The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28

There was never a theater more OBJ
yiously accidental. New Workers have
seen churches turned into p!ayhouses and
there is now in Fourteenth street n former
chapel in which vaudeville is served steam
ing twice every day.
The form OF those buildings at least
admitted them to their new use, whatever
the sentimental obi ection to such change
might be. 1t Is different, however Ia
the case Of the Yiddish music hall.
A stage has been built in one corner
Of an irregularly shaped room. Two open
pews, described as boxes, stand at either
end of this stage and the orchestra of some
ten musicians is placed between them.
The parquet, consisting of several hun
dred wooden chairs. stretches out In rows
back to the door. About two sides Of the
room runs a narrow balcony.
Such is the Irving Music Hall, as 1t Is
called on the English side Of the program.
On the Yiddish side-Yiddish is the tongue
OF most Of the audience-the title OF the
foremost music hall Of the Ghetto looks
much more picturesque.
II you have ever seen any Of the Ghetto's
temples, whether they be of religion or
pleasure. you will have observed that no
other quality is 40 dominant as the cheap
ness of everything. Flimsy tin, painted
n various gaudy colors. cotton hangings
without the remotest pretense of con-
sanglinity with silk or wool, and plain
wooden chairs are therefore the striking
feature Of tho interior Of this theater.
Electric light Eliminates the room and
gives the place certain brilliancy Of aspect
It never possessed as dancing school or
place OF meeting for striking cloakmakers
or cigarette girls. There is always crowd
there, even though frequent changes Of bill
are necessary to keep upt interest OF the
Ghetto in its most elaborate music hall.
-Oh, I've seen this show" protested a
redhe AIDED girl with large pearl necklace
about her throat. Lets get out.
She was persuaded to stay by her escort,
who had Just paid 80 cents for two orchestra
seats, and did not propose to lose the money
90 promptly. No New York girl at music
hall further uptown would have wanted
to leave Just because she had seen one turn
in a program. But Yiddish audiences
are intensely emotional, noisily appre-
ciative of what they like and uneasily in
tolerant Of what bores them.
Possibly this is due in part to the habit
Of their entertainers, who sing intermnable
songs and ballads. An American would
give his audience three stanzas, or maybe
Gully two when he expected to add an en-
core, But nothing OF that kind satisfies
the singers for Yiddish audiences.
They sing from six to eight verses and,
appauded. sing as many more. The soul
Of the American nearer cries out. Evil
xalr
tense pleasure in all of these verses, for
they only laugh occasionally and applaud
at the end
After sitting for certain length OF time
under the long drawn out performance
Of these singers, it is easy to see why 1t is
necessary to change the program frequently
If the same people are expected to come
back.
The audience last night was made up
principally Of men. Young women were
scattered through the room and there was
nothing in the wholly decorous perform
ance they could not properly see and hear.
They were all rather plainly dressed, but
wore great many pearls and turquoise g.
But it was not their cheap jeweiry that
attracted most attention. Their hair was
wonderful.
Whether red, brown or black it grew in
luxuriant waves over their heads, They
were as conscious of its beauty as the out
sidars. and few Of them wore hats,
The men were as remarkable for the lux
Gri1nce of their locks, and showed pride in
item by the liberal amount of Oil rubbed
on every young head.
Men smoked, and they could order what
they wanted to drink. Beer was the bever-
ayo that nassed most frequently down the
sises.
Walters carrying trays poked them osten-
tatiously und1rr the noses of the men who
had brought girls with them. The trays
were piled with daintins rather moro at
tractive to outside Taste than the average
Ghetto refreshment.
Narrow rolls covered with oarawGy seeds.
translucent sticks OF candy sections OF pine
ople in soggy looking icing. and boxes of
candy were the chief wares Business was
not fourishing. Le.er the smell of cooking
onions came up strong from the restarraa.
Under the theater.
1t became evident after the orchestra had
played an overture and so-called pot
po,rri had introduced all the members OF tn
COMPANY that the entertainment was 70 he
strongly racial in character. There wcre
several songs of Enthusiastically Yi3e ish
origin and then two sisters appeared.
The background against which they did
their act was one OF two sets OF scenery
played that night. 1t evidently represented
the artists youthful memories of ODESSA
or some other Russian city. 1t showed a
line Of low buildings lead'nE 10 mosque
at the end of the street. 70 add veri-
eimiitude to the picture, bits Of shiny
metal had been put into the places wee
the windows were supposed to be-.
Lea and Sophie Simons were the two
young women dressed in gypsy, costume
that sang several duets in Yiddish and
danced With only moderate viirtuosity
They spoke no English beyond the words
that form part Of Their language
Lea was dressed as a boy and Rachel
was intended to be seductive gypsy
maiden. They were black and b,shy
haired and shapely. They might have
been beautiful according, to the standards
Of the Ghetto. But their looks would never
have made them popular uptown
A knowing man in the audience observed
that they were Rumanans The audience
applauded the two mildly. but the hrst
enthusiasm of the evening went out to the
sketch The Pedler From kishinef
This was unaloyed Yiddish. There
were occasional references to Forty second