The evening world. Newspaper, December 10, 1904, Page 7

el PALTOHE LL UN een A \ Keer: Creal MITCHELL: | "I Think of the Public as a Giant Missourian Who Says ‘You Must Show Me—You Must Show Me Some- thing New.’ AUWAYS think of the public as a gignt Missourian who says ‘You mst show me." Not only that, bat “You must show me something gow.” The pubiic is & spolled child when it comes to stage pir tures. i It seems to me that a man who Is fortunate enough to get a 00d effect or a good result in an entertainment hé may produce must | bave an inspiration from the subject. Usually when I have had @ scene to handle I look well into it and see if I cannot work out some reason-| able effect, Take, for examplo, the poppy scene in “The Winard of 02.” Women for the poppies suggested themselves to me at once, but for (hres or four days I paced my office looking for a olimax., ®uddenty it @courred to me that the only means of rescuing the persons overcome _-— DY. the. perfume was by destroying the flowers, At first I didn’t know “ 2 ROW to do this, I thought of at lenst an hundred different ways, bui| each was by the hand of man, which would be inconsistent. Then, like ® ahot, came the idea of frost, The result pretty much every playgoer in New York knows. The fairy queen called upon the King of Frost to visit hie wrath upon the poisonous flowers, and he did so im the form of snow. That is how I arrived at that result. It seems easy, but the public does not understand how much anxiety is caused a stage producer t reach bis climaxes, Now, take our new production, “It Heppened im Nordland.” Much Prise has been given tho “Absinthe Frappe” number, No (dea was given me for the development of this number, Mr. Victor Herbert handed me (btamuste, and Mr. Glen MacDonough his lyrica. I puasled for/a day or two over how to make this song effectitve. Suddenly, while walking up Broadway, I paused before a shop window, an dthere saw a ploture of a fepirit coming from @ bottle, It is a very old picture, and thousands of persons have seen it, I myself Imd looked at it hundreds of times, but (it never suggested anything to me wntil that afternoon, when I had the “Absinthe Frappe” song ringing in my head, ‘Then camy the idea of de- mons coming from the absinthe. That idea I gave to the designer, and OU How see.it worked out on the stage of the Lew Fields theatre, In handling colors on the stage we usually start from the footlights ith the darker shades, piacing the lighter ones in the backgroud. oF course, this {s only done, as a rule, for « picture for the rise and fel) of ® ourtat, or for the begiining or ending of a musical number, It would be almost impossible to adhere to this principle throughout an entire agone unless you kept the people in one position at all times, As Ameri ean people like action this is not practical. 1 am & great believer in color pchemes, I have been accused of carrying this ¢ad of mine to extremes and overdoing it. Perhaps my oritics are right, Many of us make mistakes in trying to effect color schemes. We aro often sucessful up to a certain point, but in our anxiety to go the limit are very apt to have a jarring effect because of our carelessness in overlooking # Dit of scenery or a bit of color, My advice to all who are anxious to try ‘thelr hgnd at this sort of work is to confer with an artist known to be an expert in the blending of stiades.. There are many gcenic artists who are capable of doing this. and there are one of two designers of costumes whose , f. 4 ry) ? ¢ HE w EVENING Jadgment 1s excellent. 1 owe much to Mra, Caroline Siedie, who designed Sostumes for “It Happened in Nordland.” Without her aid I don’t ‘what I should have done, To my mind, she stands head and shoul- ders abdve every one in this cotintry, and I am glad to be able to thus ~. publicly pay tribute to her genius. MARIE CAHILL, | MIF I Can Please the Women I Hawe -. RNething to Fear, for Men Will Back _ Feminine Judgment Nine Times Out ’ T ta dificult tor one to judge what wil! pléase people. 1t 1s more alm. alt for @ woman to say what will please another woman. During the period I have been on tho stage I have tried to please both setes, but 14m more happy when I receive wordsof commendation from a woman than whén @ man goes out of hiv way to say nice things about me, ‘This te no disparagement of the sterner nox, but merely because I of the women In the audience, If I can & that I figure that the men will be my friends, too. ; Such comedy ability as 1 may possess, and the gtyle of comedy which I think the New York public likes, is of the quiet school. 1 do not believe in what we pinyer-folk call ‘mugging;’ that is, the twisting of the face Into Grotesque expressions, I know that many people like it, but I try to suc-), ceed by looking like myself at all times, 1 have one model of comedy which I do not think can well be improved upon, I refer to Mme. Rejane, who recently lias finished a successful engagement In this city. To me ehe is almost perfect in hor methods, Bven if you do not understand French you know what she is doing, and the emotions which she {s portraying. A thrug of the shoulder, a eaising of a brow, a moyement of the hand and she has told you all you ned know, although the volco js strange. She néver descends to baffoonery; Lots and lots of peopje like buffoonery, and it ta @ legitimate style of comedy. Don't let me be misunderstood, 1 sim- ply mean that I do not care for it, and believe that a woman can achieve Quite as substantial a anceess by the »ppoalte methods. No, I do not believe the ¢oon song has outlived its popularity, I think 8 good coon song is a8 much enjoyed to-day eas It ever was. The right song, whether it bé ron, or aria, will go. There is auth a thing as doing & good thing to death, but I don’t think the negro song has been done ta death, Bomé one bes sald that I have made an effort to enter the grand opera tanks, That is fooll#h. I have done nothing of the sort, Perhaps, inter- preting some of Mr. Herbert's music, | have been singing musie of a higher class than in some of the productions in which I have appeared before New Yorkers, bul I have made no pretense at grand opera. .| prefer the simpler songs, because | feel that I have more ability in that line than in more am- bitious efforts, But I do my best to sing what is given me es well as I can, and if 1 please 1 am happy; if { fall I am disappointed; but my donsclence is elear in either event, Aa lo what Now Yorkers want from thelr stage women, | believe they want what they always Lave wantéd. They want refinement. They inslat ‘upon it, and that is a good sign. There isino encouragement for aught that @avors even remotely of vulgarity. A woman to suéceed on the stage in this city must be womanly always. They want her bri; but they will not stand for thy But, as I said in tite , it Toan please my women auditors I have nothing to fear, for the men will back the feminine judgment HTue times out of ten, WORLD'S w HOME w MAGAZINE » mn Fa Oh YAR LEW FIELDS. “Fora LongTime I'we Been Conwinced that the Public Want Coherency and| Naturainess tn Musical Shows." LEASING the public !s no easy task. It was our alm from the first to give the people what they liked. Of course it was a gamble as to whether we would be able to do this, but all the experience | ot Mr. Mitchell, the late Me, Hamlin, Mr, Victor Herbert, Mr. Glen MacDonough and myself was brought into play with this one idea in ‘view. Often we buried our own Personal preferences as to scenes, dialogues, situations and style of music because the consensus} of our judgment Indicated that something different would best please the people, For a long time I have been convinced that the theatre-going public wants coherency. I have said this in public and in private. To my mind many a musical show has falled because of this lack of coherency. People! have been dragged on and off the stage without rhyme or reason. I have gune to see productions where something jike this bas happened: “Have you seen the beautiful Duchess de Montmartre?" a show girl would ask, “No,” would shout back the chorus, “By Jove, here she is now!” the show girl would cry, and the beau-| tifal Duchess would sweep in, Now. it den’t reasonable, it lan't plausible, | {t isn’t natural that the Countess should so obligingly bob up from nowhere, snes SHOW [e RVG BertHa Gav BooTH Mavestic, USSEL PRINCES s+ bs There should be some excellent reason for her presence, In “Tt tn Nordland” we have tried to have @ real excuse for the we have tried to unfold a real story every character. a) way. qt LLARD. way, Whether we have succeeded or not it is hardly for me to Considerable comment has been made on my first entrance, | to come as & surprise to people, who for years have been seeing the head of a company make his entrance to the of fanfares and drums. Those who have seen our show know I among a group of peasants who are gathered to welcome Dr, (Julius er). The doctor comes on the stage in his wagon amid and loud playing of the orchestra, In Harrisburg, where our roduced and where I was unlmown, the audience decided eger Was myself, and, in the goodness of their hearts, orously, I maintain that my entrance {s right. Wh & German boy, friendiess, parentiess, and penniless, have to be with loud acclaim? None whatever, and so I say that in this we have got dawn to what would nat ly beppem in real Mfe, and is what the people want. They might have accepted a bi for me as consistent with stage traditions, but If they st to they would have realized that it was not reasonable. In the criticisma which bave been published of my work as Peepfogel none have pleased ina so much ax those which sold that I not stooped to slap-stick comedy. I have tried to make of Hubert a comedy character, without the slightest suggestion of vulgarity of play. It would he Impossible for mo to get away from my twisted and 49 Hubert it is expected. fiom I like nd apparently rey like it. I have bean accuseegot having yoernings toward Fiamlet, the height of absurdity, Iffi'can make the people in front pres tn any way offending their sense of refinement, 1 am content to Shakespeare to others, MRS. T.,LYNCH'S SOX. 4 and 3 Union Square, Known for over © years aa the most reliable end cheapest establishment for 9) Diamonds, Watches, Jewelry AND SILVE) INPORTED NON Inspection Invited. James sy $ Mystic St., So, End, Boston, “T have told dozens of | bout it and they all report the | eee yoodertil success as 1 had my~| self with Father John’s Medicine for | curing heavy colds end rundown con-| dition.” Prevents pneumonia and grip. | FEATRE, > he Eres. 315. Main 4 tha, hot water, mow rey SSULTTATATINO, fais, pot wate showy pear & ant 8 P. ol st. sy. Crowds. Ore ison & Caph| DIRpOT FROM TOKIO, JAPAN D. une fe mens her Malou! Marvel Bilison Pictures Sunday Concerts. | jyuaanasiys Behe’ “ge Dede Matinee Byer? Day, 2 5 LADIAY MAT. Peg ee i oe, | Iran pel ne Hay Tobe et ileoerts Ae - GOTHAM ‘ie ‘dewey ® ih 25th & 3a DON'T MISS THE 0 A. Mf. te ke helm ret Irving » ‘Theatre, ddd Bt. bet rau! LEW FIELD! 2 SthAy. BV.S15 Mat Sat. {T HAPPENED IN NORDLAND. aa AMUSEMENTS, aches ERE ones | Ment | BaRELD reste abt Cae: rue M Wie wash i kena +E pete i fia Waar t , zt eek THE “More to Be | RIC Stik fie Wi ita BS Mg Yorwville | Sa" | Saou a Quant. Rea “CECI iA ETON. ¥v