The times., 1899-07-02
OSCAR HIMSELF AGAIN
The IrrepresSible Hammerstein
Opens a New Roof Garden.
IL Is the Finest Gotham Has Ever
seen-With Hut Two Theatres Open
Business-"The Man In the Moon'
Is Prosperous-New York Jottinss.


Is Prosperous-New York Jottinss.
New>York, July 1.-The opening day of
this, the warmest month of the year. ands
New York's theatres practical cipher in
the furnishing OF amusement to the mill
lions of residents OF the greatest city on
the continent as well as to the hundreds
of thousands OF visitors who infest the
metropolis during the summer months. IN
stead, the music halls and the roof gardens
cater TO the tastes OF the multitude and
satisfy them to more or less degree. For
all that. there is a certain hunger for Ie-
gitimate amusement which increases as
the season of dullness continues and guar
antees excellent patronage for the theatres
which open early in the fall.
The past week witnessed the beginning
of the restoration of Oscar Hammersteln
and it is not unlikely that the success at
tending the efforts of this energetic mana
ger to regain his lost prestige will be
as widely appIauded and encouraged as was
his failure regretted. 1t was not many
years ago that he opened his Olympia. the
greatest amusement enterprise this conu-
nent has ever seen and conducted it with
palatial splendor which was the wonder
ment of the city and the dismay Of all
competitors. even though the latter were
enabled to smile quietly when the eventual
crash came. You will remember something
about his immense salaries; how he
| claimed to have payed Yvette Guilbert the
| sum of $4,000 weekly for her rather iufe-
| rior limitations. and how the French wo-
man was stolen from him by another music
hail and then returned to Paris to exc
out a miserable existence at the mere ba-
gatelle of 500 per night at Les Ambassa-
dores
fyette was hardly a profitable invest
ment Tor Hammerstein. and il is claimed
ne broke even only after the first week. the
| initial seven days making him pretty we'll
liked. however. AT any rate, he was glad
TO get rid OF Mile. Guilbert. who is giving
/ inferior limitations in Paris, where she at
tracts but little attention save when ad-
| vertised as the returned American beauty
who sings the most lewd and indecent
songs the stage censor Will permit
| But all this is neither here nor there re-
garding the restoration of Oscar Hammer
stein 10 prominence. 1t is his new music
hall which at present interests the visitor
in New York. and as Washington sends
| thousands here every week your realers
may learn how to amuse themselves in a
quiet, orderly way. Mr.. Hammerstefn has
gone beyond the boundaries of limitation
counseled by theatre architects. and the
roof resort is entirely different from all
others in the world. Oscar has unhappily
been at Monte Carlo. and as a monument
to his experiences there has modelled his
new place of amusement after the Moute
Carlo grand promenade. The stage Is di-
rectly in the centre OF the place, and is
! raised only two feet from the floor. an in
novation which is as startling as it is pop
ular- series Of metallic terraces rise
around the sides of the room so that no
visitor is more than fifty feet from the
performance at any time, no matter how
| cheap a seat he buys.
| You can imagine the sensation produced
| when the place was first opened Every
one knew Oscar would give something
new. but of all the immense throng which
arrived there was not one who did rot
express his delight and establishment
| over two thousand electric iucandescsnt5
illuminate the resort and by clever AZ
rangement of the various coloTed bulbs
there are no footlights The lamps in the
lower terrace are immersed in globes Of
water and were one permitted to indulge
| too freely in the flowing bowl here, he
might have visions which would be con-
| fusing. The white and gold color scheme
is carried out TO perfection. and as the
seats are comfortable and so arranged
that no part of the stage is hidden from
view the versatile Oscar is assured at
\ least one season of prosperity. The bill
of the opening week was well selected,
though not as expensive as some the
German manager has previously offered.
which again is applaudable, as it indicated
an understanding OF his financial limita-
tions- IL is little use to describe the pace
| in print; you can't appreciate it until you
come up and see il. II is not called roof
garden, you know, but Venetian Terrace
at the Victoria. The name is really not
deceptive and many people would like to
get look at Oscars hacker in the enter
prise, just for curiositys sake.
| The other amusement resorts are doing
quite we'll. The old reliable Keith's where
even the gentlest kind of a cuss word IS
not permitted, has given a series OF
sketches which are all excellent. This In
the place after which your Grand there in
| Washington is TO be modelled, and by tho
way. the Capital is beginning to be con-
sidered seriously here in a vaudeville way.
Mr. and Mrs William Robyns, Rose Nell
vile, and other Washington favorites were
in the bill last week. Tony Pastors had
! less refined performance, while the reJa-
| venated Corinne was the headliner for
PorctorS- This woman is a good deal OF
a quandary for some times she sings like
! a nightingale and the next evening would
not stand a contest with a bagpipe Over at
the Aerial Magnolia Grove the too great
ly advertised Cissy LOTUS, the too little
| appreciated Ezra Kendall and the ancient
Bessie Bonehill made up very excellent
trio OF entertainers Add to this list the
Palace. where Lillian Burkhart closed her
season last evening, the Casino roof with
the Washington favorite, Truly Shattuck.
as the leader OF the list and Roster & BIZ
ais with cats. dogs and monkeys. and the
Grand Central Palace with an inferior en-
tertainment, and you will appreciate what
a hold the music halls and vaudevi le
houses have upon US. One good thing IS
noted and that is that no soubrette can
successfully sing in an open-air house so
we are saved 4 great many earache5
Well. His Excellency, the Governor +"
| didn't close after all, as was announced.
| Instead it continues to good business The
patronage of this house is good deal like
a pendulum. One week it will foot up TO
about Sl0.000 and the next, without per-
| ceptible reason. fall to $1,000 which does
not mean any great profit for Charley
Frohman. | wouldn't be surprised il the
| piece would continue all summer row,
| with last weeks announced whenever husi-
ness drops below the profit point. When
| this bluff is made you will know what it
| means hereafter. There are enough people
here who Will see the comedy when they
nave to to keep it running through July
Amelia Bingham has replaced Jessie Mill
ward. who has sailed for England This
| English actress has made many friends
| and will return next year to resume her
work for Frohman. Her successor is really
| as acceptable in the new part. and again
| hnr