Subscribers enjoy higher page view limit, downloads, and exclusive features.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SU. t th tes of blue ¥ wh under a hair. of resistible kindliness And as its probably be- She know, F and this Maria on through the hole bonny double quartet of them ey're beauties,” I said critically wait until Maria Theresa sings id like her mother It's you we t to-day think madame here good-humoredly doubted my taste, but she told me a President Roosevelt had George Washington t year, with “From to Franz George Schumann-Heink on his inscribed thereupon Heink's ardent American- least notable trait. She ntly grateful to the Franz Schumann is not her s frankly ry that, for her magnificent ser- \ song, has given her the means t ng up Franz George Washington nd the rest in the way they should go. She evidences it in the fearless and omical fashion that made Ernestine Roessler's father's (Major Roessler) life y lively one, until the now Schu- mann-Heink’s superabundant energies were afforded outiet on the stage. “I lofe America she was saying, “all American people. You have been much good to me. You gif your great men, poets anc. others, great honor while they 1if, make holidays on birthdays, zo. Better that than in Germany. For- get them there, not help and honor *hem. i, you know.” she laughed, “I my house American flag. We madame”—politely, from Miss Hartman, “What should I hoise it without you do, on July 4th, George birthday, all American Some neighbors say,” she drew down her mouth at disapproving angle, Wash holidays e ngton’s Aously endously s de matter mit her! Jalouse! America.” California, madame.” »eautiful!” she cried. t of the open window ifting fairly under the the morning sun, her face suddenly sober in the ken kiss of the little spring wind, Y said Never had I Easter ke this! I came, last week. r mountains. Mein Gott, 11! My heart was so big” arms stretched to their furthest— a child. You know “Par- It was there like the Good I will forget it never. h to me—and there is so for eight children — das how do you feel about arsifal,” madame?” I not right,” madame her head. “How hard Wagner asked, ven only at ds surround- nk ool I feel king sh gs ¥ know s not best work ¢ # lv be—what s fective in Metropolitan produc- perfect 2" madame de- village, among atmosphere and reuth, that help it. vou have one hour in- go out in ‘the village, feelings, and of God's s technically t that,” lls, the life vo th impression about you.” I should have imagined you would the w all,” the singer reverted then: “In New ‘Parsifal’ this year. r they give it Oh “Parsi- 5 this with “Parsifal” into degradation. It is Schumann- edition. hosphere hr, not at She s good two ye poor st ?—people “Parsifal tk of ell that our local the Kundry this is not freundschaft, I think ina most wonderful tist of W er that is. She has voice like this”"-—measuring off a 1 tle inch of her little finger—* Her madame looking for the wonder- him she has seen (ma the rapture cry when she here is nothing like it. the earth. It makes chills the back zo!” and mads ran firmly down my Kundry —ar on ecs tic sees own as gratefully ¢ a, 100, and Sembric them. I listen so much” your opinion of the effect of Wagnerian opera on the voice, looked to see if 1 were serious, comprehension d with an an- am: “Ach, you know. When you can sing, Wagner is all right. One must have the Italian way—as it called—at the beginning. You cannot fix building without first ground—" “Foundation, madame,” from ng a glint earest eye, repi né swering g is Miss Hartm Foundation® it is,” madame grate- fully repeated. But the young singer begins with Isolde, Kundry, Elsa—she cannot sing them. Voice goes, poor d. I sing now twenty- have better voice now Richard is g time, isn’t it?" she said soberly, “I work and And work and work for nothing for twenty years. Then I come to America—all happy!” “Madame, I cannot understand how you long unrecog- nized I exclaimed then. The tardy recognition this glorious singer in her own country has long been a source nd amazement to me. it with a droll malice, amusing. she laughed, “I not prima -€a gown and her fingers swept an imagined train into space, then critically slapped her taut walking skirt and trim lawn S0 of waist. “I not beautiful.” “Not beautiful, Madame, but—'"" “Ach! with this!” she smiled, and gayly pushing her perhaps not classical nose into an appalling retrousse. 1 was helpless by this time, but she went on: “And I married very young, have many children, no diamonds, not at all interesting, 1" she summed up with a droll mischief that completed the collapse of the company generally. Space will not hold to tell how she acted out the whole comedy, more’s the pity. 1 recovered at length to ask: “How could you keep out of comic opera so long?” “] have not,” the singer returned. *“I have much sung in comic opera at In Germany one will sing funny Not triviale music, zo.” home. “Oh, yes,” madame conceded to my unspoken objection, “if- T had known how I like to concert sing, and how I do so well in that, I should not per- haps go to comic opera. They ask Schumann-Heink, why you do thi But why not good funny opera One can have, to and in that, too.’ “The opera is by Julian Edwards and ange, is it not?” Yes. Opera is like me, myself, the heroine. Mr. Edwards v over in Ger- last year to study my charac- representative er in I'm a comedienne. first ability this “How appalling!” “Personality, madame,” Miss Hart- man gently corrected. “Oh, dass ? This English! He makes me like this in the book. I say always, ‘Speak I right English?’ from begin to last.” “Edwards has done well?” “Very nice. It is his best. I have a nice bolero and a good sentimental song—oh, all is quite pretty.” “When will the opera be produced?” In September, in Detroit.” “Not New York?” “No. Mr. Whitney is—superstitious— superstitious,” the singer repeated, with a glance of naive triumph at Miss Hartman. He thinks he always has great success with the productions at Detroit first.” . “What will Bayreuth do without you?” “Yes, I have refused Bayreuth and Munich and”—she paused and smiled— “I had so nice compliment from Maine I must tell you. They have fes- tival there where I ging always in Sep- tember. This year they put her in June, that I may sing. 1 was proud zo—" and madame lifted expressive hands. And she is proud. She's as modest as Harold Bauer. She showed me then, with about as much “side” as a schoolboy showing his collection of “alley taws,” her box full of medals. Oh, yes, she’s proud of them, but without an ion of vanity. Of one she said, from the King of Wurt- temberg: “‘That's more than. dia- monds.” Miss Hartman informed me, too, that madame was all sorts of “Honorary, Noble, Grand, Distin- guished, Supreme Citizenesses,” or something of the kind. I tell it as ‘twas not told to me. A iast lovable glimpse of the singer came then, in her superb kindness to the young woman who had come to sing. She insisted on my staying and 1 was more than willing. The singer had chosen a big dramatic song of Elgar's, and went at it with big voice and a considerable dramatic fire. “You have a big, beautiful voice,” madame told her, “and sing well, but —you want me to be true?—you have not yet learned to properly breathe. And your head tones begin somewhat too late. As this"—and going to the piano madame illustrated, and a sab- bath of sound fell upon the nplace. Transformed she stood there, the keen quiver of the artist-devotee upon her face as she leaned toward her pupil )4 i aiithonctll o “I LOF AMERICANS,” SAYS SCHUMANN-HEINK. of the moment to emphasize her inten- tion. Then she sang a little aria of Mozart's, and the teacher, the come- dienne, the happy German hausfrau, faded into the forgotten background of a4 muse incomparable, regnant, ma- jestic. We went away silently, and the young woman sobbed as we reached the elevator: “I can’t help making a fool of myself. She was 50 good. Wasn't she adorable!” g S LBAY CHAT ABOUT PLAYERS AND THEIR MOVEMENTS AT HOME AND ABROAD The Theater Magazine for April is up to its usual high standard of excellence. In this number. the editor disagrees with Andrew Carnegie’s recent conten- tion that “endowed theaters are not a success,” by pointing out, as an ex- ample, the Comedie Francaise, which has prospered by endowment for 200 An article by the director of the Gomedie Francais also appears. A narrative of theatrical life entitled “The Confessions of a Stage Struck Girl,” by an actress who has experi- enced all the scenes described, is an- other feature of this issue. Another interesting article is the finst instaliment of a series to be pub- lished in The Theater, describing “How Theaters Are Managed.” The first paper is devoted to the “Box Office Man” and his duties. This month’s interview is with Virginia Harned, in which there is an interesting account of her meeting with E. H. Sothern, now her husband. Millicent Mooné’s letters continue, and there are also other mat- ters of interest, including numerous photographs. years. . » Nance O'Neil is undergolng all kinds of trouble in Boston. Blanche Stod- dard, who*stands second to Miss O'Neil among the ladies of the company, was given two weeks’ notice, and following this a similar notice was served on E. J. Ratcliffe, Miss O'Neil's leading man. Ratcliffe demanded a percentage of the profits, asserting that he had furnished money for the expense of the company. His claim was contested and on the expiration of his engagement he was prevented from entering tne theater. Charles P. Salisbury of the Columbia Theater hasg alsgo. claimed an interest in the venture and has applied for an injunction restraining Miss O'Neil's X3 manager from turning over the profits to McKee Rankin, Miss O'Neil and E. J. Ratcliffe. Rumors of other compli- caticns have also been heard. Charles Dalton will be Ratcliffe’s successor. Eaaar Clyde Fitch sailed for Italy last week, where he intends writing two plays. One, which he says will make New York “sit up,” is for Clara Bloodgood, and the other is for Mrs. Gilbert. « o« » The American Travesty Stars will tour the world under the management of S. W. Combs and Harry James, pre- senting a repertoire of Weber and Fields' burlesques. The company, numbering over sixty, will include sev- eral San Francisco favorites, among whom are Kolb and Dill, Barney Ber- nard, Winfield Blake, Maude Amber and Hope and Emerson. The company will follow Mrs. Fiske at the Grand Opera-house, San Francisco, for an engagement of two weeks. The capi- tal already invested is $75,000. Uik Mrs. Langtry intends writing an American play, provided that she can collaborate with an American author. She sailed for Europe last week on the Cedric. + s e Ralph Stuart, who is starring in “By Right of Sword,” has discovered that in making excuses the schoolboy has a dangerous rival in the soubrette. Just before the opening of this season the soubrette showed up a day late. This not being the first offense, Mr. Stuart prepared to make an example of her before the whole company. On her appearance next day, Stuart demand- ed an excuse for her absence. “I didn’t bring it with me, Mr. Stuart,” she re- plied timidly. “Bring what?” shouted Mr. Stuart, now thoroughly aroused. “My excuse, Mr. Stuart. You see I got married yesterday, but I didn’t think you would want to seée my hus- band.” This finished Mr. Stuart. e Henry Irving is to play “Ivan the Terrible,” the tragedy by Tolstoi, in which Richard Mansfield has recently achieved great success. He will tour the English provinces for the balance of this season in his well-known reper- toire and will save “Ivan’the Terrible” for a whole season’s engagement in London. In the suit brought by Marie Mon- tagu for an injunction to restrain David Belasco from producing “Sweet Kitty Bellairs,” Judge Lacombe hand- ed down a decision denying the appli- cation. & e The farewell concert to be given on the 14th at Lyric Hall by Otto Spamer will see the first appearance of the Brahms Quartet, a cheir organized for the study and production of the finer ensemble vocal music. The members are: Miss Millie Fiynn, soprano; Ger- trude Wheeler, contralto; Frank Ons- low, tenor, and Homer Henley, basso. Miss Julie R. Tharp accompanies and the choir has been studying under the direction of Oscar Weil. The quartet’s first efforts will be di- rected to the interpretation of Brahms’ Gypsy Songs, Op. 103, and Oscar Weil's charming waltz cycle, “In Maytime,” studied under happiest auspices with the composer. Spamer will play the Wieniawski “Faust” fantasie, Ernst's “Otello” fantasie, the Suite in Italian style by Paganini-Wilhelmj and other works. & ek Wilton Lackaye presented Ibsen’s “Pillars of Society” at the Thursday matinee last week. pia AL B SOME NEW PLAYS AND THE BEST OF THE OLD BILLED FOR THE WEEK The Tivoli is to the fore this week with a production of rare old comic opera, “The Beggar Student,” of Mil- loecker, so old in local annals that it is now new. The opera is of the best of its class, and the Tivoli is prepared to give it production of an admirable sort. ief among the leading members of the cast will be Mme. Caro Roma and Russo, who return to sing and play the roles of the beggar student and his lady love. The opera ‘is full of genuine fun, bright music and lightsome plot. * o+ ® If Barkis is willing—otherwise the public—that remarkable person, Blind Tom, now appearing at the Orpheum, will do this week one of the stunts that originally made him famous. If the public can be induced to walk up on the platform and play—say a Lisat rhapsody—Blind Tom will, after one hearing, repeat the piece. He changes his selections this week. The four Mor- tons, Sam, Kittle, Clara and Paul, are new headliners on the week's bill. « » = Bronson Howard’s comedy, “Aristoc- racy,” will be the bill at the Alcazar this week. R “Kismet” continues at Fischer's to suceess. © o Tkl “McFadden's Flats™ continues at the California. . . The Central offers the military drama, “In the Hands of the Enemy."” T Bessie Kelly is headlined in the Chutes bill of the week. . 7 : — As “A Doll's House” leads the dra- matic list this week, such pearls of Ibsen wisdom as I might from Mrs. Fiske's It was at the Grand and I was to see the actress after the “Di- vorcons”—my second view the de- lightful comedy. I had decided just what Mrs. Fiske should decide for me concerning little Nora Helmer’s make- I went to gather prophetic lips. Opera-house up. I had my own views of the re= bellious child wife’s conduct, but mod- estly fancied that Mrs. Fiske might have hers. So, net knowing what awaited her, Mrs. Fiske consented to see me. That was before the “Divorcon: before an hour and a half of Sardou at his best. I watched the performance through with the same, or increased, lively delight with which I had seen it on Monday night. The delicacy of touch, quick, light, sure, the admirable t of the fooling, the wholly French key and rhythm of the performance. from Mrs. Fiske’s Cyprienne to Mack's waiter, anew surprised and charmed me. The gayety and insolence of the whole thing, in fact, intoxicated me afresh, and I'm afraid I had quite forgotten grim, ofd Ibsen as the riotous curtain went down. I went behind then, to see Mrs. Fiske with her young girl coiffure, the dress, the saucy face of Cyprienne, and I gave it up. “I wanted you to about Nora Helmer,” But? “But” “But”—she burst into a peal of Cy= prienne-like laughter, that, however, fully comprehended my predicament “We can't talk Ibsen with that,” I said pointing to the Parisian frou-frou tell 1 said, me a littie but—" of her get-up. But it was not that. Mrs. - Fiske's very personality was changed. It*was a very Parisiennes chic, spirituelle, elegant, that faced me. “Of course we can't,” laughe “Let’s talk Sardou.” She told me then that Harrison Grey Fiske, the worthily famed editor of the famous Dramatic Mirror, and the for- tunate husband of his distinguished wife, had made this translation of “Di- vorcons” in three days. and never even read it over. A brilliant feat! As the highest compliment in my power, I told Mrs. Fiske that I should like to in~ terview him. But we left Ibsen severely alone. “A Doll's House” will, however, in spite of that, be given to-morrow even- ing. Lighter, and yet with the same triumphant, biting realism of “Hedda Gabler,” “A Doll's House” is likely to prove even more popular. “A Bit of Old Chelsea™ precedes the play each night, and on Friday evening. in re- sponse to innumerable requests, “Hedda Gabler” will be repeated. v From the seriousness of “A Doll's House” to the lovely picture book of “Mam’'selle Napoleon” is a far step. Yet is “Mam’selle Napoleon™” for the people who like the kind of thing, best worth seeing of its kind. Ziegfeld, who pre- sents the piece, has outdcne himself in the lavish beauty of the costumes and scenic investiture. There are costumes innumerable, from their quaint and correct beauty, their admirable splen- dor, alone worth going to see. Zieg- feld is an artist of the first rank here, of a fine eye and ungrudging purse. Not less may be said of the just mag- nificence of the scenic settings—the Artists’ Foyer at the Comedie Fran- caise with its gallery of portraits, the Kiosk at Compiegne, with its lily- starred lake, the Grand Opera-house with a ball in progress, a scene of al- most unexampled splendor. Of course there are pretty girls galore, the pret- tiest still the dimpled and bewitching Billy Norton. What a sonsie, bonny creature she is, in that rustic white satin gown of the second act, with the gloriously illogical chapeau of thes period! The lighting, too, is a fea- ture of the production in which Mr. Ziegfeld has points galore for his rivals. Of the comedy one finds “Mam’selle Napoleon” with moments of unexpected seriousness. M. Richepin, who is its Parisian progenitor, furnished the play with a prefty little plot that has not wholly disappeared under its expert editing for the American market at Joseph Herbert's hands. And Herbert has added a whole arsenal of jokes and popular dittles and generally brought the comedy within what M. Richepin would doubtless call the coarser Amer~ ican comprehension. As Mile. Mars, Anna Held has an unusually varied opportunity and dis- plays unsuspected resource therein. She looks tinier than ever among her regiment of stalwart maids, and as ever is the acme of serpentine ele- gance and seductive prettiness. She has moments in the second act, where, as Mlle. Mars, she meets Napoleon to plead for her lover’s life, and to refuse at the same time Napoleon's devoirs, that make one soundly regret the un- deniable suggestion of her “Same Old Girl,” for example. Mile. Held does not need to depend upon that kind of thing. The little scene with Napoleon showed her a bewitching and dainty little artist, the climax reached in her entirely delightful re€ital, in delightful French, of “The Lion and the Mouse.” In the firgt act also she did some nota- bly cleve? acting, and but for a few flaws of the kind above quoted her whole performance is delicately charm- ing. They have a very good Napoleon, too, in Arthur R. Lawrence, and Frank Rushworth leads with his customary distinction in the part of Noel Gilot: Franz Ebert, the clever midget, also re« &urns, T