New-York tribune., 1905-04-13
OPENING OF HlPPODROME.
BIG BUILDING CROWDED.
audience Vastly Pleased scith Per-
formance-GorgeOus BaLLet.
Hippodroroe opened.

Last night the Hippodroroe opened.
Lacking the vocabulary OF ''Tody'' Hamilton or
the linguistic ability OF Anterative Alfred. is
forced 70 fan back on such poor superlatives as
fhe vernacular affords to indicate she scale upon
which this amusement enterprise is conducted.
Long before the time Of opening last evening 6th-
ave. was lined both sides by hundreds Of people
and the streams Of folk fling in seemed endless.
When TIE entertainment did begin. there faced the
stage than five thousand people. brilliant
with fine clothes below and in the boxes. and up
hloft in the gallery rising tier on tier into dmness
and distance The sweep OF those galleries Is alone
impressive did not one turn to the stage TO view
en- area, hair within the enormous proscenium half
coming forth into the auditorium in half circle,
large enough 10 hold regiment in close formation.
The biggest audience saw the biggest stage and
presently the biggest company Of performers on
the local records. Bgness was in the air Men told
each other that this was the biggest hippodrome
sn the world. Big men sat in the boxes 1t was
whispered that these men. representing millions
dealers in stocks and OIL had furnished the money
with which THOMPSON & Dundy did il. That added
10 the sense OF bigness 1t was their new gigantic
fov. II was also New-York's new toy. And New
York hugely pleased
The entertainment began with "A Yankee Circus
on Mars" which might be described as judicious
blending OF the circus and The Black Crook II
Il were not as big the circus and twenty-five
sfres larger than The Black Crook" The opening
scene is rather tame. showing the Yankee circus
on earth but while the scene shifted seVeraI
,ele1hants came out and played a basedrum, rang
up central on a telephone, made spare on
bowling alley and chalked down the result and IN
general. conducted themselves IN a most amazing
manner Then the curtain rose again, TINS time
on Mars and the audience got their first taste OF
what was coming Mars was a most gorgeous
place with dragons all about. which put MI Con-
ried's Fafner 10 the blush But when me
ATartaus began TO come in the scenery was Iorgol-
,er ONLY the very keen noticed that the canals
existed There was no end OF the Maruans. In
they filed 10y twos and fours. till five hundred peo-
r,le were on the stage Hardly were they on. how
ever than they began 10 go of again, while tho
fore part OF the stage cleared for the circus.
This was like most circuses. and quite as good as
she best
As the last acrobat vanished into the wings the
orchestra surprised the listeners by quiVering sud
denly into music OF a most uncircus character.
II was The ballet music from La Gioconda." THE
Dance Of the Hours and slowly from either wing
the dancers began TO appear Never he's such
gorgeous ballet been IN this city, and never
ore which the costumes We're more tasteIui'
more harmonious and suggestive IN Color Inc
dancers numbered hundreds. in Gaphanous, stream
ing garments Of orange and violet, and "auYe and
duskv gray. and black and evening PINK ana
though the orchestra was utspeakably bad wnen
7hese gorgeous groups, under shitlng streams OF
,clore6 light danced down the fOotlights fifty
abreast The great house broke into cheers MI
Conried mas Carrso. but he could not show ballet
like thati
The second half of the entertainment was called
..Andersonviie. a story Of Wilson's Raiders" and
IS an almost pantCruimic-the auditorium is large
The Jess dialogue introduced the better il will
le. there much last night-tale in five huge
stage pictures OF Civil War events. The first scene
ehoNe8 the parade ground al West Point backed
by thc Hudson. Here again. as the curtain rose
Tho audience broke into long applause The scene
was more than reasticit had pictorial charm and
deep perspective What stage that would be for
Belaseo 10 cream on A whole company of cadets,
in the uniforms of the period went through evolu-
rons and Tho closed with thrilling reading by
The comma ndant of The from Fort Sumter.
The second scene showed Andersonyie Prison
storkade at night, and here again there imagi-
nation ia The dim night light over the wall of the
stOCkade. Two other scenes followed. and finally
the battle Rocky Ford Bridge. when the
whole front half Of the stage sank down and shoWei
a deep tank Of water. and into this tank men and
horses lighting. shouting firing. plunged with utter
Ieckessuess and nerve stirring realism. il the
climax evening OF big things. Of dazzling
sights and sudden surprises. and II sent FIVE thou
sand people home chatteTing eagerly Of New Ork 8
toy, the biggest in the world