Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-10-26
THINGSTHEATRICAL
THE WONDERFUL SPECTACULAR PRODUCTION
OF "CLAUDIUS NERO" IN NEW YORK.
1t SurpasseS Anything Ever Staged in the MetrOpO-
liS-Barney Pagan Bids Good By to Minstrelsy.
Frank Hennig's SucceSs-NCteS and
Gossip About Actors.

FRANK nelllB ouCCtSS-NVNS dAu
Gossip About Actors.
New YORK, October 25.-New York
has had many notable productions and
Niblo'S has been the scene OF numerous
rare spectacular displays, but nothing
like the artistic finish and tasteful spec
tacular elaboration bestowed on the pre-
sentation of the new dramatic pageant,
"Claudius Nero" as presented at Nib
los Monday night, has ever been held
within the walls Of New York play
house within the history Of metropoli-
tan theatricals. Eckstein's romance,
Nero" has furnished Max Freeman
with IA thrilling stage tale of the Nero
epoch. and MeSsrs, Locke * Davis have
mounted it sumptuouSly and in a man
ner that will give the popular amuse-
ment projectors prestige here second
to none. The advance sale for the first
week of ''Claudius Nero" surpaSSeS that
of any attraction ever staged at Niblo's,
not even excepting the hitherto unap-
prOachable record of the original
BLACK Crook" What with the power
of its story, the splendor of its sur
roundings and the marvellous maneuvr-
ing of the large bodies of people en-
gagged III the spectacular drama, to-
gether with the wild beast exhibition in
the arena scene, "Claudius Nero's"
reign in the city will be a prosperous
and memorable one.
Besides an inherent, open-handed gener-
osity, Denman Thompson, the Uncle Joshua
of the original ''Old Homestead" at the
Academy, New York, is noted for his
tenderness to the brute kingdom. He has
been known repeatedly TO have followed
some overburdened or crippled horse for
hours TO have its owner punished for IN
humanity. Two instances of this kind in
one dav, with the genial actor as com
plainant, are TO be found on the police blot
/ tiers of New York City.
The extensive structure, Nilsson Hall,
adjoining the big Academy, New York,
been purchased by Messrs. Gilmore and
/ Tompkins, the owners of the Academy.
/ They propose TO use the site TO enlarge the
scope of the Academy's stage, making it
the largest in the world with depth OF
| l0l feet and a width of 226l% feet, for COM
ing years of THE Old Homestead" The
business for the first fortnight of the fourth
year has been equal to the prosperity won
| by the play in former seasons.
To j. II. lIaverly must be awarded the
credit of being the first to place negro
minStrclsy above the old fashioned
Bones" and "Tambo" first part and
consequent conventional song and dance.
When the famous "MaStodons" first
toured the country, forty strong, the
victory they won in all the cities will 90
down into theatrical history rs one of
the events of the dramatic era. llaverly
was the first to eliminate all cOarSeneSS
from minstrel shows. Refinement and
purity, without sacrificing the very en-
| ioyable features that will always be
popular in this character of entertain
ment, was the great Haverly maxim.
Haverly made several fortunes with
the various minstrel bands that bore his
name for many years.
/ What Haverly did in the direction of
cleanliness, Barney Pagan has done in
elevating the negro minstrel business to
level and standard of excellence that
years ago would have been ridiculed.
To Pagan the admirers OF minStrclsy
owe all the most effective features in
marches, exquisite dances and electrical
/ devices that now prevail and are the dis
/ tinct features of majority Of the min
Strcl companies now on the road. Here
tofore this element has only been found
| i'm the big spectacular shows, and their
introduction by Pagan into minStrelSy
has not only added an additional charm
10 black face entertainments, but has
cut seriously into the drawing qualities
of the spectacular field Of amusement.
Naturally, as Haverly became ambi-
/ tiOuS TO become recognized as manager
of other forms of thcatricals and was
afterwards successful in obtaining con-
troll of no less than fifteen theatres in
different cities, besides some dozen trav-
cling companies, 50 also has Pagan tired
of minstrclSy and determined To devote
| his peculiar talents to field In which
grander and wider opportunities present
! themselves. Farcia comedy has been
chosen by Mr. Pagan as the sphere to
prove his abilities. but farce comedy
with spectacular features added; the
two 50 combined as TO afford unlimited
scope for the novelties that are now
being constantly demanded by the
regular theatre goer.
/ 1t lackcd'not many minutes OF p. m.
one night last March. when Nat Good
win meandcred lciSurcly from the bar
of the Hoffman House to the lobby lead
ing to his cab which was to take him 10
the Amphon Academy. Brooklyn, eight
miles distant. where he was to appear
that evening. "Adonis' DiXcy. who
was smoking in the lobby, caught sight
of Nat and the big Hoffman House clock
at the same moment.
"Hcllo." exclaimed DiXey, Il thought
you were playing at the Amphion this
wcek?"
so lam, " replied Nat without chang
ing his gait.
But" asked Dixey anXiously, won't
they be waiting for you?"
''Well," nonchalantly responded the
comedian of "The Gold Mine with
humorous twinkle as he tucked up his
coat collar and started for his cab, IAN
not worth waiting for?"
Nat took big chances, but DiNey
learned that he answered his cue at the
Amphion on time that night a. usual.
Had the cab encountered a blockade or
the ferry been delayed, NaCS non
chalancc would have cost him about a
thousand dollars.
FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.
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