Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-07-01

TIE PRosCENIuM.
crowded full 1900 people. II is estimated
that l2,00o people saw the opening perform
ance
The building, which is not yet COM
pleted, occupies the entire block between
Madison avenue and Fourth avenue, and
Twenty-sixth street and Twenty-seventh
street. With the exception Of about $50
feet of the western end, the entire ground
floor is taken up by the vast amphitheatre.
AT present the eastern end Of the amphi-
theatre is occupied by a stage, whose elabo-
rate proscenium and curtain and splendid
scenery form the most striking feature of
the place. But when the performance il
Of such a nature that no stage is required
the proscenium, the curtain, the scenery
and the stage itself can be literally folded
up and laid aside. This is not the least
wonderful feature of the building.
Another remarkable fact is that not
outstanding the great width of the hall
there are no pillars TO obstruct the view.
The great roof is supported bysteel trusses
of 1856 feet span. which are said TO he the
largest and Iightest in existence. Fully
half of this roof consists Of an enormous
oAshShtn w Nhh NC hotrticscAl ilS
away on clear evenings, so that the per-
Torrance may practically he given in the
open air. This was dom at about the mid
die Of the first performance, and nine
tenths Of the audience knew nothing Of it
until the fresh air on their faces made
them glance upward.
ID, The great floor space In the center Is sur
rounded by sloping tiers of seats, the top
tier being about ten feet above the level Of
the street. Rising above these are five
tiers Of private boxes-l05 in all-and above
the boxes stretch the galleries. At times
when the stage Is removed the boxes and
galleries will extend in a magnificent, un-
broken ellipse around the entire amphi-
theatre. When the stage is in place the
western end of the ellipse is cut or.
At the eastern end Of the amphitheatre
Is the state box which will be reserved
for the Use Of the president, the governor
Of the state or other high officials when
they are present. This is deliberately fin
ished in white and gold. and, like all the
other boxes. is fitted with curtains of o
dark, rich red.
The prevailing tone Of the decorations Is
similar TO that Of the Metropolitan Opera
house-solid masses Of cream white and
light copper. There are no ''furbelows or
fixins,' the decorations are almost severe
In their simplicity, but the air Of grandeur
and immensely thus obtained would have
been sacrificed by elaborate frescoing and
ornamentation.
The lighting arrangements are simply
dazzling. Along each Of the roof girders
~incandescent lights have been placed ut in
tervals Of about a foot. There are 1000 Of
them in such positions, and Others are fixed
In clusters along the sides and before the
boxes. Pendant from the roof hang other
clusters. 600 lights making up the central
group.
The acoustic properties Of the building
are more nearly perfect, probably, than any
other building ever built Of like size. A
speaker on the stage can be distinctly heard
In the remotest corners Of the auditorium.
Besides this great amphitheatrc the
building contains-or will when II IL fin
ished-a tasteful theatre Of good size and Q
splendid music hall
There are only two things about the place
which have so far been criticised. One Ii
the lack of more exits. On the opening
night the crowd had great difficulty in
getting away after the show was over, and
the probable state Of affairs in case Of a
disaster was dilated upon by one Of the
next mornings papers. The other is the
evident leaning toward things English and
not American by the management, The
ushers, for instance, are dressed in
gorgeous costumes. They wear cutaway
coats and loose trousers Of fawn col
ored broadcl0th. The tails Of the coats
are plentifully garnisbed with silver but
tons, and the effect IN made startling by
brilliant cardinal red waistcoats. Another
Anglicism Is the hanging Of an illumi-
mated sign at one Of the Twenty-sixth
street entrances, which reads Orchestra
stalls" etc. Americans call them or.
chestra chairs"