The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-01
BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
yxwss O,NEfL WILL APPEAR -tr
xozxRr ACADEMY THIS WEEK.
The Only Padercwski Coming-Richard
MansfieId's First Appearance since
His Illness in Philadelphia.

f0lmA0GfS.
be seen in "virginius": the Courier OF
LYONS" Saturday matinee. and Monte
Christie" Saturday night. ONeil Is 100
wen known AZ an actor 10 need any
further comment, and II is needless TO
say that his work is marked by earnest
ness and close attention TO detail.
Next week. on Tuesday. December 10Th.
the great Paderewski viii be heard IN
this city. at the Academy.
Tho long -talked-of opening of Hammer
stems Olympia is an accomplished iact.
The great building consists. as did Du-
mas Eousquetaires. of three members
I'm ons--Athos. the theatre proper; Por-
fhos. the concert hall. Arainis, the vau-
devills.
Each Is attractive in its way. but the
general charge must nc lad against
all three Of being strung together with
out rhyme or reason.
The building is faulty I'm that all three
of the amusement halls arc brought too
close to Broadway.
There is no room Tor movement or
circulation. The English models for
such q house-the Criterion. the Empire.
the Alhambra-have not been followed
at all
They afford as much space for the
fdler the man Of few moments. as
for the earnest sightscer of the doings
OF the stage.
In Hammerstein's house there is no
room for anybody who has not obtained
n seat. IL may be policy. but II means
discomfort and discontinue to that ever
growing class in New York that drifts
in and out OF concert hail. and re-
quests room to movt I'm. TO see in, and
be seen I'm.
Apart from this palpable failure. tho
building Is archtecturally beautiful. Thu
colors arc soft and subdued. 4 great
deal Of marble Is used IN stairway and
pavement. There is an air OF lavish
expenditure. but there is always a sense
that in crowd one would be pushed
out of window or aperture on 10 the
Broadway sidewalk.
There was a grand chance here 10 have
made q promenade fifty feet broad at
least. that would have connected the
three balls and become famous as the
rendezvous Of famous men and pretty
women. As II is. there are two or three
little palleres. where two persons pass
~ pain.
Pcx office VS.. comfort-and the former
wins every time
Richard Mansfield made his first an
p.arance since his illness on the stage
OF tho Chestnut street opera House. in
Philadelphia last Monday, in ''Reau
Brummel" lie played the part with accus'
toned delicacy and refinement. and tho
rtffcrnance was given with the same
completeness that has always accompa-
MED Mr. Manshel1's productions The
star was warmly welcomed upon his
FIRST entrance. and at the end of the
third and fourth acts was recalled. AT
the fan OF the curtain on the latter he
.fg
made characteristic speech. in which
ne apologzed for his recent illness.
and said had II not occurred. he would
have introduced a new play.
Mfr. Marsick gave his first violin re-
cttai at Carnegie Music Hall last week
with the assistance of Mir. William
Brockway pianist and composer. The
programme included a suite in four move
ments by Schutt. an Austrian composer:
Reethoven's celebrated kreutzer sonata,
bohemian airs. by Sarasate. and
"reverie" by himself.
His INTERPRETATION Of the suite by
Schutt. and especially of the Kreutzer
Sonata. displayed his lack Of breadth
and power Mr.. Marsicks stvlr is very
finished. graceful. and precise his bow
ing is mastery. but his playing Is not
marked by any warmth or enthusiasm
When ne made his first appearance with
the New Yo-k SYMPHONY Orchestra. we
noticed that his intonation was 4 al
ways as pure as IL should be. this defect
was even more evident last Friday. when
he PLAYED with piano accompaniment.
Mr. Howard Erockwav. besides the ac-
compartments. played serenade and
ballad of his own composition with much
charm. His work is melOdous. and mis-
IDEAS are not without originality. Mr..
ProclSwav was entitled 10 the warm ar
plause which greeted his performance.
NJ. Adolf Brodsky. who. after three
years sojourn I'm this country, returned
10 Europe last year. was recently APP
poirted sir Charles Halle's successor as
principal of the Manchester Royal Col
iege of Music Although best known
as a violinist. NJ Brodsky, who Is
Russian of forty-four years, was for a
couple of years one of the professors al
the Leipsic Conservative. He was
pupil OF Hel,mesberger. at Vienna. and
was member of the Hellmesberger
QuaItette until 1870.
In these days of war plays and stage
realism. the sound of hoof-beats Is
worked into pretty nearly every melo-
drama Very few people know how
the effect is produced. and very Few.
too. could make the noise right even II
they had the apparatus. II takes quite
a lot of practice TO be good horse.
as n is called. The necessary outnt
consists of a table, on which. is long
marble slab, covered with rubber grad
uated from an inch thick down To the
thirness OF piece OF paper. The opera
tor has strapped 10 each hand half a
coooanut shell. WHICH IS fastened Il
horse-shoe. He starts An pounding them
on the thick rubber TO initiate hoofbeats
In the distance. and gradually works
along 10 the thin part as they are sup
posed TO come nearer. and finally winds
up with a clatter on the bare stone as
the horse is pulled up Just outside the
scene.
This Is the cont'ivance used by Mr.
Russ W'\tal In For Fair Virginia"
and believe also invented by him. II
Is considered generally to be the most
effective Of all the hoof-bott machines.
A certain wcli-known actor. who is
just now thoroughly embarrassed finan-
cially. has a play. for whose production
ne n very anxious to have some one put
up the money He called on Manager
". e. Miner the other day. and present
ed his scheme. After the actor had
gone. Mr.. Miners business manager. Mr.
J. Charles Davis. came IN.
well" said Mr.. Davis, what do YOU
think Of Il? Are you going 10 do the
piey for hm?"
'1So. SIR said Mr.. Miner. emphatically
nm afraid TO. l don't dare do busi-