Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-01
HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT
Dress Rehearsal of Ohildren's Opera to Be
Held THIS Evening,
NEW COSTUMES AND PROPS FOR OMAHA
Production Here Has Been Given
Unusual Attention and Promises
to he Successful I'm Every
Regard.

hNhaNos
This evening the hearts Of at least 100
Omaha school children will beat as
they have never beaten before, for
the boys and girls who have been
drilling separately and In squads for
the last six weeks will make their long
expected appearance in public at the BOYD
theater, giving the operetta, 1.-The House
That Jack Built" II careful training and
conscientious drilling can accomplish any
thing, then the performance ought to be
well perfect. Great interest is felt
In the undertaking. not only by the mem
bers Of the Teachers Annuity association.
for whose benefit the performance is being
given, but by the patrons OF the schools
in general, and not a little by the general
public. There will be three performances,
Friday and Saturday evenings and a matinee
on Saturday. The advance sale OF seats
has been large, and the outlook for a profit
able issue is good.
Rehearse with Costumes.
The rehearsals have been rather frag-
mentary until this week, but now have
taken definite form and the chorus, drills
and special parts have each found a place
in an intricate and beautiful whole, for
every one of the 100 children know their
places on the floor and keep them with
surprising accuracy, too, considering how
large a per cent are less than IL years old.
The first rehearsal of both acts with the
orchestra was held on Wednesday after
noon. but 1t was yesterday afternoon that
the enthusiasm of the children reached its
height when, instead OF the three small
boys who have been known as Humpty
Dumptys. three huge. beautiful eggs danced
ont ,,nop 1ha aoor NTH civ ANAL IaOa and
arms projecting from the brilliantly gilded
shells. Something very like a chorus Of
obs and "Ahs'' arose in place Of the
humpty dumpty song, as the children
stepped back from these fragile things that.
once broken, all the kings horses and all
the kings men could not mend. A second
surprise came in the appearance Of the
twenty-four blackbirds, real blackbirc
heads completely Disgusting the little girls
who have the parts. But 1t, was the APP
pearance of the crows that caused a genu-
inc sensation, the smaller children being
half frightened at the huge birds, which
are wonderfully natural, even to the long
legs that were not less active than the
hinged wings from under which six long
arms showed reassuringly. And, by the
way, a complete new outfit Of property"
has been gotten for the Omaha production,
even to the famous blackbird pie. which
measures something over six feet In diam
eter and plays an important part in the
birthday party refreshments in the second
act. The costumes are varied and beauti-
full, those of the familiar characters con-
trasting strikingly with the airy tarletans
Of the immortals.
Dress Rehearsal This Morning.
The task Of moving the large choruses
A~I .a,,H N~a ~ ave Ar4lIa aa 1aAofID
facilitated by chaperons who are respon-
sible for the prompt action of the children
and incidentally for the perfect order that
has to be maintained. The first dress re-
hearsal win be held at the theater this
morning at 8 o'clock, permission having
been granted the children for this one oc-
casion that viii keep them out Of school.
Besides the children, the cast includes
some Of the best local talent and a number
Of young people we'll known for their skill
at fancy dancing. The cast is as follows:
Mother Goose.,......Mrs Charles Urquhart
Queen Of Hearts. Miss Hazel c. MusicE
Knave Of Hearts. MIR. j. Elmer Anderson
Man In the Miss Belle Beedle
Bowl Harold Thompson
Pipe Bearer. .Cockrel
Maghey. Glenn siedt. Harry Roberts
f0 Meyers. sidney Powell. Stanley Sonoyel
Humpty Dumptys Phllnp
Chase, Wilson Stoddard, Leonard BerI
MOTHER GOOSE'S GUESTS.
Polly FLINDERS. Lucille Bacol
huth Cronl
Tommy Tucker. .......... Malcolm Baldrlg,
Jack.........".............Ray Harold Kleil
Jill Lillian mccall
Little BOY Blue............s. .Leonard hOacl
Farmers Wite...............Marguerlte Erie
Peterson, Mark Havens. Andrew Haa!
Bobby Cockrel
Simple limo Mllllam Sellne
Miss Inc Marie SnoWdel
Peter Pumpkin Eater..."...:Joh Dillranc,
PETERS wire. virginia dalpln
Maids IN
........... Murlel Johnson, Bertha Brow
Red Riding Hood. ........... .Corinne KleiI
Little old Man in Leather. .,..........
EDMUND BesSir
Taffy, the Welshman ......... Harry HRme
] Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son.. Harry Rye
Little Man with the Gun. 80. Charles Ashton
Daffy Down Dilly.......".-.Clara Haydel
Tweedle-dee. Horace Lehman
Tweedle-dum. Bartol
Man all Tattered and Torn. Ken. Urquhar
Maid All Forlorn. Nina Paine
Frlest.. .George keyse
Mary Quite Contrary. Lillian Ian
crooked Man.....'....,.....Harry Carpente
JACK Horner: Gulgarl
old. Mother Hubbard. ....Fayette Threshe
Jack Spratt ................. Norbert Sulltval
Jacks Wtte ..,...........M Marguerite CARL
Old Woman In the Shoe .........,K atie Jone