Show Memories of Players of Other Days By Robert Grau Copyright 1312 In by the Press Publishing JI Co the New cw York World MARIE AIMEE F FRENCH i BENCH opera boutte was the rage I In 11 New Ne' York throughout tho the seventies sev sev- enties these were ere the halcyon on ondas days das of or Col Cot James Fisk i k Jr who with Jay Gould erected the tho Grand Opera House on Eighth avenue as a a. to toy with which to entertain their Intimates Fisk had heard hear from Paris of oC a new diva Mario larlo Almee Paris would never accept acCept accept ac ac- ac- ac her as a star of 01 the first magnitude magni magni- tude but In America merica her career was as brilliant as It was prolonged Aimee was not what hat would woul be called 1 toda today a beautiful woman but sho she was an un artiste to her finger er tips and md she could lance dance tho the can cancan to the accompaniment accompaniment ac ac- ac- ac of 01 Off Orr entrancing music with a grace and piquancy that never offended even cn the ho staid I playgoers play pin lo goers goens of fort forty years ears ago o Ahnee's Aimee's greatest rolo role was waR that of 01 Rose Roso Michon lIchon In iii La Jolla an Offenbach operetta that ran run hero nights in French to capacity audi audi- It was In this production that she was hailed as tho lie Queen of ot Opera Nothing like her vogue can bo ho recalled Seats were sold out weeks in advance and the lie ticket speculators of that da day reaped a great reat harvest Aimee Almee was as popular lr In other cities as in tho the metropolis But Paris would woul have none of 01 her and this so hurt her pride that she vowed o that she sue would bring her own countrymen to her feet teet before her career was tuB fully spent About tho ho time of oC the Philadelphia centennial In 1876 Aimee scored a sensational sen Men success through giving an ImItation Imitation Imitation Imi ImI- tation of tho the famous anions Billy Emerson perhaps the tho most artistic and graceful song and dance artist that ever trod the boards Emerson had hall a peculiar swagger In his around wall between betseen the verses of 01 tIme the ditty Pretty Prett as a Picture and this Aimee Almee cau caught ht on to with consummate artistry Her IIer accent was simply Irresistible for Cor AImee Almee sang the ditty littY In and when It came I I to to tile the sw swagger ner she carried carrie the audience audi audi- once ence literally off oft their feet teet Her Imitation of ot Emerson was w so po potent potent potent po- po tent an attraction that Maurice Grau who was Almee's manager er for seventeen seventeen seventeen seven seven- teen years raised her weekly salary alar from ICO IZO to Tho rho Aimee furore reached such a status In 1876 that man many of or the stars of ot the variety arlet stage added to the thin excitement excitement ex ex- by b giving Imitations themselves themselves them them- selves leles of 01 imitation of or Ono One of 01 these was the dainty Saidie Martinet Martinot who had ha been an extra girlIn girl girlin Irl IrlIn In the Aimee Amee company compan at a salary salan of ot 86 a week She Sho became famous through h her Imitation of 01 the Parisian star Her IIer own salar salary was Increased per cent and In Boston Sadie was SYnC kept on one program for Cor three months mouthS Aimee's cup of happiness would now noi could not riot reconcile reconcile rec rec- havo overflowed o but hut she sho herself to the Indifference of 01 f the Parisians Determined as sue sho ho was to become a celebrity In the lie French capital capital cap P ital she planned an and cx executed a bold lold J I move This was to bring Offenbach himself to America So with the tho help of If Maurice laurce r Grau of at enticing th the father she succeeded in opera boutee to these shores shorN b by guaranteeing guaranteeing guaran guaran- teeing him 1000 a night in iii return for tor which Offenbach Ottenbach was to conduct an orchestra In Madison h on Square Garden Gardn Tho opening conc concert rt in June Junc 1876 International im mi- mi was an event of I lh The Parisian newspapers sent special correspondents over o hereto here hereto to cable back the details of or Everything concerning fn the progress of 01 tl the toUr tour This was waR what whal wanted scanted nut But alas thou though h persons were jammed Into the big Garden at the tho first Performance a fiasco was recorded The chic people expected that Offenbach who was a frail Crall tI figure ure weighing ninety pound would dance danco thu the cancan can can cancan can CAU himself Finally when Almee discovered dis IlIs- covered cred that tho the American uH people would not Ia pay 2 to gaze on tho tIme back backof of ot the lie composer of of r aUXT aUX T S r S r Enters she pleaded with tho the riled rUed Offenbach Offenbach ottenbach Of ot- to meet tho the clamor What can I do cIo I want to help you but I cant can't make a clown of or m myself he ho said to Aimee Almee who then beg begged ed Offenbach Offenbach Of ot- to conduct his operetta La LaTie LaVie Vie Tie with Aimee as theS the tho S tar star I tar Ill ln do It itt shouted Offenbach Aimee Almee was delighted I For or now Paris would hear that the great Offenbach was wal to conduct one of or his operettas with herself herself her her- I self scH as the central attraction Booths Booth's theatre was secured for tor one on week every seat scat in the vast auditorium was Wag sold In advance all an tho the losses of 01 the concerts were regained Almee Aimee danced the can while Offenbach danced in iii the tho orchestral pit H Here re was something that even evon Paris had never nevor 55 witnessed I tn es sed The star and composer Intimate Intimate intimate Inti Inti- mate friends and through th the latter's Influence nce was engaged to sing InIa in La Ia in Paris But tho outcome outcome out out- come conic was not brilliant Almee's Aimee's first husband W was S M. M Joly a 0 French business man Aimee Almee fell tell In love with the tenor of 01 I her company M. M Darcy who became her personal and afterward her second husband The Tho two were happily mated until tho the death of ot M. M Dare Darcy years ears later Then Almee having completely mastered tho lie English language enjoyed man many years of ot success sue suc cess in a n comedy by William Gill entitled entitled en en- titled Mamzelle At the tho age ac of or three fifty after a t. t short Illness and after a continued reign of ot two twenty-two years ears the queen of or opera passed IH away in the tho Paris she sie Ie so dearly loved the Paris that never could understand hor her American Amer Amer- ican triumphs died of ot cancer I of ot tho time heart She was the most loyal loal |