Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-31

"a hNANaN NaH HANAARANhs OhA VI AAH NAm
psisn then begun in a period Of depression
and in face Of the most discouraging prece-
dents has grown the theater Of which Kan
sas City Is so proud. Mr.. Burgess pluck
and judgment has It's triumph in the build
Ing Of the willis Wood. No wonder be felt
good Monday night.
Roman In design throughout, the austere
simplicity OF the exterior OF the building
hardly prepares one for the warmth OF the
, interior. Passing a colonnade OF Roman
Doric columns, the visitor enters q lobby
OF white and gold, with ceiling arched and
groined in most effective manner. Its brill
lance is somewhat startling. but the effect
is soon over, when the foyer is attained
and the nrst glimpses Of the sumptuous
auditorium are caught. On the first floor a
row Of loges extends around the seated area,
separated from the foyer by a colonnade of
beautifully modelled caryatids. whose out
stretched hands, uphold the draperies. On
the second or salon floor the stalls are ar
ranged in front Of the chairs. This is a dis
t~inctive feature Of the theater, for back of
the seats is a large salon, intended for
promenading and social intercourse between
acts. II Is luxuriously furnished and dec
GRATED, and. IL the experience Of the open
ing night is a criterion, will certainly be a
popular place with the patrons Of the
thester. On the third floor is the family
circle-the theater has no gallery-ntted in
keeping with the other parts of the house.
In general the interior decoration is ala
baster white and a dull tone Of lake,
though the h~angings are OF green plush
lined with pink silk. This may seem an
homogeneous combination Of colors, but II is
so worked out as to be not only most har-
monious but highly effective. Roman arms
and Roman eagles form the basis Of the
designs. and the familiar IS. P. @. R."
with the fasces set many a man whose
schoolboy Latin had not entirely vanished
under the a~ttrition Of more assertive facts
in the strenuous life OF Kansas City to ex-
planning to his neighbor that the cabalistic
design had nothing whatever to do with
local affairs. On the drop curtain is a
scene depicting the sacrihcial procession Of
a victorious Roman to the temple of Juno.
Lavish in all its equipment for the con-
venience and comfort Of ~playgoer and
player alike the Willis Wood theater well
merits all that has been said Of It, and
1t may be vouched for as a fact that for
once at least in ~praising a local institu-
ton the Kansas City press has not over
stepped the limits of truth. Sober words
can give no idea Of the place. It is as
great q provocative Of extravangant utter
ance as champagne or strong drink.
As to the play, Omaha people will see
that later and may form their own opin-
ions. 1t is a problem" play, with the
single advantage that 1t has eliminated the
personal equation by putting the problem
into the hands Of a lot of impossible peo-
pie. At no time Is the broad straight
pathway Of the story from inception to de-
movement obscured by any subtleties Of the
writer's craft, but the auditor finds much
satisfaction in the Interpretation given the
somewhat i&sgils lines and stSsy s!tus
tions BY the excellent actors who have the
parts in hand. Miss Bingham is assisted
by several ladies and gentlemen who have
earned their right TO large type In the an
nouncements, and their performance is
one that will surely be enjoyed by any who
has the good fortune to hear and see them.
One OF the really noticeable changes in
the things offered at the theater for the
amusement of the people is the gradual
disappearance of the temale form divine
} arrayed in the highest of tights, the
scantiest Of skirts, or the most diaphanous
l Of draperies. Instead. we are now asked
3 to look upon fresh young things clothed
as modestly as the most prim Of boarding
3 school misses. And the change is q well
) come one, too, for II 1t doesn't do any
3 thing else It allows some room for specula-
ton, and that is more than the old cos
5 tune did. Descanting on this topic, the
A press agent of the Herald Square theater
says:
has sprung up in New York in the last
two seasons. And, strange to say, she Is
FOR SO N many Years the Mecca Of the old;
style chorus girl. The new chorus girl
t one a Of a@ yeass E s%sei Sy. 'F TSe new 'n type us is
perhaps seen to best advantage In "A Chi
: nese Honeymoon th Yor SHrbbe ems a of comio
opera and musical comedy. She Is not a
, thing Of brazen face. boldly staring eyes
many In the .bygone, days Of Casino sue
families. dainty and sweet and modest be:
reSnement and culture to enter On
: career which she hopes viii Win
. other days chorus girls were recruited
4 from the slums and the very poor classes
whose home life 6etokens little OF educa-
0 The absence Of tights and bizarre cos
Z TUNES and smut and suggestiveness from
s sae e ssss are ar r responsible FOR the new
chorus girl. A girl with voice, good looks
to the girl whose face and form are IA
miliar because of frequent Appearances In
bTOAQWdl pIOuuCNlOnos aIChAo VI 0hA-
bilious girls know this very well and no
longer object strenuously to permitting
them to appear on the stage.
''Fiorodora" had only one pair OF tights
and these appeared only for a few minutes
toward the close Of the play. In "a Chi
nese Honeymoon there are no tights.
Every player-msn or woman-is beauti-
fully and decently clad and there are no
lines to bring the blush OF shame TO any
player or auditor. The result Is that with
a very witty book, catchy music, elegant
costuming and accessories and a company
OF talented and popular principals, "A
Chinese Honeymoon" has found the great
: est favor Of many years with all classes
, of theatergoers.
Margaret De Mile, Minola Nada Hurst
Helen Latten, Mabel Taylor King, Its
Kemph, Margaret De Bolman, Gertrude
Wallace and other girls from among the
best families OF New York and surround
ing cities have Joined the ranks OF "a Chi.
nese Honeymoon" Miss De Mile was
the daughter OF a clergyman; Miss Hurst'l
father was. before his death, a writer or
the Philadelphia Press. Miss Latten's
father was q wealthy wholesale merchant
Miss De BOlmarB relatives in France be.
long TO the nobility. Miss Wallace's father
died, leaving a $4,000 estate in Philadel
phia. Miss Kemph's father was an ofhcei
In the German army. There are many
other girls in the same company whos'