The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 13, 1903, Page 18

N FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1903. -t [yl A \Y 2 FARTINGE 7 PLAYERD Tirl{E= finding it when I learned how little one really had to do.” “But are there not two performances a day at Keith's?" *Oh, yes, but I don’t mind that,” said the “blissful old maid”—-her own phrase. One can readily believe it. It is not easy to imagine the thing to do that would be outside of Miss Iedding’s powers. She beams health from her crown of vigorous black hair down, in every line of her buxom figure, in every glance of her gray-blue eyes—curiously put in, from the corners of her red and mirthful mouth, in every note of her breezy contralto. She impresses one at close range like her Texas cattle queen, frankness {itself, capable, cor- dial, vital, ‘and of an almost gentle- manly bonhommie—in short, a “good fellow.” A trim and decisive biue skirt; with a white silk waist studded. with the same blue, did not detract from one’s pleasure in looking at Miss Red- ding, nor her rapid-fire delivery from the pleasure of listening to her piquant comment. Y 4 “Really,” she Was saying, “I'd rather have twe performances a day than one. ‘When I have the afternoon I think I can do a thousand things, and I'm far more tired than if I had played. Vaude- ville really is easy work. You see, we haven't any one-night stands. . That makes travel very easy. Then we play man—" Miss Redding pointed a jesting finger at me. “Not this time—" “Thinks he has a play that will just suit me. He thinks so because he hap- pens to have it and wants me to play it. But in the hope of finding one jewel I have gone through 500 plays.” “Did you begin in vaudeville?” _“No indeed. I put in my sprouts in the legitimate mostly. A funny combi- nation. I would be Aladdin, radiant in tights, in the afternoon, and Lady Mac- beth in the evening—vaudeville hard! I had a company of my own afterward and did all sorts of things, ‘Colleen Bawn,” ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy’ and so on. Then I was with Frohman for two seasons in ‘The Gray Mare’ and ‘“The Charity Ball."" After that in comic op- era for some time—"" “You sing?” “We had to' sing then,” Miss Redding laughingly insisted. “But I had a pull because I could act,.t00. Oh, yes, there was Lillian Russell, Pauline Hall and Lulu Glaser—that you have here next week.” “Is she going to be good?” “I never cared for her in anything be- fore, but she’s positively bewitching in ‘Dolly Varden.'” Then Miss Redding 'm not of an acting family, they’re all lawyers, clergy- g £ SUE % ndoubtedly have been more vou shouldn't, or not laugh where you donned fringed should?” upstairs on a “Both,” _Miss Redding decided I went to call this week promptly. ne a Redding. At least “I must own to laughing at Luther’'s e fe £ seeing “The Cattle ‘T am!"”— pid comventions, however, “But the place to laugh is where I the usual pasteboard, and il for.a pistol I found my- door—sixth floor, Palace. said a brisk contralto, woment later my hand was in n, capable grasp of Mies Fran- - cesca Redding There'll be another chair in in a she heartily rattled on. “You t want me to sit on the bed— here aren’t bottles under the quilt like Becky. Sharp's, either! How crowd- ed your town is. Growing, my! 1 couldn’t get a thing but this garret up here when I came in last week. Shan’t though.” “You like it here?” I asked, as Miss Redding’s comely proportions dropped nto the imported chair. 4 Well, I'm not one of those New Yorkers who think there isn't anything side 0of Broadway and Forty-sec- ond,” she put it, “and it's looking there now much more like a mining camp than this place ever thought of look- ing, by the way, with the subway. But 1 haven't forgotten what they did to me here ten years ago. Ouf!” and Miss Redding's gray eyes snapped at the cefling. “They hadn’t had much at the Orpheum then in the way of one- act plays. I had brought ‘A Happy Pair’ The gallery objected. Seriously. But I made a quasi-success In the same thing a year or two later. Then I got them with ‘My Friend From Texas.” You're odd here, though.” “So I've heard before.” “I wonder what it is?” the actress -ulated, her black brows frowning er her black hair. “It can't be that youre blase? But things that have been a success everywhere else will come here and be a total failure. And otherwise. Then again. For example. There's a line in "The Cattle Queen’ that hasn't been laughed at anywhere move now but here. Shouldn’t be laughed at, either.” “What is it?” #It is where I ask the Senator—you know I'm a Texas cattle queen lobbying in Washington, and the Senator is an old Texas horse thief—it 18 when I ask him if he’s the kind of man I've been deseribing to marry my twenty mil- lions. I say: ‘Luther McHutchins, are you that man? You remember. He says, ‘1 am,’ and the house "owls"”"—the actress has a fascinating little English way of softening her h’s occasionally— ‘they roar. Then we both say naughty words under our breath.” “I wonder if it's worse to laugh where say: ‘I'm from Missouri, show me’ "— “To make two laughs grow where but one was"— “Anyway, I can’t understand it,” she declared. “You see, when you've been playing city after city you get to ex- pect certain things. You know your points. Of course in some places they may go a little more heavily or light- 1y, but relatively they’re about the same. But here—well, they'll cry when you expect them to laugh, to put it ex- travagantly. How is it?” “Some people expiain it this way,” T said: “We're so far off from everywhere else that we're outside of the ring of suggestion. That is, that we don’t know what this or that person has said about ‘The Cattle Queen,’ for example, where It is funny or otherwise. You know that a New York criticism will echo from one town to another, and bias the judgment quite unconsciously. The echo is too faint to reach us, and we therefore have to do our own think- .ing. Why the result should differ from the original New York judgment is an- other story.” “Then, do you mean to say that it doesn’t matter at all to you if the East has praised a production, if you don't like it you are going to say so?” “It looks that way.” “Then,” Miss Redding said. with per- fect goéd nature, “I should call you nasty. Fancy to come so far over the ties with what you think a good thing and then be slapped in the face and told to go home!"” “We haven't told you to go hom said, diplomatically. “No, you've been very good to me,” and the actress beamed her satisfac- tion. “Well, I think I have a good thing. If there’s one thing I pretend to know it's what vaudeville should be. You see there are only twenty or twen- ty-five minutes to tell your story. So it must go quickly. No long pauses, no frantic embraces, no long speeches, a clear little plot and zip! zip! zip! to the end: 1 don’t play to the gallery, though I'm glad to have "em. ‘But I'm not the ‘darling of the gods' exactly. I don’t like horse-play. When the time comes that I can't stand on my two feet and earn my salary I'll get out of vaudeville.” “You have been in it some time?" “Ten years,” Miss Redding replied. “My start was amusing. It was at Keith's. 1'd never been inside a vaude- yille house then. But I went down there with a big lunch basket, prepared to stay all day and night. It was like I Miss Redding corrected. “He might be bald and lame, you know, and happen to suit me. I believe he's in Alaska myself.” 3 “Why don’t you go there?” “I'm thinking of it,” she laughed, “as I hear there's a good deal of money to be made up in Nome. But He must be somewhere, you know.” Mrs. Johnson’s Song Recital Proves an Entertaining Event An effective programme, in part quite effectively handled, was that of the Snider-Johnson song recital given on Tuesday evening last in the Y. M. C. A. auditorium. Mrs. Johnson has % egia: fran ‘‘Dalawne,” Swedish. This week Mme. Inez Carusi, the va- riously gifted harpist, left for the East on business concerned with the disposal of an opera that she wrote some time ago. The opera, of the comic genre, deals with the time of the crusaders and is called “The Crusaders.” It is un- derstood that a prominent firm of East- ern managers has the work under fa- vorable consideration and that it will shortly be produced. has received from friends in Mfilan, in Giuseppi Verdi's own handwriting an origiral manu- seript copy of the famous willow song Opera Compam sung by this artist im the opera “Otello.” PR oA Several New Plays Are on the Boards for Coming Week at MISS FRANCESCA® REDDING'S SENSATIONAL FINALE IN “THE CATTLE QUEEN." only the big cities. You can cover an awful lot of continent in very little time that way. The Orpheum circuit j& a fine one to play on. If you have something gcod these people never haggle about money! There's been a good deal of talk just lately about poor bills. Why, these people can’t help it. The turns are not in the market. The miserable policy of some of the East-, ern managers has driven a great many acts out of America. Why, there are anywhere from 100 to 150 American turns now in Europe—Berlin, Paris, Vienna, St. Petersburg. And the best of them. No other kind goes there. But that doesn’t leave a great deal to choose from at home. It isn’t easy, believe me, to get nine new acts a week for fifty-two weeks hand run- ning. No, the Orpheum is ‘about as good as there’s going.” . “How many houses are there?” “There's one in Los Angeles, one in Omaha, one in Kansas City, one in New Orleans and one in Denver. The New Orleans Orpheum is the only fire-proof building in the city. Splendid theater.” “There are better than ours.” “Rather!” Miss Redding agreed. “I don’t know of a house where the acous- tics are so bad for one thing. And cne strains oneself because—well, I've a feeling ‘that that little fellow at the back there’—Miss Redding’'s large, round arm swept the rear of an imag- inary Orpheum—“has just as much right to hear as the next.” “Whose i8 ‘The Cattle Queen? My programme didn’t honor the author.” “Will M. Cressy's,” the “cattle queen” replied; “same man that wrote “M¥ Friend From Texas’ That ex- ploited, by the way, the same charac- ter in New York. Mr. Cressy is doing another skstch for me where she goes to London.” “The cattle queen infNew York, \the cattle queen in Washington, the cattle queen in London—like the Rogers Brothers?” “And I was the first one that thought of it Miss Redding proudly said. T take them to London next June, by the way, under Henry Tilford’s manage- ment. It's going to be either a horrible failure or a tremendous hit.” “You can't always tell.” “No, sir. -1 think I know something about vaudeville, but to show you how mistaken one who ought to know can be, I was within an ace of rejecting “The Cattle Queen’ That long dark scene, I thought they’d never stand for that. And when I got the thing twen- ty-four weeks' contracts hinged on its New York success. And I'd paid $500 for it, too.” “What changed your mind about it, Miss Redding?” “Well, I determined to read it to a friend of mine, who was living in the room below me—at the Professional Woman's League clubhouse in New York. I banged on the floor with my heel, and up she came flying. ‘What is thé matter?’ she said. ‘It's awful’ I told her. ‘My play’s come and I don’t like it. I want you to hear it.’ ‘All right, I'll be the dog,’ she said, and sat down to listen. She's a writer herself, by the way, and very clever, But she has one of those cold, immovable faces, don’t you know, and when she sat there like a statue my heart went into my boots. Then when it came to that line —‘Well, I have my mushy moments like the rest'—she laughed all over the place, and I read no more. ‘It'll do,’ I said, ‘if you cen laugh like that on a cold, gray morning.’ So here we are.” “You get many playlets to read?” “Not more than 500 or so in the last three years—at least it was 380 about six months ago, and I've read a big’ bunch since then. Every —newspaper KN men afid army people. I'm the original black sheep of the family. And I don’t know what druv me to it!*’ “May 1 ask if you are related to ‘Joe’ Redding, the Bohemian Club man?” “Cousin,” replied Miss Redding. “I'm of the Fastern, he of the Western branch of the family. T've another lawyer cousin, who is the great white mandarin at Mindanao, appointed by the real Sultan of Sulu—not George Ade's!” “Will you tell me a little about that Professional Woman': League you spoke of a while ago?”, “It's the grandest organization of in- dependent women in the whole world!" she replied, positively bristling with en- thusiasm. “We have 500 members, in- cluding those of every known profes- sion for women. There are sculptors, artists, musicians, writers, architects— there’s even a woman who designs boilers! The rest are associate mem- bers, women of wealth in sympathy with the working women of the club. We have a five-story brownstone club- house, right in the best part of town, and a library of 5000 volumes.” “Does one stay there?"” “That 1§ not the intention. But therey are nine rooms that are rented out to members. It is intended for a place to stay overnight, to drop in during the day. There is a fine restaurant in con- nection, and everything is at a merely nominal “cost. They do all sorts of things. For ekample, any member in good standing may go on Fridays and borrow from $25 to $135 on any kind of security, from a vault in the cemétery to bank stock, at only nominal inter- est. And a note is never urged.” “Nor dishonored.” “Never,” Miss Redding confirmed. “Then every afternoon there is tea from 4 to 6 o'clobk. Everybody speaks to everybody else. It's entirely demo- cratic. And we have there lectures agd talks and entertainments from the best artists of all kinds.” “The club is not and the rest?” “O-oh! Never heard the word. And then we never loge our members until they're married. Yes, this is the wo- man's age.” The artist asked here if the actress had a full face photograph within reach. She handed ome to him taken from a portrait of herself by Chartran with the comment: “The only one I have. What do you think of this? A man wrote to me not long ago asking for my photograph to be run with some famous American actresses. But it was to be a full face. I hadn't one and I told him so. I was sorry I hadn’t after- ward. What do you suppose he wanted with it? He was writing a paper to prove that unmarried actresses all had turned-down mouths! He had Viola Allen, Ada Rehan, Maude Adams and several others.” “You would have been the distin- guished exception,” I laughed, and looked critically at the small, full Red- ding lips, dimpling upward at the cor- ners. “The idea!” and Miss Redding joined in the laugh. “And you know I'm very proud to be a blissful old maid.” “You don't look blighted.” “As for being a woman and marrying just to wear a ring on this—" she jab- bed her plump third finger as she spoke, “there isn't enough in it.” “Stin—" “Oh, yes, I'm still looking for the ideal. One begins thgt way at 18—with a soulful-haired dummy that you'd drown afterward! Then there's a fresh crop every year.” “But why should you—not ideal—de- mand the ideal?” I impertinently ask. “I don’t.” I only demand my ideal,” political, suffrage much to commend her to favorable at- tention as a singer. She has a voice, apparently of some original hdrshness, that seems to be well on the way to hecome a soprano of considerable sweetness and volume. Her compass also is a useful one, and Mrs. John- son shows not a little dramatic in- stinct and sympathy in her interpreta- tions. Her stage predence, not un- importantly, is unusually engaging. Yet one must deplore certain some- what serious errors in the singer’s work. ‘Her intonation is quite faulty at times, due, apparently, to poor breath control, the tendency being to a flatness of pitch. Not impossibly . nervousness may have affected Mrs. Johnson here, as her later numbers were less marred by the tendency. The singer's attack also lacks certainty, her enunciation is wanting in crisp- ness, her vocalizing in flexibility. Of Mrs, Johnson's numbers, she was posstbly most successful in “The Banks of Allan Water,” sung with ad- mirable taste and feeling. Mrs. John- son seems to have indeed a charming instinct for the singing of ballads. “Where the Bee Sucks” and “Bid Me Discourse” were given—with the afore- said technical limitations—with consid- erable charm. - The modern songs, with the exception of Dr. H. J. Stewart's “Contrasts,” were pleasingly -though less successfully sung. The Von Fie- litz cycle, “Schoen Gretlein * should be left to the vocal virtuosi. Neither is there -any particular reason for them to rescue it from oblivion. The Tschai- kowsky aria from “Jeanne d'Arc” was also too heavy for the singer, though it showed her possessed of dramatic power and considerable climacteric possibilities. Dr. H. J. Stewart ac- companied with fine judgment. Assisting the singer was Miss Kath- leen Parlow, the young girl violinist who is growing up just as good little fiddlers ought to grow. Katbleen was in excgllent form the other nlsh!.‘ She played the “Schwedische Tanze” rft Bruch and the’ Wieniawski “Souvenir de Moscow.” The “Tanze,” quaint and fragrant, she contrived tq make inter- esting throughout, playing with even more than her usual style, authority, freedom. It will not be long before Kathleen Parlow’s name will be upon the list of those who are making Cali- fornia famous. I give her from four to six years with proper opportunities. The young girl is ripe now for a Eyro- pean experience, for,the soaking in of music that- California cannot give her. There is an enviable opportunity- for some Maecenas here, though perhaps the little lady will consider it imperti- nent for me so to sifgest. T know, however, that Kathleen, who, like most of the chosen, has more genius than dueats, is saving her pennies for that wonderful Europe. Meantime Henry Holmes is seeing to it that she has the best possible opportunities here. >« » It is understood that Miss Ingeborg Resch-Peterson, the Swedish singer, who last Saturday afternocon made her first appearance here, was seriously in- disposed at the time. Our playful cli- mate had affected the singer’s throat among other unpleasantnesses, and she was entirely unable to do herself jus- tice. It would have been wiser, and had Miss Peterson not stood in the re- lation of hostess to her audience it would doubtless so have been ar- ranged, to have postponed the affair. Judgment must gourteousiy be reserved until a more fitting occasion, there- fore, that one hopes will soon present itself. One may say, however, that the evidences are of a voice of considerable beauty and cultivation. - Miss Peter- . son's programme was also delightfuliy refreshing, some of her native folk- songs and examples of the contempo- rary Swedish song literature being most charming. Miss Peterson was assisted by Miss Ramus, who fiddles—one hardly knows why—and by Fred Maurer, who accom- panied, as usual, admirably. Following is the program “‘Ave Mari: (Das Feuerkre Violin soli-—(a) ‘‘Adagio,” from -Alessandro Scarlatti -Heinrich, Schnell > - * The week pre ses unusually Of the most hopeful comic opera news the theat with J. H. Stoddart and is the recent brilliant guceess of Fritzi Reuben Fax in “The Bonaie Brier “Scheff in “Babette.” The opera is by Bush” at the Grand ra-house, and Vietcr Herbert and Harry B. Smith, and one of tke most sucee sful ’ r M.(. both are said to have done well their musical comedies in “Dolly Varden, parts, but the particular distinction of with Lulu Glaser. at the Col mbia. =2 E PN —p ! | | | | | e 5 EX the piece is the cast that has been given to it. When grand opera lumina- ries are considered not too good to in- terpret comic opera there is hope for comic opera. When something more than face and shape and trimmings goes to the rendering of comlc opera the art need not be despaired of. It has been in a parlous state of late. Orly the Bostonians have remained faithful to the older ideals, though the Savage companies and our own Tivoli have done good work. But “Babette,” with Fritzi Scheff, cuts a higher notch. Mme. Schumann-Heink is to follow next year. With these in the field there will be others to follow, and with such interpreters even a Strauss need not disdain to supply the comic opera mar- ket—if he feels comic operawise. There are others of grand opera that Mr. Dillingham, who manages Miss Scheff, would find useful. How about Bispham, the gorgeous Beckmesser, Sembrich, immortal comedienne; De Reszke, Don Basilio, par exceilence? One can only pray. In the meantime here is the cast of “Babette.” produced to utmost enthusiasm in New York a week or two ag Fritzi Scheft Babette . Mondrago: Bugene Cowles Marcel Richie Ling Baltazar . J. Connelly Vinette . 1da Hawley .. ..Louis Harrison Josephine BEartlett Van Tympel. v, .Erroll Dunbar The King of France. Guzman . Schnapps_. Captain Walth Jan . Quent James Beale Margot . Rosa Earle Greta . . Edna Luby Joan. . . Adele Naott ..J. T. Chaillee Charles Emerson Coachman . Footman Mile. de lo Motte Beth Willoughby Mile. e Rohan. May Seeley Mlle. Fontanges Mildred Forrest Marquis de Villette. Count de Courviile.. Duc de St. Michel. Hepry Wilkinson Francols .Georgla_Campbell Henrl . . Rita Dean Gaston Helen Planche Jacque Aline Redmond Laurent trude Adams Teresa ily Montague Katrina . . Florence Belleville Chiaffarelli, the new leader of Ellery’s Royal Italian Band, hardly succeeds in filling the gap left by Creatore, and rather handsomely fllled by Rivela, who succeeded. The band itself is in good condition—full of fire, energy and earnestness, but its leader has not the grasp on its resources of either of the preceding conductors. There is no lack of spirit or power, but Chiaffarelli's work lacks clearness, finish, refinement. His attack is not infrequently sloppy: the individuality of phrase is lost; tonal beauty sacrificed to noise. But hie shows skill in building his climaxes, and a certain electric energy will doubtless make him a favorite in many quarters. He is a modest fellow, tco. and shows considerable talent as a composer. ey ‘Plays and Players to Be Seen Here the Coming Season Blanche Walsh is breaking records this season with Wagenhals and Kem- per’s production of ‘“Resurrection.” The receipts in Chicago for three weeks were $38,000 and in St. Louis for one week over $15,500. Three nights in Kansas City gave Miss Walsh over $5550, and three nights in Detroit over $4300. The business in the one-night stands ranges from $1100 to $1600. Miss Walsh in “Resurrection™ will be seen here during the season. AR my'rnoi:d Hitcheoek, who is starring in “The Yankee Consul,” Flenry W. Savage’s newest comic opera, was en- tertained by two American consuls last week. The gomedian was the guest of the United States Comsul in Toronto, Canada, at a dinner party and later in the week recelved an invitation from our Consul in Montreal. RO Clara Bloodgood, under the manage- .ment of Charles Frohman, will be the attractiondo follow Lulu Glaser at the Colymbia Theater. This brilliant ac- tress has a splendid vehfcle in which to appear, Clyde Fitch’'s comedy, “The Girl With the Green Eyes.” Miss Biood- good wilk have as leading man the popular actor Robert Drouet. PR MR Gertrude Rennyson, prima donna so- prano of Henry W. Savage's Grand “Dolly Varden” makes its first ap- pearance here to-morrow evening, and is a Jullan Edwards and Stanislaus Stange production. The plot is not un- like that of “The Country Girl,” the time about 1730. The comiedy is said to give Miss Glaser, who made a here ten years ago as Francis Wi leading woman, an opportu- on ex nity. It affords a costume and scenic opportunities that have been fully exploited by Manager F. C. Whit- ney. In M Glaser’s support are the following gcod people Harry Girard, Harold Blake, W. H. Fitzgerald, John Dunsmure, Bergh Morrison, George Head, Lillian Walbridge Emmalyn Lackey, Lotta Gale and a large and effective chorus. During Miss Glaser's engagement the Columbia Theater or- chestra will be increased to double its present size J. H. Stoddart’s Lachlan Campbell in “The Bonnie Brier Bt is known to us. and cannot be too well know Reuben Fax, whose excellent Posty challenged comparisons even with M Stoddart’s work, returns with the vet- eran actor. As Lachlan Campbell, the stern old Scot, Stoddart’s is an unfor- getable portrait, one of the things that shine out from a mass of dull stupid- ftles. It is safe to say that the Grand Opera-house will be crowded to see him and Ian Maclaren’s charming play this week. The supporting company is said to be excellent. The piece opens this evening. The California has an attraction this week, beginning to-night, - that will doubtless cram it, in “Foxy Grandpa.” with Joe Hart and Carrie deo Mar. Joe Hart and Carrie de Mar are old Orph- eum favorites, who are surs of a wel- come here whatever they bring. New York, however, stood 250 nights of “Foxy Grandpa,” so it seems quite probable that we shall be able to en- dure two weeks of it. DT . The Alcazar also has an attractive bill in “The Girl I Left Behind Me,"” the famous military drama by Franklin Fyles and David Belasco. Miss Jullet Crosby, who has not been “on” for some time, will make her reappearance this week. Sad news comes from Fischer's of the departure East of Barney Bernard. The loss of Barney will be a Serlous one, but he must not be grudged the higher flight that he is contemplating —no less than a journey inta the legit- imate. Allen Curtis, who is to succeed the engaging Hebrew, is hopefully her- alded as the “world's greatest Hebrew comedian.” We'll see next week, any- way. Meanwhile “I-O-U" goes even more hilariously as it gets older and certainly more smoothly. “The Scout’s Revenge” the Central this week. all the title promises. Francesca Redding will continue to be a head-liner this week at the Orph- eum and four new acts go onm this afternoon. The road show that comes soon has a red robin sort of bill, it having been found imposstble to head- Hne any of equal exceliencies. The Allen sisters are at the Chutes and particularly good vaudeville. ——————— RUSSIA'S BIG EXHIBIT - AT THE WORLD'S FAIR is billed for It is said to be Pretentious Project Is on Foot to Send a Splendid Display From the Czar's Domain. ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. 12—Two resolutions adooted in Russia will contribute toward making the Russian section in the St. Louis exhibition more interesting. & The Sport Club of St. Petersburg, a very exclusive association, is organ- izing the Russian sporting exhibit, which will comprise all the marvelous sports of the different Russian na- tionalities. The president of the club, Professor Tematsky, and a committee are busy collecting material for the section. In Moscow the Municipal Council, after a long debate, resolved to or- ganize for the fair a Russian scheol exhibit, which will be so complete as * to show the Wwhole development of Russian national education. As Rus- sian schooling is carried on after a pecullar system this exhibit will be a ;urlolily. al! the more so because it as not been shown anywhere outside Russia before.