14
THE COURIER
Early Friday morning telegrams and messages began to pour in at
the Casino. They were addressed to Delia Fox and congratulated
her on the triumphant success the had made the night before when
he made her debut as star in "The Little Trooper." Later in the
day a beaming trio sat at a table at Delmonico's eating game out of
season and opening champagne. It consisted of Nat Roth, Miss
Fox's manager, William Furst, composer of her opera, and Clay M.
Greene, its librettist. Mr. Appleton, in charge of the Casino box
office said the largest audience erer in tho Casino was there to see
Miss Fox's debut as a ptar. But the second-night audience was
even larger, and the next night and the next night and the next
night it grew and grew, like the peach of emerald hue.
pie, real horses, and real horses and real hounds; only a real fox is
missing and I am glad to hear she has madea great hit at the Casino!"
De Wolf Hopper made a success, spelt in capitals, in Dr. Syntax
at the Broadway theatre, New York. In the olden days, in its orig
inal form, James Lewis, Nat Goodwin and Henry E. Dixey played
the part of this sly, supercilious, whimsical rogue of a tutor. But
Hopper gave the character a flavor absolutely new and the aud
ience recognized it as such. His pretty wife, Edna Wallace, flits
through the musical extravaganza with delightful buoyancy.
The man to whom Johnston Bennett its engaged to be married is
French. He is reported to have said: "It is true, Miss Bennett
will make me her husband. I shall attempt to make everything
cozy. Husbands should remember that it is their duty to make the
household attractive; then their wires will be glad to stay at home."
Marie Tavary, whom Charles H. Pratt is to star in grand opera, is
a blonde with blue eyes, an aquiline nose, a piquante mouth, and an
arch expression. She has sung at almost all the leading grand
opera houses in Europe, notably those at PariB, St. Petersburg,
Munich and Milan, and at Convent Garden, London. Not since Mr.
Pratt starred Emma Abbott, leaving out of the question Emma
Juch's unfortunate experience with the (Com) set forth by the vol
uble and volatile Edwin Locke, has a grand opera singer been toured
as is now to be done with Mme. Tavary, throughout this country.
James O.Neill's repertoire this season will include Virginius, Ham
let, Richelieu and the perenially popular Monte Cristo.
Julia Marlowe is negotiating with Augustine Daly and Henry E.
Abbey with the purpose of making one of them her manager season
after this. Both managers play attractions at theatres in London
and that city is at present Miss Marlows's goal. Metaphorically,
laurel wreaths are hurled at her in Bosson, and many other Ameri
can cities, but she has not made a hit in New York. She hopes to
counter-balance that fact by getting a London endorsement and
then follow it up by entering Gotham to capture its approval.
Fred Stinson will continue to direct her tour this season.
"Off the Earth," John D. Gilbert's play, in which Sherman Brown
is to tour Eddie Foy and other well-known comedians, is not an ex
travaganza, as has been reported; it is described as an up-to-date
burlesque. Mr. Brown considers that extravaganzas are too dry.
People now-a-days want brisk comedy, gorgeous costumes, and pic
turesque scenery.
Branson Howard's graceful acknowledgement of the stage mana
ger's laborious work, set New York talking. Mr. Howard's speech
at the Academy last Thursday night was high in praise of R. A.
Robert's, tho stage manager of Shenandoah." He said the credit
belonged to Mr. Roberts, not to him. Ho got his share Ave years
ago when the play first had its hearing. Mr. Roberts was called
before the curtain and got a rousing cheer. This calls to mind how
many men behind the footlights are forgotten on a first night. The
actor and the author are remembered, but the stage manager, the
scenic artist and the stage carpenter rarely ever get before the foot
lights. The Academy's stage was filled with over a hundred men in
the Shenandoah Valley scene. Thick among them in white trousers,
slouch hat and blue coat, was Roberts, sweating and acting. His
position was trying indeed. His voice was heard above the tumult.
His shouts and manifestations lead tho others on, and a pretty pic
ture was the result. Through all the curtain calls he stood there
heroic to his work, which would have broken down many a man.
Therefore the recognition he got was what was his due. He was
part of the production and shared in its triumphs.
John Phillip Souea is on the high road to fortune. It is stated
that his income this year will not be a cent less than 618,000, a sum
which must seem very large to him when he 'compares it to the
meagre salary which the Government paid him as the leader of the
Marine Band. Not only does he draw 86000 a year as leader of his
band, but he gets a handsome share of the profits. The organiza
tion has passed out of the harids of the Chicago syndicate, and is
controlled by Mr. Z. Blakely, a veteran manager and business man.
Between Blakely and Sousa there is the warmest personal regard,
and the two men work together in perfect harmony. Sousa recent
ly related how his famons "Liberty Bell" march obtained its name.
He had written the music and was looking around for a suitable
name. While seated in the Auditorium at Chicago one night, when
America was being played, a scene curtain was dropped bearing a
picture of the liberty bell. "There is the name for your march,' said
a friend who was sitting by him. When he left the theatre and
stopped in the office of the Auditorium Hotel to get his mail, he
found a letter from his wife telling how his boy Phillip had made
his first public appearance carrying a liberty bell in a procession of
children. His wife's letter coming immediately after the suggestion
in the theatre, settled the name, and the new march was at once
christened. It is tremendously popular. Sousa's profits for the
first three months of its publication were 81636, and he is now get
ting about 81000 a month from it. "Manhattan Beach," "Beau
Ideal, and "Belle of Chicago," marches are also paj ing property.
As for the "Washington Post" march, it has been circulated to a
larger "extent than an other piece of music. Over 1,200,000 copies
have been published, and it is being played all over the world. In
Norway it is known as the "Stars and Stripes March." But Sousa
never made any money out of his great success. He sold the march
outright to a Philadelphia publisher for 8 13. He did not know the
value of his own work then, but he has grown wiser as he has grown
older.
In her new play, "Daughters of Eve." Marie Wainwright plays the
parts of twin sisters, who, although exactly alike in appearance, ate
dissimilar in character. One is pure, the other has drifted into Bo
hemia. Through a series of accidents, both sisters come to love the
mme man. The authors have sought to show that with the good
woman love leads to self sacrifice and enobles her, with the other it
leads to selfishness and crime. The play has been in rehearsal for
two weeks and is thought to have some remarkable strong situations.
The theme, it is said, is plentifully relieved with comedy.
Possibly the most satisfactory part of the successes made by Delia
Fox in "The Little Trooper," and De Wolf Hopper in "Dr. Syntax"
is the fact that these former companion players have made such
kiad and enthusiastic remarks concerning each other on their res
pective first-nights. Hopper was peculiarly happy in his footlight
"This is a realistic production, said be; "we have real peo-
S500
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SI
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V