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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 1912)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAJT. PORTLAND. AUGUST 4, 1912. CUPID AGAIN TRIUMPHS OVER PRIDE OF KING Aged Emperor of Austria Removes Ban Prom Nephew Who Married Pretty Commoner and Restores Him to Rank of Archduke. THEATRICAL SEASON WILL OPEN MUCH EARLIER ACCORDING TO PREDICTIONS OF THE MANAGERS Anxiety Prevails Generally -jnong Musicians and Producers as to Outcome of Proposed Mechanical Substitutes for Orchestras Performing Fleas Are Annoyance in New Jersey. r -fs a - t - ) if -a I tei li 1 U1 Ft &''& F'4 ' MWJ V fSfc. ? f -Wite" VTfA iSi ssit? 25-ixZZ ZknJi BY LLOTD F. LOSER6AS. NEW YORK, Aug. 3. (Special.) Although only two musical plays and two dramatic offerings are still on the boards, the local theaters are busy places these days. This is due to the fact that in every Manhat tan house one, two and sometimes .more companies are busy rehearsing for the coming season, which, unless we have an extremely prolonged Sum mer, will open earlier than usual. This is the time of year that man agers are decidedly optimistic They forget the failures of other days. In sist that the fact that this Is a Presi dential year will have absolutely no effect upon conditions, and are busily making plans to overwhelm the coun try with old and new productions. All of these shows will be in re hearsal for periods of from three to eight weeks, during which the mem bers of the companies will not even receive carfare. In many Instances they will be withdrawn In a week or so, and it is a safe bet that some of the companies will not even take the road, the producers deciding, after witnessing the trial tests, not to waste any money. This, It might be added, has happened year after year, and the actor has absolutely no redress. Many thespians have been kept hard at work all through the hot spell, with only a long-shot chance of ever get ting any money. They explain that they are willing to put up with pres ent conditions, because if they refuse someone else will get the job. It has often been suggested that actors be paid half salaries for rehearsals, but the scheme bas never got beyond the suggestion stage. The Shuberts, managers of the "Winter Garden, deserve high praise for firmly enforcing their new rule prohibiting encores. One of the terrors of some first-night performances has been the tiresome repetition of numbers which no one wants to hear. "Wise managers have finally realied that the applause of wooden-headed ushers may get the curtain raised half a dozen or more times after the first act. but that it will be of no avail unless the public wants to see the show. Uncalled-for applause exasperates spectators, who cannot see why they should be compelled to sit twice through a performance when once is more than enough. Furthermore, first night performances re often prolonged r t I Vm" -tJ by this method to a degree that seri ously imperils their success, and a mu sical show that might be a winner is VOCAL POWERS OF CHORUS GIRL IF OF MERIT ARE QUICKLY RUINED Musicians' Union Move Unfortunate in New York, as Theaters Talk of Replacing Orchestras With Automatic Players and Restaurants May Make Similar Departure Oscar "Hammer stein Decides to Remain in London. BT EMILIE FRANCES BAXTER. THE chorus girl is coming In for her share of attention fwwn the med ical authorities, who have been studying that anomaly, the chorus girl's voice. It has long been believed that she has none, and in a recent number of a well known medical Journal Dr. Charles Prevost Grayson Indicates why this is the case, and he states further that if she had one she would not be able to keep it long. - One of the greatest strains is that during the rehearsals she la under the lash of the stage manager from 9 in the morning until midnight, with only a hasty lunch, and she sings nearly all the time, as not being an expert reader she is driven to learning by ear, which is a great strain on a voice. Singing is usually alternated with the equally violent practice of dancing during the hot weather, and between this violence and the cooling off process there is not much chance for the protection of a voice. But these are the least of the dangers, according to the analyst of the chorus girl voice. When the girl goes on the road in the one-night stands she usually runs into the sort of theaters where the dressing-rooms for the chorus are worse than the aver age stable, and she eats in the sort of boarding-houses where the meals are the worst conceivable. All this In con Junction with the fact rka.t most of these girls have no practical knowl edge of how to use the voice would seem to make the calling anything but a Joyous one for a young woman who has the Idea of raising herself from the ranks of the chorus to a star part. Dr. Grayson states that .there is no possible cure in sprays, lozenges and beverages, but he says that the girl who will save enough from her earn ings to study with a reliable teacher may succeed In wending ner way bitterly cursed by the worn-out first night audience. Fred C. "Whitney is another Ameri can manager who has failed to make an impression in the theatrical World abroad. News comes from London that he has given up the lease pf the Whlt- through what most people would re gard as a hopeless undertaking, that of not only' developing, but of saving her voice. ... Every now and then we hear sensa tional reports of prospective "farewell" tours, these news items usually devel oping in Summer when there Is space in which to print them and when news gatherers are working on a task that is nearly hopeless that of finding sen sational news when there is nothing going on. A report that has traveled far and wide is that Jean de Reszke is to make his reappearance in opera. Those' who know him best, however, are the least Inclined to believe that after having held the position which has never been filled since he left the operatic stage he would Jeopardize his standing, which he could not fail to do, If he were to re-enter the field now. Teaching does not tend to keep a voice in good condition, especially after an artist has retired with a number of years behind him. Jean de Reszke was unique in that he had no rival In Ital ian, French or German opera both as to voice and style. His was a marvel ous record. He will probably continue to remain a great memory. ... The musicians' union seems to have made an unfortunate move with the the aters in New York, asithe managers have practically decided to discontinue the theater orchestra for entre acts music. Just as Belasco did long ago. Other theaters are planning to install orchestral self-players and probably the talking machine. The musical com edy companies will, of course, have to depend upon an orchestra as part of the equipment, but the hotels and res taurants are considering the abandon ing of music except such as can be provided by mechanical Instruments. ... Pierre Lotl is planning for his Ameri ney Theater in that city and will not be active in the amusement business on the other side. Whitney won fame and fortune through the comic opera, "The Choco late Soldier." When Whitney Uft America he was without great' re sources and hoped to interest Euro pean 'capital in a moving-picture scheme. He returned rich, the owner of "The Chocolate Soldier," and several other promising muglcal plays. His can trip, although It Is said that he is reticent about discussing it, and he does not court publicity in any way. This is a rather strange characteristic in one who has such an unusual idio syncracy as to use his own name in many of his Btorles. He does not draw his own character in any way, but he calls his male characters "Pierre Loti" not infrequently This may be found in "Mme. Chrysantheme" and in other of his novels. "Mme. Chrysantheme," by the way; is the story which preceded "Mme. Butterfly" and to which John Luther Long owes at least his inspira tion if nothing else. "La Fille du Ciel." the play by Loti and Judith Gautier, will have its production in New. York before having one in Paris. Both, of the authors had In mind a first pro duction under the direction of Sarah Bernhardt, but when it was placed be fore her she was startled at the sump tuousness of the setting and the very expensive mountings which It would require, and refused to undertake the responsibility. Since the plans for its presentation at - the Century Theater have been the sensation of Paris, Its production there is being considered. Mme. Gautier is one of the most in teresting figures of the present day . i iaa- wnmArt n f 1?rAnne. ftmuag lua Ulcibi; ......... - - y She comes rightfully by her talent, as1 she Is a daugnter or me grem phile Gautier, and her tastes and style run entirely to the Oriental. Several of her plays dealing with subjects o. the Far East have been 'heard in Paris and her collaboration with Loti, who is one of the most noted lovers of litera ture and life of the Orient has been of unique interest, as It has been carried out entirely by correspondence. Llebler & Co., who are to produce the Lotl-Gautier "Daughter - of Heaven," will also bring a new play from Lon don to open in Chicago, They will headliner made big money on the road and the f uture looked promising. Then a series of misfortunes came in rapid succession. He was compelled to abandon his. contemplated produc tion of "Rosenkavalier" after having invested from ?50.000 to $75,000 in the piece. "Baron Trenck" failed abroad, and when presented here in revised form was not a success. In addition, "The Chocolate Soldier" had outlived its usefulness and was no longer con tributing to the general fund. Disappointments and serious losses have been encountered by Mr. Whit ney in the past, but he has always come up again smiling. His friends incerely hope that history will repeat Itself. Men without Jobs will strike on or about August 10, If the members of the Musical Protective Union carry out their threats to get even with the theater managers. Managers of 62 playhouses in Manhattan and Brook lyn have formally decided to do away with orchestras when they open for the coming season rather than pay the additional salaries demanded by the men. Speaking for the men, Joseph Weber, their president (no relation to the Joe Weber, of Weber and Fields), says: "I believe that the. best class of men in the theater orchestras will remain idle rather than work at the old scale. I also predict that the theaters that en deavor to get along without music will be. forced by their patrons to re-engage the players. The wages of the -men have practically been unchanged for many years, despite the increase in the cost of living. We are willing to arbi trate but the managers refuse to dis cuss the matter, declaring that they will not make any concessions whatso ever." One prominent manager, who has de cided to abolish his orchestras rather than pay the advanced scale, said yes terday that there was no danger of a sympathetic strike by stage hands and other union employes. He added that inanagers would find it necessary to employ union orchestras in cases in which musicians were carried on tour with musical comedies. Asbury Park has butted Into the theatrical news by a bitter war be tween the Humane Society of that Sum mer resort and the excitable proprietor of a flea circus. Mrs. Percy Wilcox, representative of the Humane Society, was all wroug'nt up when she heard that a troupe of fleas was being exhibited at an amuse ment resort on the boardwalk. She visited the exhibit, ordered the show stopped, and, when the manager pro tested '-voked the aid of Jersey jus tice. Tne matter was threshed out in the police court, and the Justice, who seems to have been above the average of intelligence, ruled that tue neas were perfectly happy, and should not be deprived of a chance to make an honest living by basking in the foot lights. The manager testified that he did not spank his fleas or give them electric tihocks;' that he simply ruled them by love. Had It been a mosquito show there would probably not have been a word said, for Jersey is used to its favorite insect. But fleas are regarded as more or less of a nov elty. V Free ice cream is the slogran heard nig-htly now at the Moulin Rouge, for Manager F. Ziogfeld, Jr., has ordered that the delicacy be served free of charge to all the chorus girls of "A Winsome Widow" during the present hot spell. At the start there was no limit to the supply, but some of the girls displayed such a capacity that it was decreed that three helpings were enough for any one. ' Those young managers, Werba and Luescher, who are coming to the front rank by leaps and bounds, have added a new star to their list by acquiring Eddie FOy, "the Melancholy Dane of musical comedy." It is said that the firm paid to Charles Dillingham $25,000 for the release of Foy and the produc tion of "Over the River." in which he starred last season. Foy wll begin his tour under the new auspices early in September. . Unless the festive press agent is dreaming, a new terror is soon : to be added to the dangers of the automobile highways. From the office of Henry W. Savage comes the announcement that the manager has been asked to sell the rights to play tunes from "The Merry Widow" and "Little Boy Blue" on automobile horns. According to Mr. Savage's representa tive, one Allen Pencross, of Sunbury, Pa., has perfected a plan for equipping auto horns with miniature phono graphic records. He intends to put them on the market as soon as the patents covering this method of sound production has expired. In his letter Pencross draws a vivid picture of a hundred thousand tired buslnes men skidding from their suburban homes in the morning and back again in the evening to the accompaniment of "The Merry Widow" waltz. The general DUbllc. however, is hoping that this Is simply a publicity yarn, for, under present conditions, our mam ncicu roads are noisy enough. According to a statement sent out from the office of H. H. Frazee. Wilton Lackaye is to appear under Mr. Frazee's management in Eugene Walter's play, "Fine Feathers," the coming season. and not in "Oliver Twist," as was at first announced.- bring the entire English cast to per form "The New Sin" in Chicago. The author, B. MacDonald Hastings, will come for the rehearsals and first pro duction, and George C. Tyler believes that Chicago should be as large a field for new productions as New York. Un der this direction George Arliss will resume his run in "Disraeli." one of the most successful plays in many seasons. . . . Those who were really figuring on the return of Oscar Hammerstein to the American field will be disappointed to know that he has decided to remain in London. With true Hammersteinian philosophy he says he would Just as soon be ruined In one place as in an other, and as he is interested Just now in playing the game in London, he might as well stay where he gets some amusement out of it. He threatens or promises to make some changes in pol icy and he will open his season in Au gust. Mr. Hammerstein's originality as well as his quaint philosophy stand him well in hand and make him one of the unique figures In, the theatrical world. . Mr. Hammerstein has his match as a plunger in another well-known im presario of grand opera. This is Raoul Ginsbourg, who, in addition to being director of the opera company at Monte Carlo, is also a composer of so much importance that In the same day he received $10,000 from his opera "Venise" and an equal amount for "Ivan the Terrible." On the day that the money was paid over Into his hands from his publish ers a set of furniture which had been presented by the ex-Empress Eugenie to a national, hospital at St. Maurice was sold and the amount that Mr. Ginsbourg paid was $20,042. The Shuberts have arranged for an early opening of the season, and they will make a number of new produc tions as well as continuations of sev eral of the great successes they had last season, among which may be men tioned "Bunty Pulls the Strings," which caught the .American public as only few plays have done in a great many years. This will have the orig inal company back at Collier's Comedy Theater, and the company now play ing will be sent on the road along with several others in the same play. The Lyric Theater will be opened Septem- ; 1 j 7&rc?)n3Tic? Car? Of IENNA, Aug. 3. (Special.) Once more the proud Habsburgs have bowed the knee to King Cupid, and a happy ending has come to one of the most interesting love romances of modern times. It was in a Vienna ballroom 11 years ago that the Archduke Ferdinand Carl first met Fraulein Rosa Czuber, the beautiful and accomplished doughter of a professor at the university. It was a case of love at first sight, but all attempts to obtain the Emperor's con sent to the marriage failed, for old Franz Josef had already arranged the betrothal of his nephew to a lady of the blood-royal. There was one of the angry scenes to which the Habsburgs have grown ac customed when love affairs are In volved, ending with the Archduke de claring he would marry Fraulein Czu ber or nobody, and the Emperor re minding him that by so doing he would renounce royal rank. Siilce that Ferdinand Carl has been absent from the Court in disgrace. He married his charmer, adopted the name of Herr Carl Czuber-Burg, and together they have lived a life of bliss and quietude In a little house on the out skirts of Lucerne. But as. the aged Emperor nears the last scene of all he is becoming anxl- ber 2. with "The Ne'er Do Well," pre sented under the Authors' Producing Company, which made several import ant productions last season. The open ing attraction of the Casino will be "The Merry Countess," and the Broad way Theater will have "Hanky-Panky," which was on tour last season, but which has not yet been heard in New York. Both of these are scheduled for August 1. A new four-act comedy by Edgar James, entitled, "The Master of the House," will have its first per formance at the , Thirty-ninth-Street Theater,- August 22, and "Ready Money," a new farce by James Mont gomery will open the Maxine Elliott Theater about the same time. Lewis Waller, who made a decided place for himself in New York last season will open Daly's Theater with a new modern drama, and this will be followed by an elaborate presenta tion of Shakespeare's "Henry V." Madge Titheradge, who became one of the greatest favorites of the stage last season in the leading role of "A But terfly on the Wheel," will be Mr. Wal ler's leading woman. . It is now pretty generally conceded ,i .- rpn,..niiii will nAt be nresent at the opening of the new season at the . . Tl.lln. Ann - Metropolitan. xne great w i . i. in p.i.nn. Avres. and will probably remain there a little longer than ne anticipate, x. ui mio no doubt there will be some change in the opening bill, and such Italian ope ras as will be presented will be direct ed by Giorgio Polacco, who conducted the English production of "The Girl of the Golden West" for Henry W. Sav age, and who probably will present this at the Metropolitan as one of the early offerings. Alfred Hertz has trav eled everywhere that a voice or an opera was to be heard, and he will devote the rest of his time to the much needed rest after an early Summer as strenuous in one way as was his sea son of last year, when the preparation of "Mona" almost cost the health of the great German director, who is to day second to none living. Hertz is a great orchestral director, and promises each year to accept a series of orchestral concerts, but his time is never clear, as he has been by the side of Mr. Gatti-Casazza all . u,.v. ni renftArches. and the con ductor as well as the impresario con sider that tney nave maae seveim muai important discoveries. Mr.- Gatti-Casazza has been in Paris almost the en tire season, and only last week he , . u,pf,nhal a Mnm nanied bv Mme. Aids, his beautiful wife, who will be one of the sopranos at the Metropolitan this season. Mr. and Mme. Oattl-casazza win spgim mmim For Tfie lVervous 'Woman, Or the woman who experiences hot flashes nothing ii so good to soothe, quiet and calm the nervous system as a pure glyceric extract of native medical plants, and mads without alcohol, which has been sold by druggists for the past forty years, and most favorably known as Doctor Pieroe's Favorite Prescription. In younger years some women suffer from dizziness, or fainting spells, hysteria, headache, bearing -down feelings and pain. All these symptoms of irregularity and female disturbance are relieved by the use of this famous " Prescription " of Doctor Pierce. As powerful, invigorating tonio Favorite Prescription " imparts strength to the whole system, and in particular to the organs distinctly feminine. Mm. McDonald. On Pitret't Pltaat wm ?;;.; i-: 5 - . ZA.seiA c u A & ous to make his peace with his rela tives. So he has summoned the errant couple, pardoned them both, restored Ferdinand Carl to his rank and cre ated Frau Czuber-Burg a Countess. in Lido and Venice before their return to America, where they must come early, as Mme. Alda has a large num ber of concert engagements to fill. ... The first musical event of each sea son In this country is usually the Wor cester Festival, and the dates for the B5th season have Just been announced. They will be September 30 to October 3. and Alma Gluck will be among the principal soloists. She will sing the soprano part In Horatio Parker's "Hora Novlssima," when Maritsret Keyes will sing the contralto. "Ruth." an ora torio by the modern German, Georg Schumann, will be given with Mme. Homer and Caroline Hudson-Alexander In solo parts. Other soloists to ba heard are: Yolando Mero, the Hun garian pianist, and a young violinist from Boston, Miss Irma Seydel. Dr. Arthur Mees will, as usual, prepare and conduct the choral work. The latest In Summer musical at tractions is a series of orchestral con certs, to be given on the roof garden of the Hotel Astor during the next few weeks. Mrs. Sawyer, the manager, has organized these concerts, and she has arranged for a number of vocal soloists to appear. Mrs. Sawyer has become well-known as a manager, and she will bring for the first American tour the great German lieder singer. Julia Culp, who Is regarded as second to none of this class today. Mme. Culp Is already booked heavily, as she is not unknown in this country through the great number of Americans who have neard her in Germany and in London, where she is a positive craze. She will have as accompanist Coenraad V. Bos, who was in this country with Dr. Wullner. Learn Spanish to Win Trade. j Baltimore American. One of the conundrums over which our statesmen, boards of trade and business promoters generally have been puzzling is as to why Great Brit ain and Germany are selling more goods in the South American markets than the United States, and, second arily, as to how we can reverse this Improperly balanced system of trade. It Is generally agreed that American manufacturers who desire to reach the South American market must do what both Great Britain and Germany have been extensively doing they must send an army of trade agents into the South Amerioan field who not only know the good points of the American goods which they will be of fering, but who can orate concerning those good qualities in the Spanish language. j ror over-worked, "wornont,' "run-down, debilitated teachers, milliners, dressmakers, seamstresses, " shop-girls," house-keepers, nursing mothers, and feeble women generally, . it is an excellent appetizing cordial and restorative tonio. - "My disease was called retsorerafcm," writes Mrs. Ltdia McDon ald, of Mecoata, Mich-, Route L. "I had nervous chilla and numb spells and they would leave me very weak, Tben I had inflammation and th doctor said I had a floating kidney. I doctored aaven months with our family physician. Be said I would bava to have an operation. Then I topped taking: his medicine. After taking- three bottles of Dr. Pierce's medicines I have not had any nervous chills or weak spells. I am batter than for yeaxa. " MV riaurhtM la now taictna the PreaeHntdon and TV Pkrree'a Golden Medical Discovery, also tha ' Pelleta ' for narvouanesi and weak, tired feeling. These remedies have helped her ever so much in a short time. We hare g-reat faith in your medicines for female troubles." Pelleta Iniuot mild matutal bowel i