New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-15
THEATRICAL GOSSIP.
THE COMING EVEN rs.

Paris. I" / went there as was generally KNOWN no
said to a reporter "to make the final arrangements
with NJ. sardou about La Tosca' Travel across inc
Atlantic has been so wonderfully shortened that some
times scarcely realize what succeeded IN DONG
In q MONTH On the Onward trip ! got to Paris on
tho eighth day after leaving New-fork vi co"'So'
I went as soon as possible to sardou. lie STRUCK
me as the most electrical and energetic man that
eyer knew Tao amin alton and intensity OF hts con-
vel satIon arc wonderful, and equally so Is the OK
prcssve pantomIme that accom- an o. anu 'i"''0'
his remarks. had seen several photographs Vi MI"
but they did not prepare me Tor MS alP'aan'o'
you can imagine the face OF Dante on SNORT ooau
shouldered but spare, almost shrunheh' nB"'o' 'o
have sardou as he now Is. ! there when the
charges OF plagiarism made against MN no'o W.
oablcd over He was tremendously ind grant, ana
I'm an emrhatc manner that he had never even
heard OF tho play from which he was accused Oh cr'o
bling For La Tosca,' all my negotiations were mauo
-. v,,. c.raou There was no intermediate
agency. so l know nothing about the statements o'
peope hero who claim that he promised to give them
the sale Of the piece. have an exact copy OF tho
prompt book used at the Porte st. Martin, I'D Whcn
every movement Of the Characters Indicated accord
ing to sardou's directions. As tho piece was running
when got there, had no opportunity OF seeing him
at rehearsal, but every ono says he Is MARVELLOUS
stage manager and that his orders are implicitly
obeyed.
al saw La Tosca' about dozen times, and be-
tween my memory and the Ms ! think we shall DO
able to give the action with absolute fathfulness to
the authors intentions. 1t was my intention to bring
back with duplicates Of the dresses, but when saw
them, felt convinced could do better over hero
In many respects the American mounting OF plays Is
not equalled In either Paris or London contened
myself therefore, with bringing sketches Of the scenes,
properties and costumes Tho last scene. In which
back of the stage into tho TIber is very fine set.
Tho fall or rather plunge, is a remarkably effective
bit OF business. Probably the in which La
Tosca' listens to tho cries Of her lover, who 10 being
tortured is the greatest in the ply This occurs In
the third act From that point out the Incidents are
Of the most intense and tragic nature. Tho play Is,
however, less unrelIevedly gloomy than Fedora
as It opens brightly and cheerfully. and there Is no
great strain on the star till the third act Still,
think La Toscs Is a very interesting role. About
the there only Judge from the difficulty
of obtaining seats. No good ones were ever on sale
at the box office had always to procure mine al
a bureau, got for than twenty francs
(S4j. We Shall retain present company aud
strengthen It by the addition OF popular leading man
for the part OF ScaysIa the villain Melbourne Mo
bowel Will play the hero, Mario, ana my wiie's
brother, Harry, Will PROBABLY be tho pocn $751; Get,
Anseiotti' thro gh hose escape aud conceament by
Mario all the complications cnsue here Is only
female part of any Importance beside La ToSca,
that Of the Queen which VIII iaLi 10 our pe,en sent
Broadway Theatre on February 81 for nine weeks,
which may possibly be prolonged If the business should
warrant Ii.
sour adaptation has already been made, and my
vito has been for some time stndying her part; The
not seek olicy, and IT is perhaps better that no
other name than the original authors should appear
If La ToSca does anything like as we'll as Fedora
shall have to complain. This Is the nth
season Of that piece. and when VIC close on January
% al the Grand Opera House. sha have rlai ell 1t
10 haah pnn nal IN
time"
Tho present appearance OF the broadway The
atrc, at the OF Broadway and Forty fstst is
that OF forest of scafoldng through which scarcely
anything of tho lines OF the house be AS
yet staircases have been put In place, and where
tho stage will be IS only yawning gulf The front
elevation on Broadway shows a handsome 1ve-story
building having frontage OF % IL feet. At the
downtown end is alley-way about IL feet wide
into which doors from the auditorium open This
passage Is covered by the upper floors of the front of
tho building The front will DO let for stores and
Offices the centre doors % feet wide, leading
to the auditorium, which is only single low step
above the level of tho street In addition to this door
three pairs OF double doors on Forty frsts
which give direct to the paquei, and these are
duplicated In the aeyw on the other side. The
stage entrance is on For -lrstst There Is some
variation in the depth OF the Let, but the average is
SEES a reporter was shown of the plans, which
certainly promise most complete safe and beautiful
theatre
Expense has not been considcred' said Mr. French,
Gin making theatre as safe as present knowledge
can The Building Department have been very par
tlcular and as have been the first to build under
tho law, have been to some extent the subject
Of experimnt. STILL we have endeavorcd to cheerfully
comply with all the requirements of the Department,
AaaI
than was imperative. Even the Iron beams have been
rendered freproof that II fire should occur they
cannot bend and let down the walls
GLOW arc tho beams rendered 1re-proofl"
"By covering them with Jacket Of wire, which
leaves o space that Is kept filed with water Then
all tho starcases, which are OF stone and Iron, have
vcntilators over them, down which water can be
poured. Under the auditorium there Will bo clear,
dry space In which nothing Will be stored 1t will be
used entirely airchamber from which cold hot
air will be forced the auditorium according to The
requirements OF the season. There Is extensive and
expensive machinery for cooling and heating tho lat
ter process involving some miles OF piping Every bit
Of woodwork In the house Will be rendered 1reproo
| by being solked In newly discovered and patented
solution This is colorless and does affect the ap
| pearance of the wood. We shall 1t the
boards OF the stage and the framework of the
According to the new law, all the canvas has to be
rendered nOnlnhammaDlc III seems somewhat strange
that the law only calls for these precautions In the
to be built, and makes no such regulation In the
| case OF old ones"
What other precautions against fire have beer
| taken n
"An electrical company will supply a mechanism
by means Of which thirteen pairs OF exit doors car
DO Instantly thrown open by touching lever In the
box office, or any one Of six buttons distributed In
various parts OF the house. All the lighting will be
by electricity. We shall have two engines either one
being Of sufficient power to furnish all the light TO
| CURED. In Of accident to these we shall hav,
a OF connecting with the current In the street
There will be gas fixtures In the house. but they vii
OF these throo sources Wherever the wires pass nea
woodwork they are taken through tubes OF asbestos
The stage has large sliding lights equal to oneeghtl
OF the OF the roof which can be inst antly o. enet
from tho promptsand There Will DO three curt rs
| ono OF asbestos and all fire proof Then there arr