Volume 1 — “WITH SPEED FOR ENGLAND.”—ANOTHER SUCCESS IN LONDON.

The success which Belasco had gained with “Madame Butterfly” in New York was so great that, had he chosen to do so, he could have successfully prolonged his season there, at the Herald Square Theatre, throughout the summer of 1900. But his plans for producing “Zaza” in London were complete and he was bound “with speed for England”; he determined, therefore, to carry his little Japanese tragedy with him, having it in mind to show theatre-goers in the British capital, simultaneously, two vividly contrasted specimens of his theatrical resource and power. At first, he was disposed to transport the company, headed by Blanche Bates, as well as the production,—that is, the scenery, dresses, “properties” and effects. But when he sought to do this it proved to be impracticable: the only arrangement that he found it feasible to make was one with his partner in the “Zaza” venture, Charles Frohman, who, at the time, was successfully presenting, at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London, Jerome K. Jerome’s comedy of “Miss Hobbs.” With Frohman, accordingly, Belasco arranged to bring forward “Madame Butterfly” as an “afterpiece” to “Miss Hobbs,”—and as it was manifestly injudicious unnecessarily to maintain two stars at one and the same theatre, Belasco decided (to the lively disgust of Miss Bates) to cast the player of Miss Hobbs, Miss Evelyn Millard, at that time a popular favorite in London, for Madame Butterfly, depending on himself to train and guide her through the performance of that part. This self-confidence was fully justified,—the little tragedy being received with profound admiration both by the press and the public. It was acted at the Duke of York’s, April 28, with this cast:

Cho-Cho-San (Madame Butterfly)Evelyn Millard.

Mr. SharplessClaude Gillingwater.

Lieutenant B. F. PinkertonAllan Aynesworth.

YamadoriWilliam H. Day.

NakadoJ. C. Buckstone.

SuzukiSusie Vaughan.

Kate, Mrs. PinkertonJanet Evelyn Sothern.