Another treat for Denver was the appearance of Blanche Bates. Very special inducements were made to tempt the star from the attractions of New York , and she came to me with ten trunks full of beautiful gowns and gorgeous costumes for the characters she was to portray.
For her first performance, The Dancing Girl, standing room was at a premium. The same was true at nearly every performance of this lovely actress , whose second offering was Augustin Daly‘s greatest comedy success, The Last Word. — Mary Elitch
Dyer, Lady of the Gardens, pp. 45-46.
Among the great performers engaged by Mary Elitch to appear at the theatre for the 1900 season was Blanche Bates. In a recent appearance in the role of Miladi in the New York production of The Three Musketeers, “her magnificent interpretation of Dumas polished adventuress, lithe and sinuous in her movements, fierce and sensual, full of fascination and craft, tempestuous in temperament and emotion, made her the most notable figure upon the New York stage and the undisputed heroine of the theatrical season.” Mary Elitch later recalled the “special inducements” that were made to cause her to cancel her European holiday and to cable from London her acceptance of the Gardens invitation.
Blanche Bates appeared at Elitch following her successful New York appearance as Cho-Cho-San in Madame Butterfly. Having been born in Portland, Oregon, Blanche Bates loved the West. Moreover, she loved Denver so well that she built herself a home on Inspiration Point in the northwest part of the city.”‘
[Borrillo, p. 44]
Seasons at the Theatre
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Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
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