The New York herald., 1879-09-15
THU THEATRICAL OUTLOOK.
A Remarkable Programme for the San
Francisco MinstreIS.
ATTRACTIONS FOR BROOKLYN.
Rapid Succession Of Stars at the
Park Theatre.

$50 you have come to interview us. too." said Mr.
Birch when the HERALD reporter visited the three
partners in San Francisco minstrelsy. "Well. I've
got cold rehearsing tor our new opera. SO you
must talk to Backus and wambold."
"Want to know our plans, eh?" said Mr.. Backus
in his usual tragic manner. "Its pretty big pro-
gramme. spent the summer at Saratoga with the
rest OF the tragedians"
"were there many tragedians there?" the writer
asked, wondering what Saratoga had to do with tho
matter in hand.
"Full of 'eIn. Never many. All hard at
work, drinking wafer. First rate practice. Good
exercise. I like water. Capital thing. mineral
water. excellent-after little something strong.
We all up there-Booth and Bouccault. Nc
Cullough wallack. Barrett and the whole of us
Shakespeare fellows
'Who do you consider our greatest tragedianT'
"wel, now. that's a delicate question. Still. as
you have asked me in the public interest must tell
you think Mr.. Sothern now. has good idea of at
titude. He gets straight twist in his back hair
never saw equaed. I must take exception to one
thing, though and that is the way he puts his hand
inside the lapel of his waistcoat He took that from
It's clean plagiarism. had that copyrighted
and he has title to it, II he tries it again shall
put an injunction on both his arms. Let him 20
ahead and play tragedy. discovered that method
"Oh! you've played CoriolanusY'
"No, sir, never played him. but I've studied him.
I've studied good deal. In my very early youth
did little else. couple of years old before
ever said word. but kept my eye open all the
time"
you've been in Paris ?'
Kentucky? Oh, yes and tho French one, too."
'Isuppose you something of the acting"
eyes, good deal OF It, They do heap OF acting
there. But saw none Of them who could come up
to myself or Mccullough in Othello."
"You have been dong good business I hear
since you opened"
splendid. You see, when closed here last
season We all went to the country and have been
chewing the cud since and making up new
things tor our patrons"
'You have not made much alteration in your
house."
Haven't we, though? 1t didn't need 1t. but we
did 1t all the same Why. you can't have bcen in, or
you would have noticed the silk and velvet and
damask and gold and bronze and blue fire we've
crammed into that house. Good graciousl Only to
Think Look at the cloth Of gold we've hung up in
that place-no cotton-back. either. but the real
thing! Why. sir, wo've had several ships-ofwar and
don't know how many corvettes bringing these
goods from Egypt Africa and the South Sea Islands
Billy Birch can tell you. though; he's had charge of
the whole thing-sort CT transportation agent. II I
don't mistake think he brought out the contents
Of three palaces of the recently bounced Khedive"
"Have you done anything in the way of painting?'
painting? We're ut it continually. Painting I
The first thing do on entering the theatre is to
strip. Then paint We lay it on thick, 1 can tell
you-thick and black and shiny. After painting
ourselves we paint other people. Depict them as
they live. Paint them III little and with grotesau ue
extravaganza. Oh! we're painters, all OF u.s.
What meant to inquire about was the decora-
ton OF the house."
'Ohl That's another matter. We haven't begun
on that yet. but when we do Well make 'em shiver.
tar and wide, over and under. high and low.
everywhere. We hear from them frequently. Yes
they keep on asking us for more money daily. We
send it to them--alI they want We keep three men
down ut the Sub-Treasury drawing money constantly
they 60. through by Christmas were going to have
that house decorated. Well. 1 should say 80. We
have sent to Arabia. Let me see; what did send
Being a little puzzled Mr.. Backus turned to Mr..
wambold and asked. Dave. what did We send to
"ium arabic" suggested Mr.. Birch.
..oNo, "No, Billy-no 1t wasn't. continued Mr. Backus:
"Are you going to have ballet?'
"Ballet? Rather should like to know what it is
we're not going to have Araby's daughters doing
the light fantastic at our place in Broadway.
There's an idea tor you. eh? saw tina, in my gilt
copy OF Moore. and ut once decided they should be
come. Then we begin with the ornamcnt tation.
The present tootiishts are to come out and
shall be concealed from view by natural
flowers. The music shall meander through the
roses and geraniums and dahlias and violets
and pansies aud other exotics, in the time of
Claude Melnotte. Tropical singing birds OF match
less plumage shall whistle running accompanimcnts
from glass cages hung around the railing. The air
shall be perfumed from the wings or doves which
shall be charged with all the perfumes OF Arabia.
That's another branch we're working up out there.
We're doing more business with Arabia than at first
thought OF. The prosccnunI is to be of Paran
ble vrined and irettod with frosted gold Tho dome
ID laid W
precious stones. and the floor will be aabaster
cred with Turkish carpet fve inches thick The
private boxes and chairs will be upholstered in down
and satin held i'll by solitaires inch and
quarter square and worth $4,000 piece. The
one Of platinum As sort Of relief sA to 'ais the
proscenum arch the private boxes are to to done
along the edges aud bronze figures standing at each
corner holding gold candelabra. Otomans will take
the place OF chairs in these boxes each Que will
contain u couple OF chbouks three crystal bo wis of
perfumed water. two bottles iced Moselle several
baskets OF fruit complimentary season ticket. and
ring Tor anyt thing more they may desire. Persian
carpets. purchased from tho Pshaw. TO be laid
, in tho lobbios ana down the stairs, and tho
steps of the stairs to bo composed OF various
woods brought from the mountains of Lebanon.
The ticket seller to be clad In purple velvet lined
with sable, and the box Office will be OF Of bog oak
studded with diamonds"
"with regard to the orchestra-"
"Ah. wait until you musicians In their
clothes-satin. brocade and velvet with hanging
sleeves and hoods ana girdles and silk stoc kings and
sandals, and the company we'll. perhaps sd better
not say too much about them or some one may
tcipate us.
What do you think Of the prospects of tho
sony'
81 don't think about them at ALL look at tho re-
;urns every morning, and Ms see by them there
room for any moro than We lad in the
previous night, why, make up my iniud IL Is
pretty good season. We don't talk about success;
command IL. The people want To laugh, and
we tickle 'em They don't think we mean 1t half the
time. but we do. Yes. sir; we're in earnest, dead
earnest, every time.
Have you been In earnest for the last half hour.
Mr. IackusY'
"Never moro so. Wait and Como around
about Christmas aud you'll ind out. didn't tell
you about tue Chinese lanterns that have been sent
us by the Emperor to hang across the street. or
the aabasier lamps we're getting from Upper Asia