The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-08
THE NEW ACADEMY OF MUSIC.

gas. This is controlled by regulators,
OF which there are six in the house, one
for each Of the border lights, one for the
footlights and one for the rest of the
house. The gas work was done by
the Roanoke Sanitary Plumbing Com
pany, which was given the contract only
two weeks ago, and which made remark.
able progress to have their work COM
pleted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.
The quality Of the material used in
the Academy OF Music and the charac.
ter Of the work is tirst-class, mono but
skilled labor being employed, super
vised by leading experts in theatrical
building and furnishing.
Tho Academy has Il frontage OF 20
feet on Salem avenue aud is l64 feet
deep. The heighth Of the dome from
tho street is 80 feet. Tho architecture
of the front of tho theatre is designed
after the French school at tho beginning
OF tho last century. From the ground
to tho second story it is in granite cut
stone, with the main entrance in the
center and ON either side store room
30 by 30 feet The upper portion Of
the front is of faced brick with terra
Gotta trimmings and stucco work, the
whole surmounted by handsome
dome.
The windows in the upper part Of the
front open into the foyer, large
spacious hall seventy feet long and
forty-five feet high intended for prone
nading and which can be utilized as n
ball room. The entrance on Salem
balcony seats. The second gallery is
entered from the rear of the building.
The entrance leads first to the lobby,
which is twenty six feet square and is
handsomely tiled and decorated. The
wainscoting is OF colored glazed tiles.
The floor Is OF marble ana the whole is
finished in papier- mache work. The
lobby contains the ticket office. The
auditorium consists of the parouet and
parquet circle, the latter being raised.
The auditorium has a seating capacity
Of $50 people.
The chairs, which we're furnished by
the School Furniture Company of Grand
Rapids, Mich, of which Jno. nj. Sauder
Is the Roanoke agent. are richly up
holstered in crimson plush. Tho floor
has a fall of about six feet from the
entrance to the stage, thereby enabling
tho audience to obtain a perfec view Of
tho stage from any part of the auditor
ium. The boxes, eight in number, are
so arranged thas tho spectators from
any box command complete Wow OF
the stage. The boxes are covered with
crimson plush, lined with papier-mache
and finished with silk hangngs.
Two staircases, ten feet wide, lead
from the lobby to tho first balcony,
which has seating capacity Of 500 per-
sons. The rails are covered with GRIM
son plush. The second gallery, entered
from the rear of the building, seats 500
people, making u total seating capacity
for The who'd theatre OF $500 people
The interior decorations arc profuse
nishing. The prevailing shade is terra
Gotta relieving The bronze The deco
rations throughout reafter tho French
school The ceiling is Il beautiful de-
sign, festooned and richly ornamental,
producing dome effect, the square
corners being relieved by floral orna.
ruentation. Tho stucco work, fronting
the balconies, boxes and proscenium
arch, is taste fully finished in gilt, i'm
parting an appearance OF ivory and gold.
The decorative work has been in the
hands of Frederick Rode. one OF tho
largest decorators in New York city.
The work has been personally super.
vised by ii. M. Petit, Mr.. Rode's de-
signer.
The stage is particularly spacious,
being SO feet by 65 feet, and is compe-
tent to accommodate any theatrical
company in the United States. 1t is
fitted with the very latest improved
mechanical inventions for producing
scenic effects, dissolving effects and is
furnished with several traps. Consti-
tuting tho scenery arc twenty drops,
eighty wings. i've full interiors and the
drop curtain. The dressing rooms, ten
in number, arc tastefully fitted up with
all conveniences and com forts.
Tho house is lighted by electricity,
Edison system There are roo limits,
800 OF which are on the stage. Tho foot
lights are so arranged that they may be
controlled at will, and arc also pro.
vided with colored mediums, producing
red, white or green effects, as may be de-
sired.
lncandescent globes are fitted into
the stucco " ork OF tho balconies ana the
ceiling, enhancing tho effect of the dec
orations. The doors communicating be-
tween tho stage and the auditorium are
OF iron. The exits are wide and an on.
tirely separate exit is provided for the