The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-26
IT'S BEAUTIES UNVEILED
GRAND OPENING OF WILLIAM f. EN-
GLisHs NEW OPERA HOUSE.
Society Packed the Theater to See
slack and the BeanstaIIx--
Other Amusements.


smiles that spoke of gladness and dances
that reflected the joy of merry performers,
with grand choruses, ballets, marches and
novel electric effects, all Intervene about
the old stories from nursery days, Jack
and the Beanstalk made his bow at the
new English's Opera House last night. 1t
was out-and-out first night" the first
one in years in this city, and the dedication
of the new theater was a blazing success
OF course, the house was packed" and,
of course, the best in the town was there
dressed to beat a May festival gathering.
When the ivory-tinted asbestos curtain
rose. disclosing the beautiful new drop cur
tain with its Venitian scene, an orchestra of
fifteen pieces under the leadership of He
man Arnot late of the Academy at Balti-
more, struck up the overture. At the same
time there was a volley Of applause from
all parts of the house. When the main cur
tain was raised on the forty robbers" with
their song about the shot and the knife that
sends their victims to 1.-The kingdom come"
there more applause. Everybody
seemed happy, and lost no chance to show
good WILL Then came the pretty maids"
the same that figured throughout the per-
Torrance whenever pretty maids could be
used by the author, and they were so pretty
and pretty rows of teeth and wore such
dainty slippers and airy costumes and could
| sing and dance so well that they won all
the hearts in the house and carried them
| away whenever they danced off in the
woods around Mother Hubbard's lowly res
| idence. Red-nosed King Cole, with Mary
| Quite Contrary his daughter and Little
Miss Muffet as her best friend, came
| on, and they could also sing songs,
| dance and do a host of things which no
one has ever found among their mentioned
| accomplishments in history. Then there
came trippin on a little fellow, all in blue,
with a jaunty air and a brave ''ha, hal"
That was Jack. The audience took to Jack
in an instant and made him bow his pretty
head repeatedly Jacks real name is Madge
Leasing and reports show that she has sue
cessfully masqueraded through all the big
Eastern cities for year. Jack could dance
little and sing more and his voice was as
winning as his beautiful shape all done up
in blue. While Jack was telling about his
many strange adventures, saving King Cole
and his beautiful daughter. falling in love
with the latter, and building a castle in the
air high as the great giants abode
which he was later going to capture, his
dreams were interrupted by the appearance
Hubbard. Mrs. Hubbard had her famous
dog with her and he did not look at all as
If he mad been without a bone But he was
a wonderful dog who could set up on his
tail and behave himself IN all the fine COM
pany. Mrs. Hubbard herself was not the
prosy old dame of the story book. She
could sing like a bird, had a temper of her
own and carried a broom with which she
often beat the Sailor Snbad who had left
the briny deep just to follow Jack over the
country. Then the plot began to thcken.
Jack wanted to marry the daughter of King
Cole and sold the old cow, probably the
same one that jumped over the moon, for
hatful of beans What did he want with
hatful of beans? Why had he not invited
| King Cole to dinner, and with not bone
| in the cupboard he had to have something
| to feed his highness. My, but Mrs Hub
| bard was furious. She threw out the beans
| in the back yard and wished Jack had
| never been born But the fairies came and
made the beans take root and that was the
cue for the famous beanstalk. 1t grew
right up, higher and higher, like some
Yogis magic tree. The top disappeared in
| the clouds and it was soon learned from the
| good fairy. a most comical fairy, that the
| top of the beanstalk had reached to the
| giants castle.
MR.. ENGLISH'S SPEECH.
| All these wonderful things took place in
| the first act, and when the pretty curtain
fell the people who had followed Jack up
| the beansralk, as in a dream, woke to find
themselves in Englishs new opera house.
| They glanced over to the right proscenium
| box. and there they beheld Mr.. English
| himself surrounded by friends and receiv-
| ing happy congratulations. Then every
| body forgot Jack and began to applaud,
| and some shouted Mr.. English's name. That
was the proudest moment In long while
| for VIM. e. English. He blushed like
| schoolboy. His friends pulled at his coat
| and finally hoisted him out of the box onto
the stage. He faced the audience bravely,
| and when the noise subsidized he made
| speech. 1t was a good, straightforward
| talk, not. at all like man addressing his
| fellow-citizens from the Yellow bridge. He
nearly forgot once or twice what he had
| laid out to say but he worked it all in be-
| fore he was done. He assured the people
| that it had long been his ambition to give
| Indianapolis first-class theater, one that
| could stand comparison with any in the
| country, and the applause told him he had
| succeeded. He modestly believed that the
| theater was in keeping with the progress
| of the city and when he had retired there
| was more applause until some time after
| he had taken his seat There was a great
| display of good feeling, and many compli-
mentary remarks that would have caused
many more bushes could Mr.. English have
heard them ali.
| Then the curtain went up on scene in
| the giants castle, with Jack and all his
| friends captured and about to be served
| for the giants dinner This giant was a
monster to send shivers down the spine.
| He was all the historian had ever repre-
scented. Jack himself did not reach to his
waist But if Jack were frightened he did
not lose his wits. He had shown that he
was a merry fellow and with his com
panions started in to amuse the giant and
gain time. He made little Miss Muffet and
Sinbad dance and sing, and even had King
Cole do a turn. Presently he saw his
chance, and telephoned (the giant had all
the latest Improvements in his castle) to
the good fairy to come quick. The fairy
shot up through the floor and fell on her
face The giant shuddered and some of
the furniture took legs and ran away. The
fairy called in his unGerstudies, who danced
around and put the giant and all his men
to sleep with a bottle of knockout" drops.
Then Jack took the key of the castle from
the giants belt and got into his treasure
his magic harp, and everybody escaped
by the beanstalk back TO Mrs Hubbards
cottage. During the last act there
We're high times in the cottage. Jack had
changed it into palace with his stolen
wealth and married King Coles daughter