Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-08-06
NOTES FROM THE HUB.
[srEcIAL coRnEsroNpENcE. ]

Another change in Boston theatricals!
This seems to be a season Tor moves, judg.
ing by the different transformations
which have occurred. First came the
change Of policy at the Castle Square,
then the new leSseeship at the BowdOiu
SIIarr, and finally the new management
al the Grand Opera House. still another
change has just been made public. as the
result Of which LOthrup's new Grand
thvater passes into the hands of Thomas
a Watson for the next five years The
firm has been in control of Lothrop's
Opera House in Providence, II. l., and
has also been in business in PawtuCket
and Lowell DR.. LOthrop has just sold
the Providence theater which led them
to turn their attention to Boston. The
house, which will be known after this as
the Grand theater, will be opened on Aug.
l6, and will maintain a stock company at
popular prices Throughout the year. 1t is
an open secret that theatrical business
has been bad in Boston for several years,
and that scarcely a theater has made
Inoney, with the exception of the Boston
and Keith's. The late John Stetson real
lied this fact, and when his theater, the
Globe, was burned. went across the street
and hired the Park, putting up a hotel on
a portion of the site where the Globe had
stood and leaving the rest vacant. The
Park had made no money and Crabtrce
(bruther of "Lotta," who owns the thea
ter) was glad to unload the management.
TIL" Museum steadily declined as "A
money maker the fact driving Monty"
Field out of the managerial charge hc
had held so long. The BowdOin Square
started for a first class but soon de-
generated into a second or third class
house. Its location in one of the tough
est portions of the city for one thing
killed it. The handsome Columbia ran
frst-Class plays with frst-cIass com
panies for a year or two but it did not
pay and went the way of most the rest
and became a popular price house
/ which means that the price and the goods
furnished is cheap. The Hollis has main
tanned its high standard of prices and
plays. The theateT is the famous old
Hollis street church reconstructed and
has always paid. Its manager is Isaac
Rich, John Stetson's old partner when the
/ Howard, one Of the lowest lived theaters
in Boston today. was giving the best va
riety show that has ever been given be
fore or since in Boston and was clean
ing up" something over $1,000 a year
The Grand Opera House was built for a
skating rink when roller skating was in
its decline and the rnks We're little bet
ter than places where the houses Of pros
ututiun were recruited. 1t lost money as a
/ rink, and it has always lost money as a
~ l. IL.
er SalVni there and society picked him
up. and for a few weeks the theater was
crowded. but small houses. pretty good
plays and pretty bad companies have
been the rule. Just after the Museum
! gave up its stock company most of the
act pIs and actresses, a good many of them
rusty or old, or who had not knocked
around went there but did not draw.
The Boston has always made money on
Cne OF two big spectacular shows every
year, and the fremont has maintained
the highest tone. but has not made its
prOprietOrs rich. The new and handsome
Castle Square is crowded at every per-
tonnanCe. 1t gives a fairly good show for
little money. 1t is in the very heart of
the tenderl0in, and the fact that there is
a big hotel in connection with the theatey
has much to do with filling the house.
The changes in the minor theaters have
been beyond compute.