Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-12-11
THEATRICAL CbAI.
Events Of the Past Week in Local
Amusement Circles.

Amusement circles.
FEW ATTRAcTIONs At THE OPERA
HOUSE. BUT THE GRAND IS
BOOKED SOLID FOR MANY
GOSSIP OF THE STAGE IN GOTH
AM..GENERAL MATTERS OF IN
TERESF.
GRAND OPERA HOUSE-First half of
week. Rice & Barton's comedians, in
"MeDoodle and Poodle. last half of
week, A Cheerful Idiots'
OPERA HoUsE-Wed nesday, night.
Down in Dixie Saturday matinee and
night, Roland Reed.
The week was decidedly dull in
amusement circles. The Opera House
was dark after Monday night, and the
attractions at the Grand did not
draw very large audiences. Monte
Cristo" was on the boards at Manager
Reister's playhouse. with James
O'Neill in the dual stellar roles. 1t
was very finished artistic production.
and 1t was witnessed by the largest
audience of the season in that theatre.
This dramatiZation of Dumas romantic
story, appears to retain its popularity
in spite of the fact that it has been on
the boards many years. The name of
Mr.. ONeill is as intimately associated
with its success as is that of Joseph
Jefferson with Rip Van Wrinkle. Mr..
O'Neill had a very strong supporting
company, headed by Mr.. Breeze, and
the staging OF the play was admirable
in every sense. Chattanooga" was on
the boards at the Grand for three per-
formances. 1t is good play, but was
presented by very meriocre cast.
During the last half OF the week Gu
ba's Vow" one of the many dramas
built upon the recent Spanish
war, was the card. Aside from its
melodramatic appeals to patriotism,
there is absolutely nothing to COM
mand the production except its seem
cry and effects, which are built upon
a rather elaborate scale, and are very
pleasing. The company is poor, but
not poorer than the play.
The manager of the Chattanooga"
company is having troubles of his own
In Cincinnati he found Ii necessary to
dismiss a member of the company, and
day or two later one of the ladies
badly sprained her ankle. On the way
to Wheeling, Miss Fredericks became
sick, and it was found necessary to
abandon the Monday night perform
ance.
The Herndon company is being reor-
ganized here under the name of Au-
brey's Comedians. Manager Mittenthal
has found it necessary to cancel all en-
gagements until Christmas week The
company has been greatly strengthened
nnH will hxa ~ tbo CT
toire companies on the road. Twelve
strong plays will be produced, and all
will be handsomely mounted. Rehear-
sails are being conducted several times
a day.
The master hand OF a lifetime of
practical experience gives us a brainy
conceit in "McDoodle's Flats" as light
and fluffy as swans down. It's fun Is
innocent, but wholly irresistible, sug-
gestiveness and vulgarlty fall. Rice
& Barton avoid both. Their aim is
hearty laughter through the medium
of unctious, infectious. original, feath-
cry humor, from the only fountain
source of entertainment, Independent
originality. Needless to say, "McDoo-
dies Flats" the latest Of Rice & Bar
tons productions, is based on as many
laughs to the minute as time allows.
There lot of pretty girls froltck-
ing constantly in and out, of course;
how could Rice & Barton do without
them, and as they have the pick Of the
theatrical market, the present offering
is guaranteed to be original enough TO
please the most fastidious. Music.
melody, songs in abundance. TUneful
and rich in volume. interspersed
throughout the evening in generous
profusion in connection with the vagar-
les of the funny tuneful comedy. The
company presenting this piece ~ n
large one numbering nineteen people,
each of whom is an artist in mis-, or
her line. They will occupy the stage
of the Grand the first half of this week.
Roland Reed will begin his engage
ment on Saturday, December 18th,
matinee and night, at the Opera House.
He will present his highly successful
comedy, The Woman Halter" in the
evening, and THE Wrong Mr.. Wright"
at the matinee. This piece is one Of
the best that this popular actor has
ever had. 1t gives him splendid oppor-
tunities in the role OF supposed my
soginist, Samuel Bundy, retired mem
Der of the coffee exchange, who during
the play, manages to become engaged
to three different women at the same
time, and after a series OF highly anus
ing and complicated situations. finally
lands by mistake in lunatic asylum.
Mr. Reeds competent company all have
delightful roles and charming Isadore
Rush has a splendid role as Mrs. Lucy
Joy, who finally becomes Mrs. Bundy.
The delightful atmosphere Of the
South enwarps the play OF Down in
Dixie" which is TO be presented at the
Opera House. Wednesday. December
4th. This atmosphere adds to the
charm of what is in itself most fasci-
mating drama OF love, plots. perils. es-
capes and exciting incidents. 1t has
too, large percentage of fun OF kind
characteristic of the South. One par
ticularly popular feature Of the produc-
ton is the pickaninny band. One
much-talked-of scene is that in which
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