The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-08-19
The Blanchard Opera House.

lyn, J IL. Cudpludil, OlllJtu tOldttS NdNys
The Blanchard Opera House.
Through the enterprise of Mr.. Asa Blanch-
ard, Montpelier is at last provided with
what has been so long demanded by her
amusement-loving people, first-class opera
house. Hitherto they have been denied the
pleasure of witnessing many plays and
operas which have been given in other
towns of the state for no other reason than
that the best public hall of the place was
wholly unfit to receive the higher order of
entertainments. When by exception first
class companies have appeared here, much
has been detracted from the real merit of
their work by utter lack of facilities for it's
performance; while the scenery which they
have been compelled to use has been such
as to often make farce of the most serious
things. The new opera house will meet all
the requirements of any company which
will come into Vermont. 1t has another
decided advantage over the hall which has
been 50 long in use, in that it is much more
centrally located. The building stands at
the head of State street, an ornament to the
testimonial of the ability of its architect and
builder, Mr.. George H. Guernsey. OF the
hall itself we are confident in predicting
that its excellence of design, the superiority
of its stage fittings, the harmony of colors
used in its decoration, and, what is of more
Importance than all else, its splendid ac-
coustic properties, will give entire sat
| sfaction.
A complete description will be of in terest
to most of our readers. 1t is easy of access,
! the corridors being reached by a staircase
ten feet wide which ascends from the main
entrance on Main street. Passing to the
left from the top of this staircase, a short
| flight of steps leads to the principal en-
trance, which is on the higher level of the
ascending floor of the opera house. From
this point the stairs wind around to the
hall above, and another short flight leads
from there 10 the gallery. The audience
room is about sixty-two feet square and is
thirty-fve feet high. The floor rises rises gradu-
ally from the front, the elevation of each
terrace above that in front increasing toward
the rear, so that the ascent is in the line of
a section of an ellipse, with the rear row
seven feet above that nearest the stage.
| The walls are finished in ash and are very
beautifully frescoed. In the center of the
ceiling rises dome thirty feet square and
five feet deep, and around the sides of the
dome are twelve square feet of ventilating
space opening into the great attic above,
WHICH is well DTONluGu WIFI WlnuOWS al UUt
back and sides of the building Twenty
four hundred feet of one and one-fourth inch
pipe, under the elevated floor of the hall
will furnish heat through apertures in the
floor and four large radiators are stationed
in the hall itself, There are also two radia-
tors in the corridor. A Frink opal glass
reflector, with sixteen jets, is suspended
from each of the four corners of the dome
and all the jets may be lighted in al
instant with electricity by slight pressure
upon buttons fastened to the wall behind
the scenes. Forty foot-lights and three tiers
The lighting apparatus can be operated in
sections or all together, and grand effects
will be produced in the latter way. The ex
its which may be used in case of emergency
are five in number and include, besides the
two doors which will be used as entrances
a large double door in the southwest corner
a musicians door at the opposite side, lead
ing to stairway which rises from door OF
the south side of the building, and fir,
escape at the rear of the hail. opening out
upon a staircase which rises between tn,
Freeman and opera house buildings. TIL,
first three mentioned will be the only one
regularly used. The seats, exactly eigh
hundred in number, are perforated We
neered, folding chairs, with hat-racks, manu-
featured by A. H. Andrews & Co. of New
York city. They are reached by center ant
! side aisles. OF six hundred forty seats oI
the main floor, one hundred twenty-eigh
are under the gallery, which itself is fur
} nished with one hundred sixty. There is
not single poor seat in the house, and a.
far as view of the stage is concerned
hardly one that is preferable over another.
The stage is a model for convenience il
all its appointments, and shows the sam
: care on the part of the architect that il
manifested in all the other details of th
J opera house. The dimensions are thirt,
, feet by sixty-two and the proscenium meas
ures twenty-three by thirty feet. Th'
dressing-rooms are six in number, two o
. them under the stage and others at con
venient points on either side; and, il il Il
found desirable, two more will be added
The stage is furnished with vampire
trap, an arrangement required for th
stage business " of certain plays. TIL,
scenery will be arranged like that in mos
, Of the city theaters is in " flats,
! which are set by means Of pulleys at the tol
OF the stage and are in every way preferable
to the old style of curtain scenes which ha
been so long in vogue here. The drop cur
tain is the work of New York artist an,
was painted under the immediate super
vision of Mr.. 7. W. Wood. The design is
view at sunset from balcony in Venice
The scenery has been painted here by Mr.
Edward Simmons of New York city, an,
the result of his labors shows him TO be
scenic artist OF superior ability. He ha
done no daubing, but every line has beer
executed with the same care which woul,
ing. There are nine scenes, as follows
Elaborate parlor, plain parlor, chamber
kitchen, street, forest, prison, garden ant
landscape. Each is furnished with tn,
necessary borders, set pieces and wings
There is also ample room for the introduc
ton of special scenery which may be brough
by travelling companies.
Equally complete in all its minor details
the Blanchard opera house, considering th
cost of its erection, is inferior to none out
side the large cities. Its formal openin,
occurs next Monday evening, when til,
popular play "7-20-S" will be presented
Full particulars of the opening viii be foun,
IN our local columns. Let the people o
Montpelier and vicinity testify to their ap
probation of Mr.. Banchard's public spiri
by heartily supporting him on the opening
nights.
A DISPATCH from Woodstock announce,
the death of Hon. Julius Converse, who wa
..ls 1. i.