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Show I With the First Nighters I ORPHEUM. The" return of the Neills, who are the head liners at the Orphoum this week, was the signal for a large gathering of their old friends who knew them in the sweet days of old. It wag Jim 'Neill who brought to this city the first real stock company wo ever had, and the old days , at tfto Grand are among the pleasantost histrionic his-trionic memoirs that wo have. That the Neill judgment judg-ment of a player's worth is accurate is best attested at-tested by the present status of nearly every member mem-ber of that old stock company. Look at Blanche Bates, Madge Carr Cook and a dozen other Broadway Broad-way stars who had their beginning under tho Neill tutelage. In "The Lady Across tho Hall" tho Neills James Neill and Edytho Chapman Neill have ! given us a sketch, in tone and action so different from moat Orpheum skotches that it proved a pos,-' pos,-' Itivo dolight. No muscular lady pulled a barbigerous boob around the stage by his hirsute aaornment, nQ-body nQ-body poured paste Into the piano, no comedian smeared the walls with red paint or made kind-linn kind-linn ln fiimtlfllKn l JU1 J i- II1U lUtlUtUlWi uBHJHfc ' Eft I (SB W. L. Jennings, Manager Orpheum Theatre. Font some reason comedy of this description H had been eliminated but the indescribable relief H thereat was romavkable. Bj In a sketch that fairly sparkled with subtle B wit and satire, daintily, beautifully, artistically Hi done, the Neills won their audience from the B beginning, even the gallery which as a general Hi 1 thing revels in circus horses, applauded the Hi ,' sketch and those down stairs never lost a line. B It must be admitted that a refined sketch with B the participants dressed like ladies and gentles' gentle-s' men was a new experience for the audienoe, but B the experiment was so successful that it was just B a reminder that it is the intention of the Orpheum B people to advance vaudeville, and that Is one way B of doing it. B Mrs. Neill was faultlessly gowned; the man- B darin cloak she wore a royal coat with five claws B on the dragons was a marvelous creation, and her B dress was exceedingly beautiful. H Their performance was finished and delightful, B aud it is too bad that we cannot have them a B seconAi auaek in something else. H Gartelle Brothers who made good here a year B R8 are clever as ever, and Les Jardys are B H astounding in their marvelous feats of strength. The Stunning Grenadiers, one of the now Lasky girl acts, were well received, though there is nothing very extraordinary In anything they Geo. D. Pyper, Manager Salt Lake Theatre do, except to change their costumes with a lightning-like rapidity. Meredith Meredro made a good impression with a high note. Gaston and Green fell rather flat, though there was much of a creditable nature in their somewhat some-what amatuerish performance. As a whole the program was good. The news of the death of Richard Mansfield reached us too late for commoiit. The work of the distinguished actor will be reviewed next week. t 5 & "IN THE BISHOP'S CARRIAGE." Had "Leah Kleshna" never been written, more might have been thought of "In the Bishop's Carriage" Car-riage" as a play, for as a play it is bad, though it was fairly well done by the company Miss Bus-ley Bus-ley has with her this season. As a play it is a ragged piece of work, with little adherence to possibilities, pos-sibilities, but there is a certain interest all through it even in the faulty construotion of the piece. Of course Jessie Busley who seems to have Bert C. Donncllan, Manager Lyric Theatre. been born for the part, is a delight. Her refreshing refresh-ing personality her artistry, her natural transition transit-ion from the moll buzzer of the slums to the other life from Nan thn Nipper to Nance Olden those are the things that brought her audiences, the so ond time, and she is the same wonderful little wtt)-man wtt)-man that she was a year ago, Only really lm Q proved in the intervening year. There is not a chance for adverse criticism In her entire performance, and there is very litfilt to say regarding the others in the cast for. without her they are nothing. " - Harry English as Tom Dorgan acted too muoti and Hallett Thompson as Latimer not enough George Ripfyards as Edward Ramsey was perfection. per-fection. Ho was , the most natural kind of a high toned drunk, never overdoing a part which would have been so easy to murder. Ho was beautiful. The Carriage has probably been seen here for i the last time. t & j 1 The Salt Lake theatre has been so improveU that the old first nighters hardly know It. There Is a wealth of elegant carpet imder foot, a now tint in the walls that lightens things wonderfully, and all in all the great old playhouse is more attractive at-tractive than ever before. A. M. Cox, Manager Grand Theatre. THE OLD SPORT AND THE MANAGERS. By Brlttson Gansley. "Say," said the First Nighter to his pal who occupies Coll No. 1 in the Baldhoaded Row, "df) you know that the poor manager the man" who t does all tho work so to speak, looks after our i comfort, pays out the salaries, and, in fact, is the ' whole cheese, is like the guy who manipulates the figures in a marionnetto show, 'never, seen or heard, but controls tho gag? Well, I'm going :io start something right now that will bring tho long suffering cash-handlers in Salt Lako out under un-der tho spotlight for a few minutes. "There's George D. Pyper, tha- genial and- accommodating ac-commodating manager at tho one big theatre In this city, the Salt Lake. Look up the line of attractions at-tractions he has booked for this season. There's some class to them. Nothing batter In the Wny Down East.' "He has been in the business long1 enough to CE know its requirements from soda to hook and his manner of catering to his patrons' interests shows it. Look at the improvement he has made I the theatre during the summer! It's fitted up now Ilka a palace. "Mr. Pyper has been connected with local theatricals the-atricals for well, since Time wore short trousersand trous-ersand without him, it is doubtful if we could get along at all. "He is a whole-souled, sensible, approachable man. , Then there's the Orphoum: A former newspaper man is at the helm in vaudeville's cosy corner, the Orpheum W. L, Jennings, of New Orleans, sah! and a right good sort he has proved to be. Always looking after the interests of the house- he" never overlooks the interests of its patrons pa-trons and in regard to cleanliness, light, and a general air of cheerfulness which gives one the "back home" feeling, he has made a winner out oCitlie- Salt Lake addition, to the Orphoum circuit. Mr. Jennings was formerly on the staff of the !Now Orleans Picayune, one of the snappiest and popular newspapers in the south, and gained aU of his experience in the theatrical line while a member "av th" foorce." For the coming week he .announces Frank Seymour Sey-mour and Emma Hill in a skit "The Mix and the Mixer;" John W. World, the famous dancing comedian com-edian and his partner, Miss Kingston, the singing sing-ing soubrette though whoever heard of a sou-brette sou-brette who didn't Bing, or make a stab at it. World, however, is a dancer and lovers of tho torpsichoroan art will have a treat this week and witness something entirely new. Tho Kinsons in a, musical oddity; the five musical mu-sical Byrons; Bellclaire brothers, exponents of physical culture, and Prof. Wise, crayon artist, make up the remainder of the bill. Down on Main street Manager Bert C. Don-nellan, Don-nellan, of? the Lyric theatre, has achieved a feat that has taken a wealth of patience and perse-verence- to accomplish. That is, making a successful success-ful vaudeville house out of one in. which a stock company had built up. Holding the patronage of a class of people who have settled down to the good old comedy dramas, or melodramas and' -making them take vaudeville and like it is an achievement that any one man ubw to the city and under existing conditions might well be proud of. Manager Donnellan, however, has "arrived" and promises for this coming season some of tho greatest and highest salaried "turns" that an. working over any vaudeville circuit in the country. Commencing with this afternoon's performance ' tho fall and winter season will open, the head- liners being the famous Lut,z brothers, one of whom comes under the head of "phenomenal.'. Having no arms he does all his work with his fOQt and toes, Bhootlng a rifle at a target, playing musical, instruments, to manipulating a typewriter. typewrit-er. Half a dozen more good acts complete the k program. I Manager A. M. Cox, Of the Grand Theatre, '$, is anothar brilliant member of this galaxy of managerial stars, and- has made a success with bho road shows of more or loss merit at this popular-prlcod house. Ho has. recently sold out his Interest in tire proposition and from now on the circuit will be under tho sole control of Messrs. Polton and Smutzer of Denver, Mr. Cox remaining as resident manager. Good road shows have been scheduled for this theatre and more attention will bo paid to se-ouring se-ouring musical comedy and light opera attractions at-tractions than heretofore. The pretty little house has been tastily redecorated re-decorated and furnished, presenting a most attractive at-tractive aponnanoe. Now, pal, these is them what handle those what me and you nevar miss, so pipe, as my friend Corky would express It" Then with a slight Inclination of his head towards Jimmy's, the First Nighter was on- his way. & & & Music lovers will be delighted to welcome tho popular musical comedy, "The Prince of Pllsen" when it opens at the Salt Lake theatre on Friday evening next. This charming musical entertainment is beginning be-ginning its sixth season and will be heard In only on-ly a limited number of western oltios this year, and most of these confined to the Pacific coast. -Its grasp on the affections of amusement lovers Is unprecedented in the history of comic opera 01 musical comedy In America. Although thlB is not the first time the merry music of "Pilson' has been heard hero, and thoro are few music lovers who are not familiar with the many charming charm-ing melodies that literally dot its remarkable score, "The Prince of Pilson" over remains a favorite. fa-vorite. The fame of its melodies are now world wide. It is said Mr. Savage has only one company playing this opera and its members have been chosen with the single idea of providing the best performances possible. Dan Mason will be seen as Hans Wagner. iJC Few melodramas of the last few seasons have won such a measure of success as "The Chorus Girl," which will be seen at the Grand Theatre four nights and Wednesday matinee, starting Sunday Sun-day evening, September 1st. Tho work is said to possess many pleasing qualities. Miss Delia Pringle, who heads the cast in the character of "Twister, the Chorus Girl," is a finished artist and her work is of a high class order. She is not only clever fn this particular character of the chorus girl, but tlie specialties she introduces are away from the- beaten path. Commencing Thursday evening, and continuing continu-ing the balance of the week, with' a bargain matinee mat-inee on Saturday afternoon, the sensational melodramatic melo-dramatic success, "The Light House Robbery," will receive its initial local presentation. & & The production of "Robin Hood" by the Salt I ake Opera company is about ready for the pub-lie. pub-lie. A few more stage rehearsals will polish up tho opera and then tho musical friends of tho popular company will bo able to judge of the merits of the oompany In the greatest of all comic operas. The opening performance will occur on the afternoon of September 11th. ftl " ' -' |