INSIDE THE BURR McINTOSH-MONTHLY • Sept. 1908

This is the 11th in a theatrical series from the century-old Burr McIntosh-Monthly magazines. Text in this issue was written by Paul Thompson. A variety of photographers contributed to this issue, and their work is credited here.

This post focuses on Vol. 17 • No. 66 • September 1908

AMELIA STONE, on the cover of this issue. (Photo by Frank C. Bangs, N. Y.) Miss Stone is not unfamiliar to readers of this publication through previous reproductions of her photograph. It may suffice to recall that her last appearance was in The Gay Musician at Wallack’s Theatre, in which she scored a pronounced success after the regular season had ended. She probably will sing the prima donna role in the same production on the road this season, later appearing in a new Broadway offering of a light, musical character. 

JEAN AYLVIN (Photo by Dover Street Studios, London)

Miss Aylvin is an attractive musical comedy player of London. She has been prominently cast in Gaiety theatre pieces and will probably come to this country in The Girls of Gottenburg.

FLORENCE DAVIS (No photo credit)

Miss Davis is a player well known in the south and west. She has headed her own companies for several years and won an unusual amount of priase from critics and public. This year she will use Maxine Elliott’s production of Henry Esmond’s play Under the Greenwood Tree, which ought to serve her admirably for a starring vehicle.

BERNICE DE PASQUALI (No photo credit)

Mme. DePasquali is one of the acquisitions of Signor Gatti-Casazza, the new head of the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York. She is an American, her name being Bernice James, receiving her musical education at the National Conservatory in New York. She made her debut in London three years ago, then went to Italy to sing in the principal opera houses in that country. After her Italian tour she visited Greece, France, Mexico and Cuba duplicating her success in those countries.

MINNIE MADDERN FISKE (Photo by Marceau, N. Y.)

Mrs. Fiske, following a remarkably successful season in Ibsen’s Rosmerholm, will make her New York reappearance this fall in a new play at the Belasco Theatre which has been secured for her use for several months. The new play will be on a timely subject and of a novel character, the scenes being laid in New York and will give the gifted star an opportunity to create a role entirely new to the stage.

JANE HADING (Photo by Reutlinger, Paris)

Miss Hading is one of the greatest of modern French actresses vying in many critics’ opinion with Bernhardt and Rejane. She is now at the Odeon in Paris, one of the principal theatres in the French capital. She has toured England recently but has not been seen here for many years, though I believe she once came here with Coquelin.

BERTHA KALISH  (Photo by Alice Boughton, N. Y.)

Mme. Kalish will appear once more this coming season under the direction of Harrison Grey Fiske, husband and manager of Mrs. Fiske. Her last season was rather unsuccessful in Sapho and Phaon and Marta of the Lowlands, the latter used for a few performances by Mrs. Fiske.

LOUISE LeBARON (Photo by Purdy & Co.)

Following a successful stay in Boston in light opera, Miss LeBaron repeated her success this past summer at the Coliseum in Cleveland as a prima donna of the Imperial Opera Company. For two years Miss LeBaron was a member of Fritzi Scheff’s company singing one of the important roles in support of that former “little devil of Grand Opera” in Mlle. Modiste.

ROSE MELVILLE  (Photo by Bushnell, S. F.)

Miss Melville has been associated for so many years with Sis Hopkins plays that her name is as inseparably associated with that part as ever Joseph Jefferson’s was with Rip Van Winkle or Denman Thompson’s with The Old Homestead. She is one of the unfailing stars “out on the road” although New York knows her only for a week or two at some theatre off Broadway which plays traveling attractions.

ALEXANDRA PHILLIPS (No Photo Credit)

Miss Phillips has been with Wilton Lackaye in Hall Caine’s melodrama, The Bondman. This has been offered throughout the country, but has not been seen in New York yet, though there is a possibility of its being presented in this city this season at one of the bigger playhouses.

THE MIMIC WORLD (Photos by Hull)

Beneath the picture in the BurrMac, the caption reads as follows: From left: Margaret Illington from The Thief; 4th—Kid Burns from The Talk of New York; 6th—Lord Dundreary; 7th—Prince Danilo; 8th—Samuel Spotwood from Father and the Boys; 9th—The Merry Widow; 10th—Phillip Bridau from Honor of the Family; 11th—Kyrle Bellew from The Thief; 12th—Jack Brookfield from The Witching Hour; 13th—Lotta Faust.

[I found that slightly confusing, so I looked up The Mimic World on the Broadway database. The show is loosely described as a musical comedy strung together with tableaux of show biz references. And it was exceedingly popular. The Broadway database lists a large and talented cast on opening night in July 1908. If the show's script was as witty as the descriptions of its characters, it's no wonder it was a hit.]

Also featured in The Mimic World were Irene Bentley and Her Dancing Girls.

Topping the long list of popular productions that summer were The Follies of 1908 and a rip-roaring singing & dancing comedy entitled The Three Twins. [The Burr McIntosh-Monthly didn't offer any pictures of this comedy, but it so happens that I have this great turn-of-the-century cigar box label that I'm happy to share with you here.

This was the show in which Bessie McCoy became famous as the Yama Yama Girl. If you want to find out more about the plot and the cast, visit the Broadway Internet Database.]

Just "Click the Pix" to enlarge.
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