New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-01

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thc first attraction. The new Lyceurn Theatre. I'M
ike most Of the other new houses is intimately
connected with the past replacing. IL does The
old Iyceum in Faurth-ave.. which down
TWO years ago. and about which for many years
had clustered tee plcasantcst Of recolectieus anc
vhe-e some OF the best dramatic offerings OF past
Seasons bad been served. The intimate connection
too ~ 1ir Sothern both with the OLD and tAc new
theatre 2rd with Daniel Frohman. the manager
o. hoth houses. adds interest 70 the opening to-
morrow
IN the carly winter Of 1856 so,hern was playing
un5c~ the management OF Helen DaUvray at the
1vccun 81 "One OF our Girls and az the season
ended 81 May h was avallabio Tor any manager
f5r the summer months one day ne spoke 20 Daniel
F'rohurau about his fathc-s fluots trunk fun cf
plays and thought that one called Trade" would
g NJ Frohrnan changed the name 70 The Highest
Biddcr and presented AIr Sothe-r "a the Lyceum
On the leading part in June. The play went wei
that the manager tried TO secure for the actor
q release from his road tour Nish Miss Dauv-~y
the next season. but she demanded $500 This Mr.
Frohnan would not pay. but AT. Sothern. against
TIRE advice OF his friends paid II himself Thus he
began the next season IN the Lyceun. under the
r-a-aEernent OF M Frohman. in The Highest
Bidder" supported by Rowland Blackstone and Mr
Il Mcyne. X was tine OF doubt and importance
bon his fortunes and those O his manager
The Two men used stroll over TO Second-ave.
and hack TO the theatre two three times OF
afternoon. watching the box Office sales The sales
we're all 90 the good however. and road tour
T.
e-rah-shed as "a successful star.
7-lzs~s. Deasco and De Mile were then set TO
vark on the contents Of tire trunk Of plays. and
Lord Chuuley' was the first result In that
play Ar. Sothern WAo had been trained Tor an
artist not for the stage, by has father. began 70
snow mis- ski! as q stage manager and shaper OF
stage pictures. he took the stage management INTO
hls CEu hands. and made success OF the leading
rar- wei this play Miss AnEln anc Miss
ADAMS made their first Nev--Eork appearances.
= f-sn- -Isl--~ IN Tx mo W
tho next Lvce1nl production made cor Nj Sothe-u
IL his play Miss Harmed. now Mrs. Sothern. made
Ier ll-st appearance member % his company
Sir- F-o1uan found he- down in FoUrteenth-st-.
playing iu q second rate COMPANY and brought her
ur 90 has theatre for the new production Miss
Harmed COURSE. VS. partly ~esuonsi bic for the
next production. The Dancing Girl" II this play.
roo. 1Ir Sotheru shifted from his former vein Of
light comedy into more serious style OF chara cter.
and he awaited with great anxiety the public YER
dict Il favorable. and from that verdict The
romantic and heroic characters Nj. SOthern has
since portrayed were made possible.
Another Lyceam play which brought into public
notice that charming child actress Miss Elsie Les
lie vas 'F1ditha-s Burglar IN which Mr.. Sothern
played the burglar Then came Captain Lettar-
blair" which. a Mr.. Sothern SAYS illustrated the
truth o. BoUcicaUlt's statement that plays
written but rewritten" M Sothern modelled the
character largely after that an uncle Of his Hugh
LyVton- The business in the play. when Miss
Harmed leaves the room after the with her
lover was accidentally suggested ar a rehearsal,
when her dress caught in the door as she was 60
ing or the stage II Lord Chunley.'' TOO, there
was q BIT Of such accidental business. AT a re
hea-saI Meg had left her feather buster sticking
up n chair and the actor. when he sank into the
chair al the end Of the act felt the tickle Of
feather fl his neck and started I'D nervously. This
business was Incorporated IN the play.
Others o. NJ Sotherns past successes were played
Cor their NeV-Tork run az the LyceUm also, though
not originally produced there Il was Nj sothern
who made NJ Froh1laI's management Of the old
theatre possible. and therefore II viii be Ne,
s7,hern who VIII open the new Lyceun. Nj Froh-
man has always mad confidence IN his star. since
himself made good us confidence IN him
self in paying the 5000 AS early as 1891 the two
r0er talked the Ultimate possibility o. pro
6l-i-r Hamlet" Il was their intention next
week 10 put on an act each from ten Of NJ.
Sotherrs former plays. doing them all in one
afternoon and evening. But this idea had 70 be
abandoned. for with single company the actor
found Il quite impossible 70 get the many different
~a-re -ehez-sed and 70 assemble the thousand
and one necessary properties Il viii be done per
hans later in the winter. For the weeks OF his
enlargement At the new Lvceum Nj Sothern viii
present only The Proud Prince Then he viii be
followed by William Gile1t- in The Admirable
--ichto1'
The ultimate policy q the Lyceum is not vet
clearly outlined BY NJ FrOhuan but after eighteen
months for which length OF time bookings have
slrea6y been made. least semblance Of q stock
cornpa-y VIII be organized. and productions viii be
rerulafly made a. the house. The old style
stock COMPANY Nr. Frohnan says. is Impossible IN
the present state OF commercial IheatTlc@l enter
Prise but he hopes 10 assemble good actors for q
PRODUCTION. and Out u each new er- or deVetoI some
actor actress Who can Dc sent OUT OF Tour AZ
me head ot company mus lh.Lt W. u
producing company a. the Lyce1n = its personnel
does change.
The New Lyceuul IS situated in Fcrty-ffth-st a
little east q Broadway There Is not only lta.Ie,
but iD the connected with the stage zen
sorry building The main building. n FofJy-l-l-l-
is arr,rteI,.rces the rehearsal and dressing rooms
of ~ q j.
aSltug ard ventilatng apparatus. ne a--Li'A n
additional dressing rooms and the scene dock
large extension 20 The stage. IN TINS way are
-. - -,--.ls. 49,, - rbcet-e nrore- Gown
q the most minute reuulTeraents-
IN the genera arrangement ana decorative Ifeat-
rnent the architects. Herts q I2-lant nave dettI-
oneG Z building fitted 10 become the home OF the
1ra5n't nc 80 ,-~le5 Z-.-5ov, orenirEs its
statues and its marble panels and bronze chenedu
49, -, Is I.s--ssote - 5r-3-v sr6 richness Three
seer,b5-es cfvc access 10 the main entrance foyer
- - a-lsf.o--, and marble srai-cases head 20
the fC-e- rnecsal staircases and elevator service
80 - - t-si-ses .fFceS of NJ Frohrnan which
occupy the entire upper portion - the Forty-nfth-
front Mr. Frohmsns library has been decorated
3n Ch.ppcndae style. and the furniture ana oecora-
- - A---.-.e-s-,+e-6.z 5f-eC+iv from rnis
hesdeIarrers a window has been concealed IN the
ceiling the main auditorium IN such way as %
-~--.E- -.t--s-,.f5-, alfours direct instructions
to ie given % the stage manager
On entering the auditorium from the ioyHI the
t-vf noticeable feature the great Tlcln 81 the
hoUse as compared with SIS depth In this way the
seats are all brought forward near the sag. a
The time the seating capacity Is man tanned
Tor -thourh there fewer rows 81 seats tfaH ~
m ordinary theatre this is more than DISC oy
greater lerCrh 81 the and ~ INC same uIne
se-.-e III -. -, 80 -oss 81 oth..- structural en-
r4r. ala ffr 4rfl TffF