class the
atrical company to play. They would
not include this place in their circuit
and nothing save third class shows
with q very. limited amount of scenery
and poor support would stop here
The reputation the town acquired
among the profession as show town
Indirectly the opinion they held may
have spread into other channels Of
thought and initiated against the city's
welfare in more ways than can be just
now imagined Strangers visiting here