The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-18
$4GOOOOOO FOR FUN.
THAT Is THE AMOUNT INVESTED
IN CHICAGO SIDE SHOWS"

Three Great Spectscles - Abbey's
"Amerioa" at the Auditorium-"Co-
lumbus' at Bsiley's and the Edo
Radcliffe Passion Play-Steele Mac
kaye VIII Psralyze the Theatrical
! World-Oigby Bell viii Be at Hoo
ley's-W Wilson and DeWolf Hopper
Sparring for Openings Days
! Shakespearean Revival-rwo Great
! Pyrotechnic Displays - Millions in
"The Hippodrome"-Sousa Thomas
and Gilmore.
(CopWioht1
| NEW YORK, Sept. 17-Conservative esti-
mates place the investment in amusement
enterprises for Chicago during the wor Ids
fair at 40,0O0, 900 Enthusiasts in the
| Garden City fix the sum at $50, 900 900.
! But this seems to be a rather wild exRggera-
tion. Still the capitalization Of amusement
projects at Springfield alone has already
mounted into the millions and much OF
this money will come from New York.
Abbey, Schoeffel 81 Grau's spectacle at
the Au ditorium Steele Mackayes enterprise
on the worlds fair grounds, the E;dorado
! of Weehawken, the Sousa monster orches-
| ira ent erprise, the " Hippodromes" the
! Passion Play" and Pains fireworks will
all be backed by eastern money, and lots
of 1t.
''In fact" said Mr.. sohoeffel to me, sit
will be a great Coney Island, with amuse-
Is big and little on all sides. with the
| grea test entertainments this country has
ever seen aud with probably more attrao-
| tions outside than inside the fair.
Theatrical managers, east and west, have
simply gone Chicago-mad. They are pay
ing tremendous prices for privileges, big
sums for centrally located property. and
they seem to give no heed whatever 20 the
fact that July, August and September, the
| great months OF the fair, are conducive to
| anything but indoor amusements. The
| latest OF the enterprises Is a contract to
transplant the Eldorado to Chicago. l am
| told that the capitalization is something like
two million and half. that the grounds
! have already been selected and that the
buildings will be an exact reproduction of
| those at Weehawken, castle, casino, fount-
ain, lights, amphitheater and all
1--WE will have two enterprises In Chicago
from May to October, ana the first will be
| the spectacle America, at the Auditorium, )"
said Mr.. Schoeffel to me. 1.-THE play there
will be arranged by Imre kiralfy. and he
has carte blanche as TO expense. The
| Schaefor family of Vienna, to-day the most
marvellous performers in the world. are I'M
| der contract to appear In the spectacle. So
! is Sandow, the strong man, and we are
| closing contracts every week with star per
| formers in the capitals of Europa
The Passion Play seems to be an assured
| fact. l am told that the incorporation of
the company at Springfield late in June
was folio owed almost Immediately by the
| signing of contracts with all the great
Oberammergau players. The syndicate is
represented In Europe by Franz tanner
| director Of the Imperial opera house at
| Vienna, and his first contract was with
| Joseph Myer, who personated the Savior
at Oberammergau. All the others have
been signed on condition that the $50, 900
| guaranteed them be placed in bank to the
order OF a third responsible party. This,
too, has been done, and it il now the inten-
| ton TO have all the original costumes an d
| scenery brought here, and an amphitheater
! will be constructed especially for the pro-
| duction. Even the hotel accommodations
| for the 2o5 BsvArian peasants who are to
| produce the play are engaged.
| had a chat with one of the New York
| gentlemen interested in the Chicago Hippo
| drome Company the other day and he in
| formed me that matters in connection with
the enterprise were progressing splenddly.
I'VE are investing $4,000, 900 aud will have
| a greater hippodrome than the best and
| most famous Of Europe. In fact, the star
| Paris performers are under contract with
US, and will be here at the formal opening
| in May"
There is still some talk Of transferring the
Paris hippodrome complete to the Libby
| Prison" grounds 10 Chicago, and it is possi-
bic that that enterprise will yet be carried
into effect.
The First regiment armory lie now giving
way to Well and Lederer's immense new
theater, and / understand that DIR. Ziegfeld
has secured the Meiniuger orchestra as one
OF its prime attractions.
So much has been said of Steele
Mackaye's great enterprise on the world
fair ground that | can add but little Of in
tereSJ. Mir. Mackaye has not yet finished
the play which is to be produced there, and
simply announces that it will be on a
Rrander scale than has ever been attempted
in the world OF amusements on either side
of the Atlantic
When John Philip Sousa, OF the Marine
band left Washington to accept the leader
ship Of the new Chicago orchestra, musical
critics announced shat popular music would
not be lacking, aud in this they are prob
ably correct. He will be a formidable ival
to Theodore Thomas, whose orchestra is
also to be greatly enlarged. Then there are
vague reports that Gilmore will give up the
| season at Manhattan Beach and transfer
his orchestra to Chicago for she summer
heard also that the only Gilmore Intended
to take 100 New York musicians with him.
The Digby Bell Opera Company will fur
|
and two new operettas are to be produced
in addition to Jupiter" in all Of which
Mr.. and Mrs. Bell will appear. Wilson and
De Wolf Hopper are still sparring for open
ings, and heard recently that they had
each secured a Chicago theater for at least
part Of the season.
The fireworks speotacles will be In full
swing Both Pain and Brock have secured
grounds, paying enormous prices, UNDER
stand, for the privileges, and will continue
the rivalry which has been so notable at
Brighton and Manhattan thus season. Both
are preparing a Columbian spectacle, and
Mr.. Pain is arranging to tell the story OF
the discovery of America in pyrotechnics,
TO DO followed by historical representa-
ton of the great American wars, all pict-
ured in great masses Of variegated fire.
Augustin Days Shakespearean revival in
Chicago will be no mean feature of the
great fair. With Ada Rehan and his magni.
ficent company he will produce almost ali of
the greater comedies with superb scenic ad-
| juncts.
And then the circusl Bailey will be there
with his s., 000, 900 show, and says he will
simply eclipse the worlds fair itself. His