New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-09
NEW PLAYHOUSE FINERY.
CHANGES IN THE CITY THEATRES.
WHAT THE ARCHITECTS, THE CARPENTERS AND


THE PAINTERS ARE DOING THIS SUMMER.
While the persistent pleasure seekers are for the
most part drawn avny from the city to the sea-
shore and the mountains and the woods the purveyors
OF winter enjoyments are preparing for their return
with quickened desires and freshened tastes for en-
ertainments at home. As the stewards lay the tables
In the saloOn and plan and construct the dinner whle
the passengers watching on the deck for Whales
and icebergs, the theatre manager, when his
audiences desert him In the hot weather takes occasion
to paint his house. to put a carpet in the AISLE
some new planks in the stage, new chandelier In the
dome and mirror in the star dressing-room
Work OF renovation and reconstruction has been and
sl Is going In many Of the city theatres that they
may be, when the people come back to them, pleas
antnr places than ever before Some have been only
fcshened In their decorations Others have been much
changed and few are almost rebuilt
Days Theatre is a of desoation. Where
the auditorium used to be there are heaps Of planks
and plaster and rubbish. The Hobbies and drawing
| rooms ruins and a sad spectacle to one who re-
members what they were few months ago. When the
house opens again, in the latter part Of November
the form Of the auditorium will be all that will remind
| those who familiar With it Of the way 1t once
| looked. The furnishings and the decorations Will all
! be new. Two boxes will be placed over the
! present ones, a level with the gallery, and Two
more will be placed at the back Of the house, one In
| each corner Those that were at the back OF the
house in the middle Will not be restored The last
rows of seats will be raised little more than formerly
and viii give better lines Of sight The lobby will be
| much changed. II will be richer and handsomer In
appearance than before and will be separated from
| the auditorium only by curtains. broad marble
staircase will lead up 10 the balcony floor. new
ladies' drawing-room Will open from the lobby at the
! left OF the auditorium The stage is all new, well
as the green -oom and the drawing-rooms and the
| offices back of the stage over these will be new
| carpenter shop and near them new wardrobe. A
large space behind the stage will be cleared away and
can be used 20 scenery TO give effects OF distant
perspectives. All this is enough to transform the
theatre almost completely but at later time more
than this to be DONE especially at the front Of the
| building only part OF the contemplated improve
ments are to be made this summer and year or two
hence they will be carried still further and will make
the house. IL is said, OF the finest and handsomes
| In this If not In any country.
The Lvceum Theatre will not be changed IN its
FORM but much the way Of decoration will be done
10 its interior. II will be repanted and beautihed
throughout after new Designs but the most important
| change will be an arrangement for placing the or
chesra under the stage II has been stationed hitherto
somewhere up In the loft, and it heard to some
| extent through the holes In the ceiling over the
chandeliers. 1t heard well distinctly In
any part Of the house. and in some parts 1t could
scarcely be heard at all. This will now be changed,
and what is important 1t will be where it can
give the incidental music of the play TO much better
advantage 1t did not give II before TO any advantage
| at all
| There is no theatre in New-YOrk that has more
history TO the square inch than the Old BOwery which
has been known Of late years as the Thalia. The
days Of its highest glory long past but 1t bore
not many years ago good reputation as the German
theatre Of the city, under the management of Gustav
Amberg Since then its fortunes have fallen, but now
~. %, ri.a fybI ohaIIa and
the old playhouse will assume once more place Of
| Importance, The Resented brothers 10 manage
| IL this season as German theatre, presenting the
best class Of plays, and they going about their
enterprise I'm a busnesslIke The house is further
downtown than could be wished, but 1t is close 10 q
station Of the elevated railway several surface lines
pass It, and 1t Is particularly easy of from
| Brooklyn.
Almost everything inside the theatre has been torn
| out this and the place is now begisnlng TO
assume appearance that gives hint Of how it will
| look when 1t IS ready to be occupied again. The
form OF the house, orchestra circle balconies boxes
| ETC.. IS the same as before, but nearly everything
else changed. The walls Of the auditorium will be
| decorated In dark red and yellow near the floor and
| pale pink with gold ornaments above. The dome is
handsomely painted represent sky, with birds and
| cupids flying In 1t and large IT, The ceutre
| The proscenium arch is richly adorned In different
shades Of red and bronze and the balcony fronts have
| panels of reddish and golden brown and pale green
and pink with small figures heads and other orna-
ments in high relief Of gold, silver and bronze. The
pit for the musicians will be lowered, after the man
ner OF the at Bayreuth. New seats, upholstered
In old gold plush, will be put 10. and they are so
much larger than the old ones that the seating
capacity Of the house will he REDUCED from 1000 to
1900. There Will be ladies' drawing room, open
ing from the first balcony The outside Of the build
| ing has been newly painted, and the steps which
extend the length Of the front, will be shut in by
roof and walls of glass The stage which is large and
one Of the deepest in the country, will be supplied
with all sorts Of modern appliances and with new
scenery painted by Franz KomOssy, from the I'M
perial Opera House at Vienna who will remain here
as scenic artist of this house. handsome act drop
has been painted by Man CRUDE, of Hamburg. The
house is supplied with electric lights by the Edison
Company. The Lilpbtlans will open a preliminary
season at the ITALIA, September ), and the regular
season Of the stock company Will begin three
weeks loter with Kleist's Katherine of Heiltroun
Just the BOwery from the Thalia Theatre is
tho Windsor and here again the hands of the carpenter
and the painter have been busy. new stage has
been built as the old worn out and also anti
quated. A combination house like this has such
a large vaAlety of scenery and appliances, and they
have TO be rolled around and fastened down In many
wears Years 6Ht u RAPIDLY Moreove since tSs as stage Of
the Windsor was built some sorts Of mechanism
have been devised, and these Will be made Of in the
night. This stage will be hidden from the audi
ence, at proper Intervals by new curtain. This Is
painted to represent drapers, pale pink in the middle
and crimson al the sides, with heavy gold fringe In
the middle OF the curtain is medallion with two
female figures representing Literature and Art. The
front of the house has by been neglected.
The balcony and box fronts have been handsomely
rcdecorated and much has been done the choice Of
colors for these and the walls and ceilings make the
house look less sOnbe than before. New carpets have
laid and few pictures added TO the already con
siderable collection the walls.
The changes that have been made in other theatres
are less sweeping than these but some Of them are
important The BtjOu, for instance is have a new
drop The present one long ago ceased to be re:
garded a. Of the Citys noteworthy treasures Of
art. and the new one, d plush, with ornaments VI
satin and rich trimmings, viii be welcome. This cur
tain will be used for the first time when "Nobe' is
PLAYED on August 81. The house has already been
supplied with new carpets, Of rich reddish brown, and
II Is remarkable how much heater and prettier looks
Theatre has also been recarpeted. but II decorated
two years ago. and nothing more except little clean-
ing was needed at this time
Tho NJ MuE ic hag rsfay Two