The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-22

Mr. Jacob Lift fixed his place among
the Chicago managers last SUNDAY
night when he opened McVickers
theater with such a production or
shenandoah as this country has not
seen before. The one thing to be said
for Mr. Lift in all his undertakings is
that he never tries to compromise in
the matter OF expense. If he goes in
for production it is bound to be all
that money can make it, and he
thoroughly appreciated the necessity of
doing something at the opening of Nc
VickeI's under his own management
that would attract attention In the
Windy City. He did that same with
half an effort The McVicker lease is
a big thing in itself, and Mr.. Lift took
the house with the idea of making a
place for himself in city where orig
inAl productions might be made or big
reVivals INDUCED in, with the aSSur-
ance that if the public was pleased that
public would be numerous enough to
make the necessary box office contribu-
ton.
1t is generally understood among the
Western managers that the Chicago
success is the most certain to please
the Western taste. A New York sue
cess has frequently fallen very fiat. in
the West, while there does not occur
20 the writer now the name of single
E"etentiuuS successful production in
Chicago that was not hit and a
money maker. Aside from his belief
n the capacity of McVickers to make
money by itself Mr.. Lift wanted the
house to introduce his productions I'M
DER Western. but eEs ntially metropoli-
IAN, conditions. The taking of McVick-
erS by manager not conSpicuouSlY
identified with Chicago theatricals was
an undertaking in Itself and it took d
lot of money to swing the deal.
If the opening business of the house
IS any evidence Of what is to come. Mr.
Lift has made a good investment, for
it is said that the receipts on the week
ran up to $4,000.
The putting on of Ssh nandoah" was a
happy thought, for in the present state
of public feeling it appeals more
strongly to the feelings Of the theater
goer than any piece now before the
public-or in the books of the American
drama for the matter of that. The pro-
duction is described by the Chicago pa
perssas being magnificent. Every de-
tail in the appointments of the house
was made to cOmpolt with the stage
settings, even the employees being in
uniform. The cast included such ex-
cellent actors es Otis Skinner, Nannette
Comstock and Mary Hampton. Even
the most conservative of the Chicago
PdpGAS tISdltAl lIl0 as q
great production. The Times Herald
said, of the opening, besides compli-
menting the actors:
Mr.. Lifts management of McVicker's
theater could not have been inaugurated I'M
der happier circumstances than it was last
night. The beautiful theater, its entrance
literally ablaze with electric light was
packed to the doors Shenandoah was
revived in a way which meant that Mr.
Lift had literally spared nothing 1t was
&C ed eXcelien IS, the scenery was very go d.
and the battle pictures as realistic as any
the stage has ever afforded For a first
night performance it was wonderfully free
from flaws or bitches.
Even the horses, which usually suffer
rather more than human beings from stage
fright, behaved themselves beautifully.
Stage Director R. A. Roberts deserves great
credit for such an artistic and so carefully
worked out production. The audience was
sympathetic from the first and so enthuis-
astlc over the arrival CT Sheridan in act
that they kept the curtain going up and
down for about twenty minutes. On this
account principally the performance was
not over till near midnight.
The only way in these time to revive a
play as we'll known as Shenandoah" is to
do with it just what Mr.. Lift has dona,
The best actors and everything to match
must be offered.
Shenandoah is an interesting play-nos
a very great one perhaps, in a technical
sense-but it contains just the honest, clean