The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-28
GRAND is open.
Reopening of Opera House an
Important Event.
Large Audience Appreciates a
Safe Theater.
GREAT CARE is TAKEN.
Men at Exits Ready to Throw
Them Open.
Girl From Hays Is Decidedly
English.
GREAT CARE is TAKEN.

1t was a strange vehicle-was the
eGirl From Kay's"-which trundled
the Grand opera house upon it's rollers
back into actual living existence and
use again on Monday night from its
four years OF dusty, musty, rusty dark
ness. It is the idea of a musical COM
edy from the land Of roast beef, Yule
logs and titIes=a play from the land
of THE Angles of Saxon" as a negro
auditor of Walter Mills, in asking him
a question after his lecture at the
Auditorium recently, expressed it.
Verify, verify, the angles were the
feature and the attraction.
OF course the event per Sc was the
opening of the house. 1t has been a
long and far cry for safety which the
Topeka theater patronage has made,
and it expressed its appreciation last
night by comfortably filing the big
theater. Gallery and balcony could
hold no more. A few scattered seats
nthe rear part of the dress circle were
all that was left downstairs. The
south had occupants. And the audi
ence was representative of the city.
The elite and elect in opera coats and
rose trimmed hats gave the assemblage
the tone of social gathering.
1t was a case of using the eleventh
hour to get the Grand ready on time.
A chance visitor into the theater at
O'Clock in the afternoon would never
have dreamt that the place would be
in readiness for the evening perform
ance. Enough work seemed to be
scattered around loose to keep the
force of carpenters, electricians, plum
bers, scrub women and others busy
for q week or ten days. There was
plenty of confusion still to be un-
ravelled- But by herculean efforts and
with the intersection of some genuine
we've got-to-be . ready-spirit'' the
chasm was leaped by nightfall and
when the early patrons began to ar
rive all signs of work had vanished,
the sound of hammers and saws had
stopped, everything was quiet and the
path clear for the opening
The main part of the work is done,
but there is still quite a good deal left.
1t is in the major instance, however,
of the odds and ends variety. There
are a lot Of loose strings to still pick
up and tie. Some of the stage car
pentering is still incOmp lete-the cleo
tional strengthening-th heating ap-
paratus is not yet quite all in place,
but the audience could not see these
things last night. The appearance of
readiness was there.
The audience felt safe for they were
adequately protected. Eighteen exits
lead out of the building A trained
fireman on the stage and another
where the green doors swing open
from the front entrance stood on
guard Men sat at each of the big
side exits ready to open them if neces-
sary. These things did not go I'M
noticed with the erowd-it lent a feel
ing of security that for years in To-
peka theaterdOm has been a lost art.
The CraWfOrds promise the paint
and kalsOmine which is now about all
that it viii take to give the house the
genuine feeling of cleanliness. Scrub
brush and dust-cloth have done their
| duty nObly. The floors are clean and
the walls well swept. But time leaves
ravages in the way of streaks,
scratches and bumps, md the painter's
/ brush is the only effective rem edy for
resuscitatiOn and rehabilitation along
this line.
Now for the show. 1t was unique in
/ that it was English. The atmOsph ere
of "Hengland" and plum pudding
| stretched through it like the red cord
| in every strand of King Edward s
navy-yOu can not cut it at any place
but you always find the red cord.
And then appeared this peculiar
/ twist-but one member of the entire
cast came from the land across the
/ sea. All the rest are Americans. An6
/ this lone representative of the English
/ realm was Kathleen Clifford, who
| played the part of the maid, who
danced well, sang poorly because o.
1 a bad cold, and who in general wa:
/ a favorite.
There seemed something Iacking
/ in the comedy, something peculiarly
/ strange, something unusual Was /
the music2 Was it the humor? Wa
it the vehicle itself? An analyst
holds them all equally guilty
The English funny pays lack tn,
direct, nervous pounding energy o
the American musical comedy. Their
is nothing in them of the roll of man!
drums, the marching of Amazons, tn
/ insist ont HON T7a T. Il wont Of I745iovo7r