Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-09

pIsc.- of amusement and mex; Monday the
New Grand vii throw open its doors. as
will the Lafayette Square. The weather
has been little warm for going indoors,
but all the theaters have done good busi-
ness 1t is expected that from now the
nights will be comparatively cool. and that
fact will probably add to the attendance at
all the houses The bills offered for next
week are all good. The Academy will pre-
sent a farcical conceit that has met with
success elsewhere; the Lafayettes offering
is a minstrel company, composed, 1t Is
claimed, of good people and the programs
at the New Grand, Lyceum and Bijou in
clude the names of many wel!-known
vaudeville performers.
Mr.. Robert Downing, who has host OF
friends in this. the city of his birth, Will
come to the Lafayette Square Opera House
shortly with a play called An INDIANA
Romance" Mr.. Downing has Tor years
been closely identified with tragic roles,
and it will be something of surprise to
SEE, him in a domestic drama. Still, those
who remember him when he was leadlnS
for Joseph jefferson know that he Is
perhaps better In comedy than IN TRAGEDY.
His new play. which will have its first pre-
sanitation in this city, is said to be Well
drawn as to its characters, bright as to its
dialogue and forceful in Its dramatic con-
struction. There humorous and pa
thetic passages. and the story is full OF
heart interest. Mr. Downing will certainly
be well received and it is hoped that MS
new venture will prove successful.
The color scheme of the New Grand,
private view of which has been AFFORDED
the press is somewhat of a departure
from the customary style of decoration
The Moorish character of the interior
architecture and the immensely of the au-
ditorium prohibited the use of the faVorlte
coIors white and gold because these are
suitable only for small or narrow theaters.
Therefore the decorative artist. the same
who beaut1ed the blue room of the White
House. originated a new harmony of CO..
ors. which is in entire accord with the
architecture and the fixed tints of the au-
ditorium. AS there no necessity 10
change the handsome ceiling, ii was taken
as the dominant tint. and the remainder
of the house catches its effect from 1t. The
result of the midseason effort is a colorlng
wholly artistic, perhaps little esthetlc,
but decidedly rich in depth. warm in MS
quality and admirable as an illumlnant
Salmon red pale Nile green, neutral old
gold and electric blue are the main coors,
and these have been distributed most clev-
erly and effectively. The entrance Is
classic and agreeable, and will evoke ad-
miration The arch outside the theater has
new coloring gold leaf and lights, and ITS
electric blaze makes that part of Pennsyl-
vana as light as day
LIebler K Company. the managers of Viola
Allen in The Christian and Children OF
the Ghetto" Will present James O'Neill in
their production of The Musketeers at
the Columbia Theater the week of October
. The play Will be mounted exactly as
presented at the Broadway Theater in New
York last spring Mr. O'Neill presents the
Grundy version of the Dumas story, in
which Beerbohm Tree played for one year
at the Haymarket Theater in London
Several comic Hebrew characters have
been given a place in Israel Zangwill s
Chi dreu OF the Ghetto" but they not
of that offensive type common to the
vaudeville stage drawn on the distortive
lines 50 long adhered to by humoFists, nov
elists and dramatists heretofore. The Gang
will funny Jew is but the reflection of the
actual personality of that Hebraic char
acter in the London ghetto. Mr. Zangwill
has been careful To make his comic person.
ages bear the imprint of truth and not
Caricature. The comedy interest is princi-
pally carried by William Norris Mel
chitseGek Pinchas, the poet; Richard earle
as Shossh Shnendrik, and two three
other characters. These parts are neces-
sary to a truthful. representation of ghetto
life, but they are not TO be taken as
standard from which 10 judge the Hebrew.
They must be balanced by the nobler and
more intellectual, which really predomi-
nate in the story of the play.
As ''Reb" shemuel Wilton Lackaye will
make up in exact counterfeit of the person
aiity Of one of the most famous characters
III modern Jewish history. The term ''Reb'
is popular corruption of Paw or rabbi.
IL Rabbi Shemuel Mr.. Zangwil has created
strong character. to which Mr.. Lackaye
vii undoubtedly do full justice.
In WagenhaIs & Kempers big production
Of The Winters Tale, which will be
here curing the current season, Louis James
will play Ambiguous, Charles B. Hanford
Will he the King Ieontes and Kathryn Kid
der will essay the dual roles of Iiermone
and Perdita, the Two characters hitherto
identified with Mary Anderson. Miss An
dcrs0n was the first to break in on a ira
clifton and double" these characters in
Shakespcare's comedy and Kathryn Kid
der's assumption of the two heroines will
be watched with keen interest.
y scene which promises to be very inter-
esting. not on'y on account of its pictur-
sequences and pictorial beauty. but because
Of It's historical accuracy. will be shown in
the first act Of Alice Neilsen's new opera
The Singing Girl" 1t is the work of Josef
Physioc and represents the public square
OF the famous old town of Linz, the capital
of upper Austria. A vista of the Danube
Is shown, with the boat landing and quaint
old bridge over the river. on one side is
the celebrated rococco church OF Linz and
on the other the town hall, while in the
distance are tbs glorious salisbury Alps.
The scene Is expected to be one of great
attractiveness.
A melodrama based on the famous robbery
of the northampton National Bank of
Northampton. Mass. has just been sold by
is author Elmer Grandin. to Frank L.
Percy and George Bowles Mr. Perley, as
is well known. is manager of the Alice Nell
sen Opera Company and Mr.. Bowles is
business manager of the same organization.
ton Bank Robbery and 1t will be exploit
ed later in the season with lavish stage in
VeSuture and strong cast The robbery
Of the Northampton Bank was one of the
great crimes of The century. The story in
Itself is thrillingy sensational and full of
romance. The well-laid plot, the assault
upon the bank cashier, his revelation al
most under torture of the combination of
the bank vaults. the robbery of S2oooOt,D
the escape of the robbers the conceaIrnent
of the bonds and securities in the beifry of
the old Church of the Redeemer in Astoria
Long Island; the treachery of Edison the
safe expert; the capture, conviction and
sentence to twenty years Imprisonment of.
Scott and Dunlap. the two leaders in the
crime: the devotion of SCOTS wife and his
death IN prison, the pardon of Dunlap and
the murder of Red Leary are of them
selves drama in real life that hardly
needs a drama;ist to tit ii for the stage
LAFAYETTE SQUARE THEATER -
Nashburns Great Southern Minstrels are
announced as his opening entertainment
next Week by Manager Painter who adds
that the occasion Will mark the first local
appearance of the organization. II is said
to be of the Larry,