The Comic Opera Prima Donna Threatened With Pneumonia.
Middletown, Conn., May 31.–Marie Tempest is very ill here and cannot sit up. She played here in the “Fencing Master” on Tuesday night, and only sang out of courtesy to Reginald De Koven, who is a native of this city and was directing that night. Mr.De Koven asked the indulgence of the audience for Miss Tempest before the curtain went up.
In the first act her “Will o’ Wisp” song had to be cut, and at the end of the second act she was so ill that she had to be helped from the stage. In the last act a duet was omitted. Yesterday she was suffering from pains in the lungs, and was obliged to have a physician in constant attendance. Her maid is at her bedside at all time. Dr. Edgerton, who is attending her, says he does not think the case will develop into pneumonia, but she will not be able to leave her bed for several days.
Miss Tempest was advertised to play in New London last night and expected to sail for Europe next week.
From the Scranton Tribune (Scranton, Pennsylvania), Friday, June 1, 1894.