The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-01

that the combination of talent is stronger than
ever before. A variety of novelties in the line
of minstrelsy are in preparation. The house Is
now being thoroughly repaired, and by the tim
1t is ready for the public it will be newly painted
and upholstered throughout, while the stage
will be improved by new curtains and new
scenery.
There will be a lively competition in the min
strel business during the coming season, for, in
addition to the Eleventh Street Opera House
and the one on Seventh street, which will be
opened early in the fall by Duprez g. Benedicts
troupe, when they return from their California
trip, there will be the new and elegant establish
ment on Arch street, above Tenth, under the
management of Messrs. Simmons & Slocum.
When completed this will undoubtedly be one
of the prettiest and most attractive
minstrel halls ia tho country. Tn front
on Arch street is fifty feet in width, and the
building extends back TO Academy street. The
entrance is q large and elegant hall sixteen feet
in width and forty feet in length, upon each
side of which are stores. This hall will be fres-
coed and hung with pictures. The ticket office
will be OF the rear end of the hall, and to the
right and left Of it will be the large doors adj
mitting to the parquet and the stairways leading
to the galleries. Two exit doors have been
also provided, which slide in grooves, go that
they can be raised in q moment to assist In
discharging the audience. There are also
largo doors In the rear which can be made
available for the speedy exit of the audience in
case Of fire or accident Of any kind. The audi
forum will be handsomely froscoed and all the
seats will bNupholstored with scarlet plush. In
the centre Of the DOM will be a gas reflector,
which will light the whole house, so that chan
doliers and brackets can be dispensed with.
The seating capacity of the house is 400, and
all the seats arc so arranged that o perfect view
of the stage can be obtained from every part Of
the auditorium. The stage is twenty-siX
feet in width and thirty feet
in depth, and in the rear of it are the property
room and carpenter shop, and on an upper floor
the dressing-rooms, green-room, and wash
room, which are believed to be superior to those
of any minstrel hall in the country. This build
ing, like the one at Ninth and Arch streets, was
designed by Mr.. e. L. Durang. The builders
are Messrs. Stanton q McGarvey, and the deco
rator Mr.. John Gibson. 1t is expected that it
will be ready for the reception of the public by
the Goth instant, and as Mossrs. Simmons and
Slocum are both old-established ~favorites, they
may expect to see their beautiful theatre filed
nightly by delighted audiences.
Another great Improvement, to be completed
during the present season, will DC the new
OtJ jill NAS a Va thS SN
of Fine Arts, on Chestnut street, below Eleventh,
The work of construction has commenced, and
il is anticipated that the building will be com.
pletod early in the winter. When finished this
will be the finest variety theatre in the United
States, if not in the world, and we understand
that Manager Fox proposes TO make the style
of his entertainments correspond with the ele'
gahce of the ediflce. In the meantime the old
establishment on Walnut street will be carried
on as usual until the new building is ready. II
is uncertain what will be done with the ole
theatre after Mr.. Fox vaeates it. Intimationi
have been made that it will be occupied as {
circus, and also that it will be used for the pro
duction of highly spiced melodramas. These
arc merely rumors, however, and the fact il
that no arrangements have been made will
regard to it as yet.
The Chestnut Street Theatre is waiting fer
competent manager to take it in hand and re
trieve its dilapidated fortunes. AS an induce
ment for the right man to com forward tn
galleries are to be altered so as to Obvlate com
plants like those made by many persons las
season, that is impossible to see the stage iron
a great number of the seats. If this defect !
remedicd, there ought to be no reason why TIL
beautiful house cannot be made the fashionabl
theatre of Philadelphia. 1t has everything In ii
favor in the way of location and appearance
externally and internally, and it apparently
rests only with the man or wonan who take
charge OF it to say whether it shall succee
or not.