The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1936-11-05
In New, York
BY GEORGE ROSS
o 1890. NEA

New York, Nov. 5.-That day may
come when Red Grange, as the ALI
American Parsifal, will dash across
q broken field Of musical extras to
carry of the gal In the most APP
proved touchdown style. Maestro
Alfredo Salmaggi may even now be
mulling the idea under the un-
barbered name that passes for his
hair.
Only the other night, Maestro
Salmaggi, lord Of he cut-rate
Grand Opera troupe OF the Hip
podrome, had Jack Johnson, for
mer heavyweight champion, on the
stage as nubian slave In Aida"
Mickey Walker, former middle
weight champion, Is scheduled to
fight 1t out with Puccini at CATCH
weights In the near future.
And Sidney Franklin, the Brook
lyn bullfighter, Ia being tempted by
the hamboyant impresario to for
sake Spain and come back to lend
authenticity as the Toreador In
Carmen" There Is no stopping this
Salmaggi. Any day now he may
bring Jack Curley's herd Of trained
wrestlers on TO the Hippodrome
stage while In some distant sepul-
chre the cadaver Of distraught
composer whirls In dismay. AS for
the wrestlers, all holds barred, Of
course. All the Maestro wants the
"grunters" to do Is fiex their
muscles in time to the score.
Matchmaking Maetro.
In cahoots with the Maestro In
this operate whirligig is Michael
Strauss Jacobs, otherwise known to
the caulifiower ear trade as Mike,
that Man." It is Mike who shares.
the Hippodrome for his pugilistic
rows with the Maestro, and the
Mike" who remarked to 5ignor
Salmaggi the other night. "Hey, Al,
OF kid, maybe you gotta place IN
another show for another good boy
OF mine. He's welterweight. He can
20 three acts Of this opera stuff like
It was tawenty-two rounds"
AS O matter OF fact, Manhattan
has grown accustomed TO the UNI
orthodox wiles Of the Maestro In
grand opera circles When, not too
long ago, he sent out for q herd OF
elephants to lend atmosphere to
"Africana," only the conservatives
Of the Metropolitan Opera House
were hit by the shock. Real ele-
plants In grand operap Who ever
heard Of 1t? Papier mache animals
had always been the rule.
But the elephants were delivered
and they behaved very nicely, be-
ing careful not to walk over q con-
tralto or tenor. The pachyderms
were so we'll received that the Macs
tro has been requested. by large
portion of hts public to keep them
In every new opera bill.
Opening Was q Riot
All these shenanigans make
Maestro Salmaggi, who shares the
| Hippodrome with bicycle riders,
roller skaters and plug-uglies, a
fairly ostentatious Snowman. And SO
he is. He looks the part, his name
! of silky, black hair and his flowing
| windsor tie match UP nicely. On the
walls Of his studios hang "a diplo-
mas from music academies. II deco
rations from the kings and queen
Of as many countries and an en-
larged photograph Of his nine chill
dren. The Maestro wastes no tai
ent. Five OF his children are now
employed. one place or another, In
his popular opera at the Hippo
drome.
For all his unconventional high
link, or probably because OF IT. he
has been making grand opera pay
ut the Hippodrome for the past
three years. He started sensational
". The opening night was 70 ter
rife that three police riot squads
had 10 be sent for 70 quell II. Even
the Maestro didn't know how big II
vas until It suddenly occurred 70
him at the last minute that no
money was coming into the box OF.
fee. II looked as n the whole world
was attending his premiere on
passes. A
80 IL was. Seems that asllttle
Italian printer on the East SIDE,
entrusted with the task Of printing
AnnIe 0alklays for the entire sea-
aor. made anall mistake and
dated the whole 100000 lot Of them
! foE The enening niaht.