The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-19
ACRES OF FOLKS.
Nothing But Faces From the
Fairgrounds Gate
Clear Up to the End of the Ex-
position Hall
WILL BE THE SIGHT
At Fairgrounds Tomorrow
Night, If Weather is Good.
Stage Will Be the Biggest Ever
Erected in the West.
EVERY TWO MINUTES.
Cars Will Run Almost COntinu-
Ously to the Grounds.
Performance Will Not Begin
Until Almost Dark,
In Order to Heighten Light
and Color Effects.

been undertaken on as large a scale in
Topeka as the cinderella" extrava-
ganza in the fair grounds grove, which
will open tomorrow night.
Never before has the experiment been
tried here of giving tableaux, music
and dancing with calcium light effects
out of doors. Every precaution has
been taken to secure the best results,
and colored fire will be used to height
en- the effect of the scenes.
The stage is wider than the stage at
the Grand Opera House.
The seats have been arranged in a
vast semi-circle and rise in tiers above
each other, covering two or three acres
in extent. At the rear, circus seats will
be erected. and the whole will seat
5000 people. 1t will be a good idea to
take your opera glasses. Behind the
seats is a dense grove of evergreeps
and elns which will make a pretty set
ting after dark. The performance will
not begin until darkness has fallen as
it requires dark surroundings for the
fire and calcium effects.
The entertainment has been prepared
at considerable expense and the audi
enceS must be on the same scale as the
attendance at the food show in order to
realize the amount expected for the
benefit of the floral parade floats. There
are TO be ten of these built by those in
terested in the floral parade, in addition
to several private and secret society
Hoats which are expected, bringing the
total up to as many as twenty. If this
number is reached the Topeka floral
procession will exceed that of any other
city in the United States where such
entertainments are given. The only
cities where floral parades are now
given are Saratoga, N. Y; Kansas City,
Mo; Colorado Springs, Col; Los An
geles, Cal, Topeka, and a number of
smaller California towns.
The "Cinder6lla' entertainment is an
opportunity for the people of Topeka to
contribute to this beautiful pageant
and at the same time enjoy a pretty
opera extravaganza for only ten cents.
1t is calculated that at least 10, 900 to
$4,000 people will attend and thus raise
a handsome fund which will enable the
floral committee to purchase materials
for floats, pay for their construction,
hire horses and drivers and buy col
ored fire to illuminate the night pa
rade which is to follow the day parade.
The floral committee have pinned their
hopes on the "CinderelIa' entertain-
ment and there is every Indication that
it will be a thorough success.
This morning full dress rehearsal of
cinderella" was held at Hamilton hall,
and the spectacular extravaganza is an
assured success from the stage point of
view There are exactly $50 children
who take part in the production and
their costumes are beautiful and bril-
liant. SteinbergS augmented orchestra
will furnish the music for the piece.
There will be two pianos placed in front
of the stage at the fair grounds and a
regulation orchestra pit. Electric lights
will be strung around through the audi
ence space and over the stage. Most
of the lighting of the stage will be fur
nished by four large calcium lights,
which will be operated by r. H. Baker.
Mr.. Baker will be on the ground by six
o'clock in order to have everything in
working order.
There is now an amphitheatre in the
fair grounds close to the main entrance.
hos lNrrf
that. strong and has a sea ting capacity
of 5000. There is more space for seats,
and should the attendance the first
night be so large as to require more
seats they will be built Wednesday
morning.
The stage is one which is exactly suit
able for the production of Cinderella
On this account the production is given
an advantage. There will be no cat
calls to raise the drop for there will
be drop to raise. The only drop to
be seen will be the trees or scenery at
the rear of the stage. The rear of the
stage will represent the grounds of the
kings palace. There will be a huge
stairway leading down toward the front
and it will be handsomely draped. The
side setting will represent massive pill
lars in the royal grounds. The four cal
cium lights will be placed on either side
of the stage and hidden from view of
the a Alience.
Mrs. E. B. Meredith, whose plans are
now after six weeks work approaching
fruition, is enthusiastic over the pro-
gress made by the children. She says
that they have learned their parts so
quickly and that every arrangement for
the production has been made SO thor
oughly that il seems as if there could
be nothing to hinder the performance
except the weather. She said:
Our dress rehearsal this morning
was an excellent one. The dancers are
trained thoroughly and those who have
speaking parts know their lines perfect
ly- I am very much encouraged, and
the only thing I fear is that we haven't
got seats enough for the crowds who
will attend. We have built seats for
1900 people. I will have plenty of help
in staging the play and hope the good
people of Topeka will pronounce it the
finest thing ever seen in Topeka of the
kind
Mr. L. M. Crawford has kindly offered
the use of any of the scenery out of his
opera houses free of charge.
The special features of the opera in