Show DRAMATIC AND LYRIC Mr Willard Closes His Engagement Engage-ment ROLAND REED THIS WEEK Carleton Coralnc Sousaa Band Anecdotes Anec-dotes of Willard Latest Notes J The banner house of the week came outlast out-last evening to see the final performance of The Middleman and tho matinee audience audi-ence was the largest which an afternoon representation has drawn for a long time J past The season has been a very prosperous pros-perous one financially and tho standard artistically has been of the highest There is nothing more to say of The Middleman except that the audience last evening was at times so stormy in its expressions ex-pressions of approval as to disconcert the actors Willard showed a little weariness from the effects of his matinee but he still thrilled his audience with his power Miss Burroughs was as sweet as ever and Mr Masscn as manly Mr Carleton had an attack of the boozies or something else equally deadly and came very near wrecking wreck-Ing one of the acts Mr Cane was excellent excel-lent and showed the true artist as much as in his Pi of Jopp The big audience last evening indicates that The Middleman is the more popular of the two plays though Judah critically criti-cally considered is by far the superior work It is rather too much on tho classic order however to suit all tastes and the probability is that it flies over the heads of the average popular audience Willards appearance in Judah recalls a unique occasion in dramatic history that occurred during tho summer of 1S90 At that time Mr Willard was lessee and manager of the Shaftesbury theatre in London and was in the height of his success suc-cess in Judah about which play there S had been aonsiderable controversy Judah Llewellyn the hero a young Welsh S minister was made to take a false oath under peculiar and as some maintained justifiable circumstances and so much was written ana said on the subject that it occurred oc-curred to Mr Willard to invite ministers of every denomination to witness a private afternoon performance of Mr Jones muchdiscussed play The afternoon arrived ar-rived and with it 700 clergymen at tho Sbaftcsbury theatre including many bishops and other leading dignitaries I They presented an incongruous appearance ap-pearance in their gaiters and broad brimmed bats and sable attire as they alighted from their carriages or cabs or perchance arrived on foot and streamed into the vestibule quite eager and alert There were some who had never set foot insIde of a theatre but how had taken advantage of the occasion as proof against scandal On the other hand there were many veteran playgoers among the thrlng who were glad ot the opportunity of witnessing the play once more Behind the scenes keen interest was felt by Mr Willard and his associates as to how such an audience which filled the circles stalls and boxes would receive not only the great situation of the play but also the various points which under ordinary circumstances provoked laughter or applause As a matter of fact never was Judah played to better audience in London Every point told Hearty and frequent was the applause and when the trying moment came tho end of the second act tvLero the young minister tells three deliberate falsehoods to shield the fair fame of the woman ho loves there was a moment of hushed and breathless silence followed by a spontaneous burst of applause ap-plause that spoke for itself The last act dealing with Judahs repentance and confession con-fession brought new calls and congratulations congratula-tions Mr Willard was summoned alone before the curtain Contrary to the existing exist-ing order of things the layman addressed the clergy and after an expression of his Eeasure at the manner in which the play Lad been received ho made a graceful allusion al-lusion to the relative positions of church and stage It is an interesting fact as showing the alteration of the intolerant attitude at-titude once adopted by all clerics toward dramatic art that out of all the replies received re-ceived from those invited by Mr Willard only eight were condemnatory of the theatre thea-tre as an institution One of the most interesting performances perfor-mances of The Middleman during its successful run at the Shaltosbury theatre in London then under the management ot Mr Willard the English actor who is now appearing at the Salt Lake theatro was the Potters Night when hunureds of persons connected with the ceramic art came up from all parts of England to witness wit-ness MrWillards portrayal of one of their own Class in pursuit of a lost secret Ivery detail of the play was followed with intense interest and the realistic scene of tLe firing house enthusiastically app ap-p auded Thus did Mr Willard obtain a gratiylng reward for many weeks of patient labor So correct is he in his work that ho spent a summer vacation that might perhaps have been more pleasantly passed at tho seaside retorts re-torts or in the hills among the potters at StokeupouTrent and it was not until afterwards that he ventared to place The Middleman before the London public Be practically lived for several weeks in the midst of the people to whom Cyrus 13enkarn belongs visiting them in their homes as well as the factories and becom it g immensely popular among them al ttough none of the little Staffordshire town suspected his identity or the object of his vsit Shortly after the perlormanco above referred re-ferred to the secretary of the Potters Benevolent Be-nevolent association was surprised and delighted de-lighted at receiving a check for 250 from Cyrus Blenkarn S 4 XEVElt COMES BCrOUE THE CORTAIN No said Mr Willard in answer to a question on the subject 1 never come be lore the curtain during the progress of the play When 1 was a stock actor I writhed under the practice of dragging a company before the footlights in a procession to work up a climax of enthusiasm for the star I determined then that if I ever came into control of a company 1 would not por SLit curtain calls until tho end of the play The invocation excited some comment but it is accepted now as a matter of course and I rather think it meets with general favor There is another thing to be considered con-sidered When an actor interrupts the acton ac-ton of the play to assume his private individuality indi-viduality it makes a break in the illusion nnd mars tho completeness of tne characterization charac-terization Qf course the applause of an audience is grateful to every actor but it serns to me to be much more in harmony with dramatic art to show a continuation of the action of tho play than to step be fore the curtain as private John Smith or Thomas Brown Charming Mario Burroughs who off tb stage is Mrs Louis Massenhas tho op portumty of her career in Judah and she makes all that is possible out of it She I relates that she went to seo the play in L London time after time never dreaming that she would be called on to take the par of the Vashti the original of which was Miss Brandon The peculiar but charming charm-ing effect produced by Miss Burroughs in I her make up of the Vasbti is not due to an I auburn wig as many suppose she wears ber own hair but imparts the striking tint by means of a powdera late invention I from Paris It is not at all impossible that next season Mr Willard may try his hand at the legitimate in which case Miss Burroughs Bur-roughs may ascend to a still loftier L height as his leading lady She has Portia Juliet Julia Beatrice and Rosalind ct her fingers ends and on one or two occasions when she has essayed the legitimate legiti-mate heroines she has met with a recep tion which has encouraged her and her friends to augur the brightest results when the time comes for her to step permanently into the classic roles Mr and Mrs Massen are one of the couples whose number seems to be fast dwindling who have a happy domestic life i off the boards They were married seven years ago and it was purely a love match almcst love at first sight Miss Burroughs Bur-roughs is a San Francisco girl and lived on the coast till she was nearly eighteen She I always had a passion for drama recitations and readings and when still a child she I bad committed to memory the lines of many of Shakespeares heroines Her mother died early and her I father one of the California pioneers pion-eers met with financial reverses The girl determined to makeher own living and decided on the stage At an evening party she was asked to recite and it happened that Lawrence Barrett was one of the auditors He made inquiry about her and was told of her desire to adopt the stage asa as-a profession There is plenty of room for women like that was his response and a short time afterward at his recommendation recommenda-tion she was wired for from New York She made her first appearance in The Rajah at the Madison Square where Mr Massen was stage manager They were married in New York and when the Madison Madi-son Square passed into the hands of Mr Palmer they went with it and have ever since remained in Mr Palmers employ It is not at all unlikely that Mr and Mrs Massen will spend a fortnight here during the coming summer If they do a joint appearance iita our Homo Dramatic club may be arranged 4 The popular W T Carleton Opera company com-pany will play a three night engagement at the theatre beginning with Thursday February 4 Mr Carleton brings with him this time two new operasStrauss Indigo and Gilbert and Sullivans The Gondoliers The other operas of the repertoire be Nanon and Dorothy Roland Reed comes back to us on Thurs cay evening with a new play called The Club Friend For many years Mr Reed has been regarded as chiefly an impersonator impersona-tor of eccentric and old men characters With the exception of Cheek and Hum bug in which he first attracted notice this comedian has in almost every stage ap pearance worn the garb and make up of an octogenarian Broad and eccentric comedy characterization have been his forte and his success in them gradually fostered the impression that he could play nothing else Now he shines in light and refined comedy In The Club Friend written for him by Mr Rosenleld Mr Reed has not only astonished his friends but his critics as well His impersonation says one of the latter has surprised many who long ago thought they bad discerned this actors limitations The comedian has made the difficult leap from the flat rock of farce tithe ti-the slippery height of legitimate comedy From the broaa humor of his club ho changes to the light and delicate sentimental sentimen-tal scenes between himself and his new found love and the deeper emotional ones where he shields the suspected wife from the treacherous family physician The probabilities are that the Patti contract con-tract for Salt Lake ract will be cancelled as the Tabernacle cannot be had under the latest rulings from Washington and it would be impossible to get enobgh money into i the theatre even at five dollars a ticket to satisfy In diva Yesterday arose another cause for regret re-gret that the tabernacle is no longer available avail-able for mu ical events The government has given Sousas renowned marine band permission to make a concert tour and the organization comes west with a send off from the President of the United States and the secretary of the navy in the shape of a statement that the band is giving these concerts with their consent Their agent yesterday applied for the tabernacle as the only place suitable for such a grand performance His dismay may be imagined when he was told that the attorney generals gen-erals attitude rendered it impossible to let the building go on any account It is there fore probable that Sousas superb band will pass us by altogether There has never been presented to a Salt Lake audience a more interesting combination combina-tion of remarkable talent than that which will commence an engagement extraordinary extraordin-ary at Wonderland this coming Thursday The Lilliputian Opera company consisting of a lot of highpriced and famous stars in the musical profession have been induced to accept a weeks engagement Salt Lake under Manager Days direction while en route to Australia to play a prolonged bill The little folks include such actors actresses act-resses and singers as Admiral Dot the con fessed Beau Brummel of midget life Miss Jennie Quigley wellknown here from recent re-cent conquests Major James Doyle miniature minia-ture Irish impersonator Miss Annie Nelson Nel-son the little Swedish nightingale Miss Sadie Belton the Italian prima donna Miss Lottie Smartwood and Commodore and Queenie Foote This coming is anticipated with much genuine pleasure and their stay is to be characterized in advance as a thoroughly enjoyable and successful event They are bright pretty and accomplished little people with musical talents of the highest order It is a fortunate occurence that the Wonderland folks should have arranged ar-ranged to present these artists at the regu lar price of admission |