Identifier: recollectionsofp00wils (find matches)
Title: Recollections of a player
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Wilson, Francis, 1854-1935
Subjects: Actors and actresses
Publisher: New York : Printed at the De Vinne Press
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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royal steps. 72 Recollections of a Player. In the spring and summer of this year, 1892,a successful engagement was played at BaldwinsTheater, San Francisco, two stops being made enroute — Omaha and Salt Lake City. The season of 1892-93 was devoted to TheLion Tamer, and 1893-94 to a very costly revivalof Erminie—some $27,000 being expended onits production, including $5000 for the purchaseoutright of the opera from Willie Edouin andViolet Melnotte, who had purchased it fromHarry Paulton and E. Jakobowski, the librettistand composer respectively. It was to be regretted that I could not have hadthe advantage of the services of Mr. Daboll, theoriginal Ravennes, in this revival — my old col-lege-puddin chummy; but it was not to be, for,always an eccentric man, like the original RobertMacaire,— the great French actor Frederick Le-maitre,— Daboll ere this, in a lit of despondency,had committed suicide. In 1894-95, The Devils Deputy was given,the opening being at Abbeys Theater, New
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JOHN AND JESS,THE CHERUBS IN THE MERRY MONARCH. Recollections of a Player. 73 York. The piece, like all its predecessors, wasfrom the French. The music was composed byE. Jakobowski, of Erminie fame. Though notup to Jakobowskis previous effort, the piece wasa great laughing success. Aside from the success of this piece, I shallalways remember it vividly because ot a curiousincident in connection with the first performance,when the audience was kept laughing for fullyfive minutes (a long period in stage time) by ascene between the bogus singer and the Princess,in the second act, when the two characters meetfor the first time. Not one word of the greaterpart of this tent or canopy scene was rehearsedor so much as dreamed of beforehand. Thesuggestion which led us off in an unrehearseddirection came from the unexpected laughtercaused by the remark I only live to sing ! Nearly the whole of the day following was spent,successfully, in trying to remember, so as to beable to repeat, the words

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