New-York tribune., 1905-12-17
A HIPPoDRoME REHEARSAL
The Pangs of Preparation for the Grsa.
Spectacle.

Last Monday night. about II O'Clock The
/ Young Man who -has-to-see-all-the-shows Cthoss
! who don't know call him Lucky fellow ard
those who do call him The slave'D dropped INTO
the Hippodrome where a dress rehearsal OF "A
Society Circus in full blast The Slave
Che might as well be called that for It is shorter
than his full name printed above, ard means tha
same thing has seen many dress rehearsals. and
he was prepared to be rather bored. It always
bores him when anybody-except himsef-is cross
and snappish. and he knew that stage managers
are usually cross and snappish after weeks OF
daily rehearsals, while the company, II they have
enough gumption left, are cross and snappish, too
over again, till their actions, If they seemed
and unutterably tiresone- Besides. Inc save
wanted to go home and go to bed But ne
couldn't, because he is slave.
The lobby of the Hppodrome was inky dark.
But through the swinging doors that guard the
OF music He pushed the doors open. and blinked
his eyes IN the glare that came from the stage
having his first taste OF what the Hlppodrome can
do when it sets out to raise inseI gi9[y 70 h .hs
conductors stand, Manuel Klein. in his shiFt
in tbe aisle. stood Ed Temple the stage man
ager, shouting at somebody who couldn't be seen
and who 50 far as The Slave could observe on from
results, was deaf At the right and left. on plat
forms built the seats. were huge cameras
tered throughout the orchestra was the strangeSt
audience ever beheld In theatre and though gin5
was only handful in the HippodToIne. IL wouo E-o
have seemed good house at the Garrick. TneFss
were water nVrnphS and CupdS and panSleS dl1
poppies and sunfowers and clowns and cqpids and
press agents and gypsies and stage nands SoMs
robes a sartoriaI innovation made almost neces-
sary by the chill air Of the auditorium Qtners;
of a Monday night in the horse-show boxes az tns
Opera House Their bare ond Te Tons enough
from distance. every one can testify who nss :,
seen the new + tnse hesdgears that
lowered up like butterflies wings. only whsn ae one
of these ny1nphs stood up did her imitation cease
70 conyince for It then became evident that her
skirt was like an Irshmans excuse-eashy seen
completely up and hung it over her arm, lest sac
The IS Slave began to forget that he going to
be bored. -, -,,,,, ,t,bt,
confnng very fat legs. They ran about TeSgSsi TIg 81
or else sat with drowsy lids their heads nan si. @
nYnphs ng fso The 1S Ballet was not Yet ehased and
tier turn would not come till the final spectaeIs
iong fnat day it had been and how tired they wss
This being cupid is not what II & csaeSsd S7ls ~
Nov, what do you think cupid reaHy - ~
The little tot blinked slsepily. IT'S somsthins
that lives in she'll" she replied ,.,.,,z .;
tha water nymph who was mothering the enid,
That damsel shrugged her bare shouIaeiS'
The slave told her and she rehectlvely rubbed
some makeup off her cheek Then Lord' H'
Just then Ed Temple shouted sOmethins ,1s IN
articuate. and all over the house paisif fo- fhe
popples leaped to their feet and scurr5ea tless o
stage. The ballet master appeared, bS ne GO'I And
Klein raped his stand, the music uSSal- tbot
before the astoniShed eyes or Ihe oiHtNr ,ssS
highly seasoned feast OF brilliant CoIoa -
evolved, with repetitons and retriaIs. Dul VIZ
broken cheerfulness and good nature; NoDuV2 -
this Hippodrome rehearsal though the nauI a.
late and the day of the production ahIluss ANUS o-
hand, lost his her temper, nobody was ClV -nsr
snappish You can't snap at girl, anyway WitG NJ
there are 200 of them whtrling on stage 80 a. =
two ordinary theatres; at least not WtASST SS,zs
megaphone adm loss of dignity The very nescs L.-s
ness OF the task to whip into shape peTlo1ils.Ss
that requires 400 performers and lto st5ee .banes
lessons, It seemed to The slave the go
for personal contact. and so for oad teIlpe'-
commander doesn't get cross with an army lS,+Iss.
When the ballet rehearsal was over the 49, sS~
stage hands. In rubber boots. set the stage spiSs
the hnal water tableau. the nymphs ana eSl = tbs
took their places. the stage was 9Tered .rass,siF aS
water set a-spoUting. AS the hghfs ss re
came on and the gorgeous picture snoLle 9u'' Sss
Slave discovered the Spirit of the SNOW.
Thompson standing at the rear lie was st'-7
softly. ''Tired?'' said The Slave. -, -,i,if
Il guess so; I'm not sure answered ta1 sS out
OF the Show. i've not had time "a, HnH
Like it," He jerked his thumb toward the sl's9
'It'n do said The Slave. - sar
Il hope So said Mr.. Thompson. ana yei'u
more blue light in the starboard fountain A,.s,,
The last thing The Slave saw. as the tA.sis tA.asiss
broke up and the stage out OF The iaAs' staSe
hand lifting down his cupid from her tnset she
Before the stage hand got her 10 the N'us9
had fallen fast asleep.