18 THE SUNDAY WASHINGTON, P. C., JANUARY 26, 1930. ~jt Xfa**. ;fp f ss>V *»g*T!®?«Kj l!p^' » ¦' ¦ jgißi»" ; yjmttZ ls.TKf7*nKmrT «*> I jMmßvjt' M ¦Y£:<vf “\: mm* ¦>-- * ¦>» Jf: mmuBUF :. >*X€? '4> *'sCr t wC' flflKvK. W/' T JPW r w% m m v 0 ' ajy : *v' **/% ' - l.'fo? *'" . rn'iygtf *'Jl? jWa^^ / Vi s Minnie Maddern Fiske. Annie B. Ijewis. Mme. Adelaide Herrmann. Mitchell. 4* Maggie iAcross the Stage in IVashington Fifty Years Ago tPremiere of “Pina- Old Minstrel Shows in fore ’ ’ Held Here Theaters Lighted by Half a Century Gas —Celebrities Ago in Days of Who Performed Gory Melo- Before Flicker-: ¦ dramas. ing Footlights. ' BY WILLARD HOWE. /“’'RRTAINLY the dramatic stage of half • century ago in Washington the stage is something of a re- reflected a INCE romantic age. Melodramas and gory tragedies ,l I Hector of its times, it may interest ' were at their height, with Shakespeare \ the public to be reminded that the stand- ing as the chief classic ballast It was not i electric light, whose golden Jubilee is unusual for “Bast J celebrated, was reflected Lynne,” “Frou Prou” and now being Shakespeare's works to fall in a week’s a century ago in a comic opera called reper- half toire. Os course there was a liberal sprinkling Light,” in Washington at ’’‘Electric presented of artistic comedy dramas of the highest type. lord’s Opera House in lift. This was the It was the day was or*ce Ford’s House, the Theater, when Clara Morris was known trork of W. B. Hazleton and Edward Spencer Whmt Old Opera later Bijou as U as the greatest emotional W, Burst, actress of the Mew as co-librettists and W. who wrote appears today. World; it was the rising sun of Mary Ander- very novelty dramatizing the music. Its in son, the slender Kentucky girl who (poke like the wonder of the age made K an immediate ness is a theme that an angel and moved like a goddess and success, was attested by the critics. It is appeals to all peoples in ner, Samuel O. Young, Blanche Chapman, could as whatever garb it is presented. fill the National Theater with standing room spoken of as “bright and sparkling, full of Marie Lambert, Steuart Harold, A. F. Collin, only Certainly Washington wild “Pina- for two weeks; it was the day when Mm. ‘Charming arias, duets, quartets and choruses, went about Blanche Thom peon, J. 8. OreenafkeUter, Zapora Modjeska fore”—in fact, country lelena held her audience spell- rich in melodies that haunt the ear and which the whole went wild. bound with her emotional The opera was not only brought to this city Monteith and Sytoella Mayer. art; when Kate will at once leap into popularity. The sprightly Claxton made her audience weep aloud in deserves every not several times that season by road companies It seems opportune here to mention other “The little opera encouragement, Two Orphans.” And this same Kate was a only from its intrinsic merits but because it is but was frequently presented by local profes- operas that pleased Washington half a cen- sionals, by amateurs, by children and even veritable “fire bug," so frequently did fire an attempt of American talent in a new direc- by tury ago and the organisations and singers that follow in her wake. the colored population. Its name became an Some managers would tion. It is far superior in every way to such presented not book her, despite her popularity. and, advertising medium, “Pinafore calico” being them. There was the Alice Oates Once works as ‘Evangeline’ and ‘Horrors,’ com- English Opera Co., the Chicago Church Choirs when playing in Washington two ruffians in !pared operas, pos- very popular at that time. with the French comic Co., the Tracy Opera Co. and the Adah Rich- the gallery got into a fight, and those near by ' reported opera per- meases those two characteristics which are due It is that when this was mond Opera Co. These pleased with the Gil- egged on the combatants with cries of “Fight! popularity formed song by to the excessive of ‘Pinafore’— before Gen. U. S. Grant the bert and Sullivan operas as well aa the “Chimes Fight!" Realizing Kate Claxton was on the namely, simplicity Joseph improvised and moral cleanness” Admiral Sir Porter was to of Normandy" (Planquette), ‘The Mayor” stage, the audience below mistook the Bernard sang the leading run thus: words ‘Caroline Richings (Nixon and Mllle), “The Little Duke,” “Gerofle- for “Fire! Fire!" and started a panic. Fortu- soprano role, was supported by an and she “And now as the ruler of the Queen’s Oerofla”' and "The Little Perfumer” (LeOoq); nately It was quelled by the calmness of the company. ‘excellent Name "Fatinttsa" (Suppe), and “The Grand Dutchess” ushers and the wit of the leader of the or- Hazleton and Spencer were Journalists of I’m pleased our honored guest to see, (Offenbach). chestra striking up a lively air. This time their day, and Furst was a rising composer Who has sailed the briny ocean o’er. The Emma Abbott Opera Co. presented grand there was no Are. spaTk. with some of the divine AH three were But never seen the good ship Pinafore. opera in English, offering “Mignon," “Trova- Fifty years ago was the day when George ;making their debut in the realm of opera. He’s the only man in the world, you see, tore,” “Paul and Virginia,” “Bohemian Girl” Ringold played havoc with hearts special women’s in 'Advertisements of the opera called at- Who has not met the ruler of the Queen’s and “Romeo and Juliet,” with such artists as “Henry V"; when Mrs. G. C. Howard elec- stirred tention to the fact that a “Simon pure” Navee." Miss Abbott. Marie Stone, Tom Carl, Zelda souls in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”; when Joseph tric light would be flashed on the stage as a With the that Sequin, William Castle and played “Rip this, success “Pinafore” had estab- A. E. Stoddard. Jefferson Van Winkle” to packed fitting conclusion to the story. And all lished in Washington, it was but natural that Clara Louise Kellogg, an American girl whose houses; when the dainty little Lotta charmed lighted by remember, was shown in theaters Gilbert and Sullivan’s next opera, “The Sor- original possessions were a beautiful voice and an enthusiastic public with “Zip" and “La ***' cerer,” then fresh from the press, should also New England pluck, at this time boasted of Cigale”; when Robson and Crane kept their Another American opera at that time was find favor at its premiere here. Again the her own operatic company with a large reper- audience in an uproar in the “Two Dromios." *‘U. S. Buttons,” by Signor Operti as composer local singers used this as a frequent medium toire. Having conquered her own country, she adopted from “The Comedy of Errors.” In this and Page McCarthy as librettist. This was for benefit performances. The same was true captured Europe and returned to her native play each actor had to borrow something from bright and filled with catchy music and melodi- of the “Pirates of Penzance," by these two land for greater triumph with Anne Louise Cary the other to maintain an exact likeness in ous solos and ensemble numbers. The story Englishmen. and Mile. Litta added to her organisation. every detail and thus confuse their audience. 'centered around Navy life in the National Cap- New York managers stated that the Gilbert Max Strakosch ventured country-wise, with Crane had to imitate Robson’s speech and itol and caught public favor. and Sullivan opera set the Americans thinking the Capital City as a stop-over, with his Italian Robson had to imitate Crane's walk. At this musically along similar lines and no leas than Grand Opera Co. in repertoire. It included time Neil Burgess created a sensation as the 30 comic operas of varying merits were offered such singers as Mme. Teresina Signer, Mile. Widow Bedott. and our beloved Denman was half a century ago that the comic to them at this time—an unprecedented situa- Anna de Bolocco, Signor Petrovich, Anna L. Thompson was pleasing a large public as Uncle IT opera of “H. M. S. Pinafore,” by Gilbert and tion. Cary, Signor Sorti, Mile. Marie Litta, Blanch Josh. Sullivan, made its premier in the Nation’s Some of the singers who made a name for Davenport, Signor Lafontaine, W. W. Oott- Yet in the midst of the pulling of heart- Capital and took the city by storm for the themselves in these operas as they were pre- schalk and Signor Arooni. strings and emotions and weeping came Lydia reason already stated. Because it depicted the sented in the Capital City were Jessie Bartlett, Maurice Grau also became ambitious to Thompson with a troupe of vamping blonds snobbishness of the English navy, Sullivan Eva Mills, Sydney Smith, John E. McWade, show Washington his French Opera Co. in ex- with bare legs, who nightly turned away many himself was surprised that it should find such Philip Preid, Ada Bomers, Rainforth, George cellent presentations with Mile. Marie Albert admirers from the National Theater. She was laver in America, but he forgot that snobbish- W. Denham, Prank G. Pearson, John H. Gar- and Mile. Ceclle Oregolre. a saving g*-'** t/> m«n»g»rs after a 1-en week " '' ~ / 'T- - - N 777 f -.-. N JBp / 2> i™’ ’¦ '*¦*" m •'¦•' s'l’Wß* MimM TOT¦ ¦CSi¦- rr% 1 ?%***r* . Jv f '' ffSßß\ff H|. * J I *** Wmmf fffr# „ ':¦ I*<f p “'^KEfB *•': Si** /«I ife ssf^K? v £A ' .j>- v V J *" i- 'iJWHk _J^_J “ lie Wolff Hopper.