The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-15
THE AFTER. THEATRE CROWDS
A NEW york SIGHT THAT THE
WORLD CAN'T MATCH.
II IL the Gathering OF 7l.lII People After
the Performance ut tho Theatrical
Centre OF the Country-Their Hush for
supper and Their Journey Home.

Forty-second street and Broadway is seeth-
ing with people when the theatre crowds
find their way into the fresh air after the
performances. That crossing OF those
two streets IL Just now the theatrical Centre
Of the city, OF the country, possibly Of the
whole world.
Certainly in no other city in the world
do such numbers of people 80 suddenly
gather at the closing Of the theatres. No
where else 10 the tribute TO Thespis so
genuine. II one is 10 Judge by numbers.
Recently the new theatres Of the city
have all clustered In that neighborhood
II was the restless and enterprising Oscar
Hammerstein who first saw the great value
OF the Seventh avenue corner as site. and,
realizing that the drift Of the theatres was
In that direction he built the second house,
which Is now the Belasoo.
Since that time tho block between Broad
way and Eighth avenue has como 70 con-
tain that massive monument TO the art Hou-
redu, the New Amsterdam, the Liberty, the
Lyric, the Fields Theatre, with the Vic-
toria heading the list at the corner as II
20 call out that Oscar Hammerstein had
thought Of 1t first.
But IL Ia not only the theatres in Forty
second street that send their thousands
out into the thoroughfare when the per
Torrance Ii over. There are theatres to
the north, east and south Of this theatre
block that also contribute their share OF
hungry and more or less contented mortals
10 the crowd.
The Saturday night that sells out the
Casino brings into that theatre $50 souls.
On such similarly happy occasion at the
Broadway, when FRITZ Schef delights the
heart Of c. b. Dillingham; by filing the
house to the last place, 1.70o happy souls
are released from the theatre into the air OF
Broadway, which may OF may not DO good
for them, according to the direction In
which they go.
If all the theatres in the immediate
neighborhood are full. they can add to the
Saturday night throng in this proportion:
Criterion. o32; Empire, 100; Hudson 800;
Knickerbocker 283: Metropolitan Opera
House, o.46O--a little village in Itself, the
New LyceuIn, osS; the New York almost
az many as the Opera House, or more than
5000.
And this list does not include the houses
Glowing one another along Theatre Alley
on Saturday night there may come from
the New Amsterdam 1875 spectators OF the
troubles OF -Humpty Dumpty.' likewise
OF his delights. while from the Belasco
come $50 persons. The Lyric may seod
600. the Liberty 800 and the Fields Theatre
the same number,
SO there may swarm suddenly into this
region at II o'clock or theresbouts some
II ,sl3 persons.
This number Of people would make up
the population OF q prosperous town, but in
New York il crowds only one small section
Of the city,
For several hours after the theatres have
closed. there ia the swish and whirl of the
theatre crowd making its way home by
degrees. Some OF 1t dives for the subway
ana ia carried HaIlemw ard or southwark
toward the Bridge, But that is only a small
part of It, More of its constituents remain
for the supplementary pleasure that ends
the theatre evening
BY the time Long acre Square "a reached
there are restaurants with lights blazing
to attract the New Yorker and keep him
from going home, Bachelors may wander
down the street TO the chop house. where
they are free from any chance of feminine
interruption and the yiands are OF the kind
associated with celebate restaurants.
Hither wander searchers of Bohemia who
look int o the faces Of the men gathered
there for some Of the famous New Workers.
they think they should see In this place.
But with the exception Of an actor that they
may not recognize, OF a German singer
from the Metropolitan that they may never
have heard Of, they find little to suggest
the kind Of Bohemia they are looking for,
The customary patrons OF the place are
there because they know that the food and
the liquor are good and they would not
trouble themselves 10 look around IL they
heard that half Bohemia was 10 be seen at
the next table.
The men that wander into their eacred
resort are only few out OF tho-a thousands
that cungregate involuntUI1ly at the corner
of Forty second street and Broadway
The trolley cars wait in congested files
until the crowds are on board Relays OF
more cars find the crowds apparently as
although the sidewalks are
black with moving masses
Two great oyster houses with their shin
inv windows face the moving hundreds
no start uptown. Across the way IL the
new hotel which has with deadly effect
cut into the business OF the other restau-
rants around the square.
Its circular doors at this hour revolve
VIII all APPROXIMATION W lSoIpclldl IIlONlOu
rarely accomplished 30 successfully. In
II de. the halls are as crowded az a subway
express. and tired looking women stare
ind gnantly over the fence Mt the ables
of the earlier arrivals who eat with eI-
a-perating slowness.
Groups stand nt the doors Of every dining
room while excited escorts importune
head walters Here rests the cream Of the
Broadway crowd until at the last Of
the weary guests make their way out Of the
hotel.
IL the New Workers are here the two
across the street have their
Of those theRtregoiuz thou
sands who are supposed To come to New
Y ork 10 supply managers with an excuse
for selling all their best tickets TO the hotel
spectators. They know these two restau-
rants better by name than the new one;
80 their clientele Ia retained.
There parties from out Of town are al
ways recognizable, There IL always in
them an unequal division OF sexes which
allows three Or four women TO two
men. Rather tired looking women they
nre, too az II the day in the shops had az
hausted them completely.
They are all simpler in dress than the
women about them. However Tich they
may be. out of town women never dress
so deliberately Ms the women Of New York
the women who go to thess par
ticllar restaurants.
Not all of those that gather after the
theatres wander on foot 10 the place that
is to AFFORD them refreshment. Out Of the