Evening star., 1902-08-16


on season booked through for fifty-two
weeks. Delightfully."- cool evenings have
found the anus .ent seekers of Washing
ton a; something of a loss to know what
to do with themselves. a great many of
these evenings have been decidedly too
chilly for suburban trips, and the theater
Offering an attractive form of entertain
ment would have reaped a good deal of
harvest. The prolonged engag cement of the
Arden stock company at the Columbia
Theater proved a big success, and on &C
count of the fine weather following would
undoubtedly have continued so. The dog
d s in Washington have not, as a rule,
been looked upon as propitious for thea
tricaI offerings. There have been no dog
days this season. however.
e weather which has been so remarka-
bic here has also been felt in New York,
where all cool weather summer records
have been broken. The pleasure seekers
have not left the metropolis in the usual
numbers and the theaters having summer
engagements have been fairly overwhelmed
with orders for seats.
x
Early openings are to be the rule this
fall throughout the country, and the man
ayers generally are hoping the cold wave
viii continue to give these inaugurals
the very best advantage from the start.
The 1st Of September will witness a marked
pOrtant theaters will be open by that time
Washington's season is to be but a trife
benin. that of New York. Already the
Academy, with its stirring melodramas and
heart-interest r0manCes, and Kernans,
with its burle- Iue and variety bills are
under way and are taking the cream of the
eaIly season offerings in their respective
lines.
The Empire. under of things
will join the procession Saturday evening
August 80. wlrA Hoyt's "A Stranger in New
York as the initial attraction. The
Dranger" will be played Saturday. Mon
day. Tuesday Wednesday, August 30.
September /. 2 and 3. and then the same
company VIII play - Trip to Chinatown
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Manager
Morris S. SChlesnger, wEo is now in PhlIa-
ie-phia, is coming to Washington Monday
i' make arrangements for the Empires
opening which he promises will be a very
auspiicious one The night prices at the
Empire this season will be 10, 20 80 and 80
cents and the matinee prices will be 10 and
- cents for the best seats. The house will
continue to be family theater on the Ines
lald down the latter part of the past season.
Manager Schlesinger reports that he has
tEe season booked up nicely with a good
line Of attractions.
The Columbia reopens Monday. September
] when tbs starring tour of Laura Nelson
Hall viii be launched. SIS Hall me into
oTpmlns nee locally during the playing of lie
Arden company at the theater where her
1t " venture is to be begun She is young
good looking and ambitious and has many
friends who predict for her career of rare
success She will be seen in a romantic
p.a-, st. Ann" at the Columbia which is
the year.
According to present plans Chase's Thea
Ter Will b. opened Monday. September s for
season Of vaudeville. marked by the an
aTance Of many of the latest American
HEd European novelties.
The National Will be opened little later
ana then the season Will be in full swing
with the exception Of the Lafayette Much
interest is being manifested in the Lafay-
cite season under its new management.
and Mr. Stairs plans for the playhouse will
D, followed quite closely. The opening il
Is n9w stated, will not take place probably
until some time in October. 1t is stated
that Andrew Robson in Richard Carvel''
viii be the opening attraction.
Mr. Henri Gressitt. who recently bought
Mrs Leslie Carter's complete production of
''Zaza' from Nr Charles Frohman. Will
sar Miss Eugene Blair in this plav the
coming season, and Will play here. Miss
Eatr was so long a resident of this city
that her forthcoming appearance will have
two-fpId interest for Washingtoniars
who viii welcome the return of their favor-
i-r, who has achieved national reputation
rs one Of thu great emotional actresses of
t.-S country, having starred for two SEA-
: ms IN Mrs Frances HodgsOn Rurnett's
IIdy. y Lady Of Quality" following it
with possibly the greatest part ever written
for woman. '.Zaza"
Mr. Gressitt Will surround Miss Blair with
an excellent supporting COmpany and m
IT"dHctIon Will include all OF the scenery
furniture and electrical effects thai were
originally used in the BeIasco production.
II the Bon Ton BurIesGIe C,or,nar,. s,,,,
out by Ed. Rush and at kernan.s Tho mast
week is a fair sample Of what the svndi-
cate Of burlesque mana gers intend to do in
the way II entertainment this season that
organization IS certainly open to congratu-
Iations. From the first to the final curtain
there was nothing in the Bon Ton enter-
ttihfheht TO offend the most fastidious
demonstrating that the patrons of the bur
Iesque houses do not demand smut or yrI
edrity 10 be entertained The Lyceum was
crowded every night during the week and
large crowds were at the matinees Add
one or two first-class vaudeville turns 10
the company and the organization is
strong enough to appear at any Of tba
uptown theaters. Mr.. Rush has aIvavs
been wide awake in grating new ideas in
10 MS company each season. and this wear
snatches from all the big New York suc-
CeSSeS were on exhibition. The costumes
are unusually pretty and numerous that
one wonders where the chorus gets time TO
make the many changes In praisine the
company Comedian Byron should not be
overlooked. He appears In both burlesques
and also a speciality with his wife Miss
Iangdon. As Happy Hoolgan' he has a
splendid part and dresses the character so
accurately that the luckless tramp seems
10 nave stepped from the sheets of the
funny supplement. In the Dude Datec
1--WE Mr. Byron has entirely different
character, and manages to disguise his
personality so well that he demonstrates
his acting ability beyond question. AS the
head keeper in The DaTy Shop' Mr.
Byron is seen at his best and kept the au
olehces IN a roar while on the stage. He
never overacts and possesses the ability of
knowing when and where to speak the
funny lines which the author has given to
him most effectively The season has OMEN
ed most auspiciously for Manager Herman
and there is nothing but a big success for
the Lyceum this season should the coming
shows be anywhere near attractive as
the Bon Tons.
The fact that Charles B. Hanford will
make Much Ado About Nothing a con-
spicuous feature during his tour next sea-
son recalls that Benedict was a favorite