The New York herald., 1872-11-25
THE NEW NIBL0's.
The New Theatre and the New Piece-The
Scenery and the Ballet-Preparation
for the Opening Night.

called at the stage entrance OF the newly arisen
theatre, in Crosby street, and making his way past
John Smith, the cranky guardian OF the postern,
travelled dif1cut path over piles OF planking,
heaps OF mortar and masses of shavings guarding
his head from the scafrolding which lowy de-
pended in dangerous proximity. The interior was
a scene OF confusion. The stage looked like great
gaping hungry monster, its bowels exposed to
view, and all the intestinal machinery gaping.
wide mouth, at the carpenters and labOrers.
Painters were busy at work spreading lay.
ers o. ochre and vermilion and cerulean
on doors and panels; gilders, upholsterers
and chairmakers were working double tasks
at the rehabilitation of the edifce. Down
below in the unfinished parGuet, which
looked like chaos returned again, MI. A. T.
Stewart was engaged surveying the building, OF
which he is proprietor, ana conversing with Ben
Sherwood, the gigantic machinst and stage car
penter.
IN PREPARATION.
Having made some inquiries the HERALD reporter
was directed to the 0flce OF the managers on the
second floor, elthand side, where the financial
business Of the theatre is done and where the per-
formers ore paid their salaries weekly. The
office was in q tumbedown condition. owing to the
immense amount Of work that is to be done; but
here was Mr.. Jarrett, who proceeded at once to an
explanation OF the construction and coming open
Ing OF the new theatre.
A GLANCE AT THE NEW THEATRE.
The new stage is really a splendid piece OF
mechanical effort, and has thirty nine feet more
working room than the old 1t is rs feet wide,
SO feet deep and 03 feet high and has 10 traps ana
9bridges The machinery s intricate to look at,
but easily managed II is divided into thirty-tw0
sections, called "cuts" having altogether 272
pieces, weighing 6o,o00 pounds. The cost was
hn yVhp fha mn chi 10
is well worth q visit. BY wen arranged system
OF ropes of different thicknesses and pulleys Of
various lengths, and by purchase wheels and
cranks one man standing in the middle Of the
cellar can lift alone the weight Of any Of the great
bridges, and all the great scenes and trans
formations can be shifted with comparative
ease by few experienced mec. Twenty-nine
hundred dollars have been expended on rope
alone, and there is enough to hang all the criminals
in the United States for ages to come. The ma
chnery is rated at about forty horse power, but is
moved wholly by hand. The iron used in all parts
Of the theatre will amount to about two hundred
tons and cost about seven thousand dollars. The
new dressing rooms are great Improvement on
the old ones, the ladies' dressing rooms being 10
Gated on the Crosby street side, while the rooms
Tor the male performers are on the side adjoining
the Metropolitan Hotel. The room tor the frisky
and combatlye "supernumeraries" is underneath
the stage, and the actors have their rooms under
the lobby The green room occupies its former
position
LOOK FROM THE FRONT.
The ground plan OF the auditorium will resemble,
with some slight and necessary notifications, the
old auditorium IL is q little more spacious and
better ventilated. The new seats will be of red
plush OF the most comfortable kind, furnished
with reversible backs ana are very roomy. The
ceiling OF the auditorium is about ten feet higher
than in former times. The first tier has been
raised one foot, the second tier about two feet;
the first tier has been wdened; the third tier has
fine standing platform running toward the pros
cenium and the house viii seat 500 persons more
fhan \ Il 11n nfraxU hA rtvui
mated by apelectric light The decorations OF the
dome are in blue and gold. and the
THgs and fronts Of the circles ana proscenum
are IN Due, gold and white, making charming
| effect OF color. The theatre will be heated by
| steam-an Improvement on the old house. which
! was heated by hot air-and every precaution that
is possible has been Nken to prevent the recur.
renee OF fire. From large tank, at the top Of
the building, a,s0O gallons OF water can be pro.
jected at q moments notice, flooding the entire
great pump axes, extingushers and blankets are
provided IN case OF emergency, and all has been
done that mechanical art could do to insure the
safety OF tie new theatre. The auditorium has
eight pillars less than before, ard o vastly i'm
proved view &. ne stage and the performance Will
Mr.. A. T. Stewart viii be in the neignborhood OF
two hundred thousand dollars.
THE MISE SCENE
II scenic effects and spendor OF costume and ap-
p0lntments 60 fOr anything the spectacle OF LEO
ana Lotos" VIII i is claimed surpass enything Of
Crookn al Niblo's in former days. In the first act
the Jewel Palace" executed in chromatic Mosaic
fOiling by 0etz OF the Baltimore Opera House, will
be nom the number, effects and color brilliant
picture. voegtin has two scenes in the second
&C act. the 'Mnsket Scene IN Japan" and the bird
with the plumes OF all kinds OF birds. For the
third act Julian Hicks, OF London, has painted a
1t Is said that this picture will be something ex-
traordnary In conception and chasteness OF detail
"Palace OF 81. Cloud" which is followed by six
tableaus descriptive OF the gay city OF Paris be-
fore the siege and during the orgies OF the Com
mune. The Attack and Burning OF the Hotel de
vile" is also by Matt Morgan, and is an excellent
piece of artistic work. In the closing transiorma
ton scene. to be known as the Nativity OF
Venice" the Brew Brothers, Of London, who
painted the chefd'Guores OF the Black Crook, have
done their best and It is calculated that this scene
alone will cost S16 0O0 The total cost Of putting
the piece on the stage will he about one hundred
and twenty thousand dollars, and it is certain to
far as artistic ingenuity and skill can devise.
There are nearly one thousand separate dresses
are OF the finest material, silks and satins. The
dresses to be worn by "Prince Leo OF GauI' mile.
stage in this country, ana the costume for "Prin.
cess Lotos Leaf' mile. Marie RosettD arc equally
gorgeous. The spectacle contains four acts and
sixteen tableaus, and will take fully three hours
in performance, 1t is believed. leo and Lotos"
win be full OF the sprightly music Of oaen-
nod and other composers. Mr.. Henry Collane,
who Is known as the Pocket Sims Reeves" and
who S Is @ only four feet high has been engaged and
Then there is Herr Wieffenbach, the German drum
soloist; Davies, the yentrOquist; Miss Josephine
Wal6y the calisthenic artist; Young America, the
child v0linist and score OF other special attrac.
tions in addition to iuI and efficient male aud
female chorus.
THE NyMPHs OF THE BALLET.
And now, having spoken of all the other details
OF the new Niblos Theatre which will open on next
wednesday night-nOw come the beauties OF the
ballet For this special OBJECT l20 young ladies OF
every rank, from the prma ass0luta TO the humble
coryphee. The first lady is Nile. Jeanne
Pttteri, rom the Italicns at Paris and the
Scala at Milan. The mistress OF the ballet will be
the skilful, agile and beautiful Kathe Lanner.
Then there is galaxy OF terpsichorean talent all
endowed with variety OF beautiful and high
toned names. sucn as Eugenia Lupo, Adrenna, the
exquisite Corinthian Greek; Alexandrina, Leni-
tina, Clothilde, klse Blondee, Blanche de Ne
mours, Marion de r0rme. (the latter two are OF
royal blood, it 10 presumed,) and score of Others
whose names are enough to make a crazy novel
reader Jump for Joy at their bewilderng eupGony
and mysterious deviatiOns.