The times., 1899-08-06
GRAND TO Be RBFI9qED
Great Improvements Promised in
the Burke &'Chase House.
James X. Hacketf Has Trouble with
ances of DeWoIf Hopper Cause
unfavorabie Criticism - Notes and
Notices of Washington Tbespians.

cal season brings with 1t long line OF man
agerial announcements concerning fabulous
sums to be expended in reconstruction and
decoration. These announcements usually
get into print and are read with interest
| by large class of amusement lovers, whose
belief in them decreases every year. For,
| in general the boasted reconstruction
amounts to the erection of new brass raii
| in front of some box Office window, ana
the decoration is accomplished with the
aid of typewriter and few sheets of
what is technically known as copy paper.
| From the continual hammering and tear
ing going on inside of the Grand Opera
| House just now one may assume that this
| is not to be the case with the improve
| ments projected by Burke & Chase. When
! these enterprising directors left Washing
| ton last May, after suffering heavy losses
with their recently acquired property, the
promises made by them were taken with
various and sundry pinches of rock salt.
/ Ihat two men should drop several thous-
and dollars in a place of amusement -and
| still have such faith in it that they would
willingly risk a great deal more seemed
| inconceivable. Nevertheless, the duo had
not been in this city six hours upon their
return when thsy had asked for estimates OF
the cost of this work. and last week they
/ terminated such suspicious as may have
existed regarding their sincerity by award
| ing important contracts to W. B. Moses
& Sons, Milton Slemmer, the scene painter,
and others. On Friday a force of labor
ers began operations in the commodious
auditorium, and Burke & Chase proceeded
| to New York, there to complete their sea
| sons bookings.
! The alterations to be made in the old
Albaugh building are promised to reacn
/ h0 vi nj
around to the Fifteenth Street exit, and
| thence TO the stage door on Street. They
! Will begin with the arch next to the Re-
gent This is to be repainted and fur
nished with electric lights of so many
coIors that it will resemble gigantic
prism. The long lobby following will be
given added illumination, too, while the
! handsomest of rugs and draperies Will lend
much to the effect. The lobby of the Grand
easily might be made the most elaborate
| in town and probably will be.
Inside of the theatre proper there is most
need for repairs, and here will be used the
better portion of the $4,000 that is said
to be the sum determined upon for expendl-
ture The most costly of carpets are to be
| laid and the heaviest of curtains hung,
while contract has been let which pro-
vides for the upholstering OF every chair
on the first two floors of the structure.
Several hundrer lights. are to be added
| to those already placed and other altera-
tions will be made. II is not stated wheth-
| er the unsightly boxes which have marred
! the Grand for 80 long Will be removed or
not. But one may take it for granted that
/ they will not be overlooked
Probably the most welcome of improve
ments will be those made in the ante
rooms facing on Fifteenth Street. These
are TO be closed on all sides, and turned in
to lounging and smoking apartments such
! as have proved luxuries at sundry New
York theatres-Daly's and the Broadway
among them. Big diyans and comfortable
chairs will be furnished, these, with the
hangings and decorations, giving rich
| Oriental effect. The rooms will be a de-
parture in local amusement architecture,
and should be appreciated.
First among the changes to be made
back of the proScenium arch will be the
| hanging OF new curtain-a curtain unde-
| faced by trade advertisements and unso-
licited advice regarding the best baking
powder and the most enjoyable cigarettes.
A quantity of scenery is also to be put
| into position, insuring proper setting for
every turn, and plenty of exercise for
4 the brawny shifters. Reftted dressing
rooms, modern heating appliances, and
| like desirabilities, will make the back of
| the house as comfortable as the front, and
should be a source of qualification to the
entertainers engaged.
When to this account is added the infor-
| nation that Burke & Chase, whose last
| years bills were sadly injured by lack OF
time for booking, have devoted all the
summer to securing competent performers
| for their programmes, it may be seen that
| the Grand is in a fair way to establish a
devoted clientele. Whether this is done
or not, the enterprise and public spirit of
Managers Burke and Chase certainly mer-
| it unusual reward, and it is earnestly to
be hoped that the bread they have cast
upon the waters during the period in which
their house has been closed will return to
them many fold. and anything but water
| soaked.
| Another local theatre which is soon to
open its doors is the Bijou, the evening an
| nounced for the ceremony being that of
! September 2. During the past few weeks
| the place is said TO have undergone ex-
| tensive alterations, most of them wrought
! by the skilled hands of the painter and
| decorator. The interior of the building has
| been finished in white and gold new car
pets and draperies have been put in place.
revolving chairs have been substituted for
| the old loge seats, the stage has been set
back sufficiently to admit of the erection
! of added orchestra rows and the number
| of boxes has been increased to twelve. A
/ great deal OF handsome scenery has been
| provided too and the ancient system OF
| sliding fats" which has held so long
| will give way to the use of the more modern
| drop" The exterior and the lobby of the
| Bijou are also to undergo several changes
and altogether the place will present a very
different appearance from that it now as
sumes when the night comes for the sea-
sons beginning.
| Manager John Grieves, who has
| spent the last two months in
| New York, claims to have arrang-
ed for as many improvements in bills
as he has provided for his house. num-
| Der of important head-liners have been
signed and nearly every novelty the year is
| likely to offer has been secured. Lastly
| the stock company has been recruited with
a score OF well-knewn comedians and sing
ers. chief among them, Edna Aug, who has
been seen here with ''Hotel Topsy TurYy''
and other big productions. Besides this
clever woman the organization will include
Ida Mule, Gussie Helston, Belle Gold, Fay
Powers, Annie Carter, Mile Craski Carl
| Anderson, Henri Wallace. Sam ]. Adams,
Frank Meader Barry Thompson, Nina Col
Inns. Flora Parker, Dot Davenport, Billy
Watson, Charles De Forrest, Jack Flood
Sol Goldsmith, 1.-The Bijou Male Quar-
| tette." and others, With such a combina-
ton the performances at the Bijou should
be consistently enjoyable and probably will
be well-attended
And, speaking OF the vacation period
lust ending. how far below expectations
the supplementary season of 1899 has
| fallen, In view of the great "splurge"
/ with which the summer was begun the
! present dullness appears almost ludicrous.
| Had the plans announced been half realized
every theatre in Washington would have