Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-10-12
THEATRICALTHINGS
THE FOURTH YEAR OF "OLD HOMESTEAD
OPENS IN NEW YORK.
The Beautiful Pastoral Play is Received With In
diminished POpularity-Chahy Mention Of
Actors and Their Movements.

New YORK. October lion Monday
evening, October 9th, at the Academy
of Music, New York, began another
season and the fourth year of Denman
Thompson and original company in the
wonderful "Old Homestead. The big
playhouse was crowded TO the doors, OF
course, and each of the quaint charac-
tiers as they reappeared behind the loot
lights were most warmly received, Den
man Thompson being accorded greet
ing nothing short.of an ovation. Uncle
Joshua, Happy Jack, the Carney Boy,
Cy, Sethy, Aunt Matilda and the others
of the queer Swansea contingent Heated
through the charming play as merrily
as Of yore, and all of the familiar ex-
QuiSite scenes and effects were as rap
turously received. Besides score OF
dainty, little, fresh touches here and
there designed TO increase the plays
realistic effectiveness, were two new
and important features adding
considerably to the natural beauty
of the pretty pastoral One con-
sists of choir of twenty-four boys in
troduced impressively in the Grace
Church scene, the other IS winter
scene revealing the farmhouse and farm
at Swansea buried in the snow. In this
scene are introduced with striking effect
four horses dragging a big, box country
! sleigh filled with visitors bent on max
ing merry at JoShua'S homestead on
New Years night. This effect is only
possible on the immense stage OF the
Academy. which in itself covers an area
of a city block. The "Old Homestead"
career has surpassed that Of any attrac-
tion in the world, except, perhaps,
"Our Boys" which had run of five
years at the Strand Theatre, London;
playhouse, by the way, but third as
large as the big Academy. 1t is great
play with a countless following of adj
mirers in every calling of life; it IS a
sermon as pure and simple as it is en-
tertaining. and il is the only stage work
which has shattered the barrier Of pre-
JUDGE existing between church and stage
and founded tie Of common union be-
tween the gospel and the drama.
blue Jeans" new sensational COM
edy by Joseph Arthur, was given its mi
tial presentation at the Fourteenth
StIccI hcdIV' ~" iOl ~ "" -hOiiN"s
evening.
\ new comic opera by Planquette,
entitled Paul Jones', has replaced the
Merry Monarch" at the Broadway
Theatre.
Kate" is the name of the new play
of Annie Pixley'S which is said to rival
"M'liSs" in attractiveneSS.
Nat Goodwin is preparing for his fall
theatrical campaign.
There are over three thousand olsen
gagged actors in New York at the pres
ent time. Why?
New York has . theatres: the gross
seating capacity of which is over 30.
600 people. There are hundreds of con-
cert, music and lecture halls all over
the city: two-thirdS of which are used
every night. 1t is safe TO estimate the
total capacity of the various places of
amusement in the metropolis at 10000
Over SO. 600 dollars are spent every
night in the big city for theatrical and
musical entertainment. The new Madi-
son Square Garden is the largest place
of amuSement: next comes the Academy.
where The Old Homestead is per-
manent attraction, then the Metropoii-
tan Opera House, and Niblo'S. where
the great spectacular production of
Nero" is to occur October 10th.
Prof. Hermann paid local manager
i'm suburban town $500 to cancel one
night in order that he might be present
at the opening of his new theatre in
New York on Saturday evening. Octo-
Der 4th. When the clever prcStdigita-
tcur arrived in the Metropolis, he found
his playhouse still in the hands Of the
workmen and a week behind proper con-
dition for opening. Moral: There IS
more certainty in Vanishing Lady than
painters and decorators.
One of the lions i'm Nero. which i
To be the winter attraction at Niblo'S IN
New York, rides bicycle. and another
settles all disputes between the manage
mcnt and the members Of the company.
\ ballet Of 90 led by the famous De
( Gellcrt, a cast proper OF 90, singing
chorus of 100, mob OF 300, Roman
pageant of 400. displaying all the an
! cicnt handicraftS, preceded by Dand
of Roman inStrumentaliStS and followed
bv procession Of Gagged wild beasts,
will give an idea of the magnitude OF
the new spectacular drama, Nero,
which MeSsrS. Locke and Davis are pro-
iecting and will produce at Niblo's on
the 10Th of this month. The ). S.France
which sailed for this port on the 10Th
ult.. has on board six lions which are TO
be introduced cagelcSs in the arena
scene.
Never before has the theatrical firm
ament been so completely nonpluSSed as
bv the remarkable success in Boston OF
the Boston Theatres current attraction,
The Soudan." Before its production
Eugene Tompkins expended over $1,000
in advertising his attraction, the litho-
graphs and other matter being di3trlb-
uted in every town and suburb within
three hundred miles Of Boston. Aside
from the extraordinary merits of the
spectacular drama itself. this extensive
! billing is said TO account for the great
success being won by the play, IN no
small way. 1t is the rcigning theat-
rical sensation i'm the cultured city ana
every incoming evening train from the
Hubs suburbs brings in its quota OF
visitors hungry to see the Boston Inc
atre and The Soudan."
Wien hayward Fay Templeton gave
up for good last Saturday the leading
role i'm the luckleSs burleSque OF "Hen-
dirk Hudson" she cast aside the most
remarkable pair of stage boots ever
worn behind the footlightS. She called
them her "leg gloves" and wore them
in the first act. They were CATERS
with leggings of undressed kid, twenty
six inches long. 1t became custom