The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-08-23
Preparations for the Coming The
atfical Season.
Opening Week at the Grand---
PinafOre at the Zoo and
Other Home At
fractions.
With Notes, News and Personals of
Music and the Drama
Everywhere.

The Grand Opera-house, which has for
several seasons past been almost the sole re-
lance OF Cincinnatians for iirst,class amuse-
Monday next with Mr.. d. r. Locke's new
play, widow Bedott" by Mr.. Neil Bur-
CESS and fine company. This play was
one Of the decided hits of last season
wherever presented, and if half that is told
OF it be true, it can not help giving big
send-off to the opening week at the Grand
The piece was first presented in Providence
R. l., a city remarkable for its critical au-
diences. 1t was an immense success from
the very start. The house was filled every
night, and the papers were most enthusias-
tic in praise of the play ard of Mr. Burgess
as comedian. The following is from the
Providence Press:
Providence vas honored last evening
for the second time this season--by the pre-
sentation of Il new play. As was duly her.
aided in these columns, a Naturalization of
the Widow Bedott Papers, by d. r. Locke,
better known as Petroleum V. NaSoy, the
humorist of Confedrit Cross Roads, was
put upon the Providence Opera-house stage,
with Neal Burgess in the title role. Avery
large and intelligent audience attended
upon the play, and gave it a hearty recep-
ton. As general thing such comical pro-
ductions as the 'Bedott Papers read better
that they act; but Mr.. Locke has dramatized
the work in question 50 skllfully that,
while still remaining in some degree one
character comedy, it has been invested with
quite clever little plot and still all the
amusing and characteristic speeches OF the
widow are preserved, and being
spoken by so brilliant a character
actor as Mr.. Burgess, they sound just as
comlcal as they read generation ago, when
the Papers were in all the first flush of
popularity. The comedy is in four acts:
the first is at the widows house, and per-
tains chiefly to her unsuccessful courtship
of Tim Crane the second has to do with
her visit to her rather 'scrumptious' rela-
tives, her meeting with Elder Sniffes,
and very good dinner scene; the third
and best comprises two balcony and two
garden scenes, very amusing indeed; in the
fourth the widow-no longer such, by the
way, but Mrs. Snfles'-is seen in her
new and somewhat gorgeous house. The
play was we'll set, every detail being fully
carried ont.
"Mr. Burgess, in his peculiar line has no
equal; no one can approach the perfection
with which he depicts the rather strong,
minded, forcible and illiterate old lady,
AS Mr.. Locke well says, there is no leading
actress who will attempt such part, be-
cause it is not SNOWY; few men have the
genius for presenting the female characters
faithfully; so Mr.. Burgess has the field to
himself, He completely fills the bill; his
tongue can fly as fast as any woman's; he
makes up splendidly as an old-fashioned
female of fifty or thereabouts, and his act
ing in the part is all that could be desired.
The audience appreciated the quaint say
iugs and the comical situations and gave
the most liberal applause. Mr.. Burgess
was frequently called before the curtain,
and Mr.. Locke was obliged to make
speech. In a few words he related the his
tory OF the play, told how it finally came
to be produced, and thanked the people for
their appreciative kindness"
"pINAFoRE" AT THE ECO.
The performance of "Pinafore" at the To-
illogical Garden, by a fine Company, with an
imitation ship in the lake as the stage, was
recognized at once as novelty that would
be sure to bring people out in force The
immense crowds of last Sunday and fine
audiences all through the week have fully
verified these predictions. 1t may be in
teresting to those who have not yet been
out, and to persons at a distance, to know
Just how the novel amusement is given.
The seats are arranged on the shore of the
lake, built like circus seats, large portion
OF them supplied with comfortable chairs.
These seats are covered with a long tent,
open in front, giving full view of the craft
which is placed in the lake about twenty
feet from the shore. She lays side too, and
is in appearance about the size of forty
five ton schooner and is brig rigged She
has the appearance Of a craft just 'layed to-"
with standing iib up, and all other sails
closely furled. the waiste is cut away on
the side next to the audience from the bull
warks to the stanchion next to the quarter
deck, thus giving an unobstructed view of
the main deck which is used as the stage
with the footlights along the clamps inside
and hid from view by the ships bends, but
rejecting the light so as to brilliantly illu-
inmate the whole deck.
The orchestra is placed in the bow and
seen over the bulwarks, the director stand
ing between the foremast and the rail. The
gas pipes, which run from shore to the craft
look like hawsers by which she is moored
to land. The rigging is pretty complete
locality considered. The masts are in fair
proportion to the size Of the vessel, with
yard-arms, halliards, stays and shrouds, but
ratline necessary to a square-rigged boat is
omitted. She has bowsprit and flying lib
boom, but the latter sail is not bent on. The
canopy, as fixed over the stage, presents
very much the appearance Of the stay sail
rigged for an awning, as is commonly done
by the sailors when in port The name,
"Pinafore," appears in large letters on the
stern and also on the larboard and port
bows. The performers are rowed aboard
from the opposite side of the lake and make
their appearance to the audience over the
port rail about amidship. Altogether shin
as well as company, is well worth seeing,
and another week of the entertainment
will be given, continuing every night, with
matinee at p. m. on Saturday, Sunday
and Wednesday.
THE NATIONAL THEATER.
Mr.. w. L. Allen, late of the Louisville
Opera-house, will open the Old Drury on
the 18th of September, when it will once
again rank among the places of amuse-
ment where the legitimate drama will be
performed. Mr.. Allen is an experienced
and his ability in the theatrical
line is tirst-class He is earnest in his en-
deavors to renovate and alter the appear
ance of the interior of the house. 1t is as
tonishng to notice the improvements that