Evening star., 1949-12-18

| ne QlQ NdClOIldl HedCer, WHlCI
always catered to the best talen
obtainable. originally opened OF
December 7. 1885. with an excel
lent comedy by Macklin. entitled
THE Man OF the World" Mr.
haywood sustained the characte
of Sir Pertinax Macsychophant
The performance closed with tn
musical farce entitled Turn Out.
However, this theater. on I
street between Thirteenth ant
Fourteenth streets, was destroyed
by fire on March S. 1845. Othel
theaters were similarly destroyed
in 1857, 1873 and 1885.
One need not 60 back more
than so years, for enough ha'
happened In that space Of time tx
make US realize that today we are
really living in q different age
an age Of jazz, ragtime and motion
pictures. and now television
Though today it is really refresh
ing to listen to the strains of some
Iof Victor Herbert's or De Koven' s
charming music.
De Koven Masterpiece
About the only place now that
we are privileged to hear "Oh,
Promise Me" is at some church
wedding. But in the days when
the Bostonians came to the Ma
tional in Robin Hood" it was
with rapture that we listened to
the melodious notes of that charm
ing contralto. Jessie Bartlett
Davis, singing this De Koven
masterpiece:
"Oh, promise me that some day
you and /
Will take our lope together to
some sky.
Where 1De can be alone and faith
reneU,
And find the hollo,os where those
fopers 0re1D."
This one piece was worth the
price of admission, not to men
ton the other numbers rendered
by that wonderful cast which
caused the Bostonians to become
so nationally famous. including
such noted singers as Henry Clay
Barnabee. as the sheriff of Not.
tingham, and who sang the piece
of that name. I'm the Sheriff ot
Nottingham" Also w. H. Mac.
Donald. who, as Little John
rendered so pleasantly with hi
magnificent baritone voice, Brown
October Ale"-"Yes. laugh. lads
and quaff, lads; twill make you
stout and hale. ah! Thru all my
days. I'll sing the praise of brown
October ale." Eugene Cowles-
who will ever forget him and the
"Armorer's Song? w. E. Philip,
as Robin Hood; Jessie Bartlett
Davis. as Allan-a-Dale; w. H.
Fitzgerald, who took the role OF
Guy Of Osborne: George Froth-
ingham. a wonderfully fine come
dian. We can never forget how
cleverly he caught up the mouse
and put it in the broth which he
was stirring.
Francis Wilson was another
popular attraction at the National
several decades ago. "Half q
King" and 1.-The Strollers" he
played there. He took the part
of Kamfer, a jailer; Lulu CHASER
as Pierrette, Tireschappe's adopt
ed daughter. and Christie Mac
Donald, as Lucinde, daughter of
Duke de la Roche -Trumean. were
with Wilson in Half a King" and
in "The Toreador" were Adele
Ritchie, Maud Raymond and Jen-
ME Hawley.
Francis Wilson played other
pieces besides those mentioned. but
not at the National. He may have
played "Ermine" there. as he
surely did on several occasions
at other Washington theaters
Jakobowski's opera was Wilson'S
best production and always held q
tender spot in the affections OF
theater -goers.
Opera 50 Years AGO
Victor Herbert's 1.-THE Fortune
Teller" al sung by the Alice Mel
sen Opera Company, some so years
ago, according to my program
undoubtedly will be recalled by
hundreds and perhaps even thou
sands. What q wonderful array OF
talent the cast included. Here are
some Of the characters: Alice Mel
sen herself, Richard Golden. Jo-
seph Herbert, Frank Rushworth,