New-York tribune., 1905-06-11
THE LONDON WALDORF
4 Foreign Corner in the Oldtime
Haunt of English actors.

movements are in progress. The remnant of the
condemned Olympic Theatre, with pit and circles
stfl yawning over their own fate and the clumsi-
ness of contractors processes Of destruction, is
within a few yards of the elegant boudoir thea
ire the Waldorf where Continental opera and
drama are TO be produced on alternate nights
next week; and beyond the modish Louis
ouatorze playhouse. in white Portland stone, are
20 he erected the waldorf Hotel and new thea
.ra for Mr. Hicks. The three structures are to
Ne uniform in classic lines and decorative effects
of colonnades and anegorical groups Of statuary,
and are 10 inpart intensely modern charac-
ter 10 the new boulevard opening behind the
,-oietv Theatre Meanwhile, old Drury Lane
,ests across the open space where blackeneo
masses Of masonry are coming down and ornate
architecture Is going up a seornfui look OF
REGENCY dignity and contempt There could not
be more fantastic tumble OF constructive anu
destructive processes, of STORED traditions ano
rsvr tangled enterprises than loungers IN lhe
historic Strand are witnessing IN tho adornmenI
If the island carved out at the bottom OF the
,boroughfare and in the rounding out OF Aio-
,r,,cb and Kingsway One cannot help wondering
what DR.. Johaso1- would say IL ne were 10 re-
,-,sst the Strand and F1eet~st. and Boswell were
close at hand to draw him out on classical iIni-
+atjons and French decorative schemes. Yet
evsrvthing in that quarter must be going right
for the London County Council is keeping close
watch over this costly Improvement ana is
hassting that il is creating the most aF'isuc
sboyplace for metropolitan architecture
The spectator salutes Louis Quatorze as ne
sazes upward from the street, ana po"s INC
knee 10 French decorative art when he Catches
the interior effect. The architect at ms eloo"
may instruct him that the new theatre Is
,brAe tier house constructed on the cantlleFer
nrinciple 10 avoid obstructing columns but teeh-
-,osl details such as these do not affect his en-
iovment Of a peculiarly rich ana sun'p
n,avhouse. Curtains. hangings, padded seats ana
carnets have the rose tone: the walls are oeco
-s+Ad with dove colore6 and violet maroie
fles+ers with gilt capitals; tall mirrors run up
% The cornice; over the proscenlum Apoiio
5-i1-as his chariot in high relief from sAdeu
background: and circular ceiling in nlooeAioO
master is painted after the manner OF LS ID ~
around the resplendent centrepiece- Inc SON
r-osa treatment of French decorative stSie -
+ he 4ound in the crushroom, the sIaircdse'
and +he refreshrnent salon: and the co4oTi1ls
everywhere is refined and warm MY opi0su
,hs architect has succeeded in designing 'iie
-,os+ surnptuous and luxurious theatre III N0--
80. where the newest operas can be heard ana
the greatest Continental dramas De piouaNo
moderate urices without any suggestion u
,5se ~, the environment and appointments
:, ;s NOT q large theatre for there are not more
&c, en0 seats: but II illustrates every nlooeih
-eso,,rce of rninistertng TO the coniorl 0"u
pleasure Of an audience
r-o,,ent Garden will have the patronage Oh
rank and wealth as the greatest sho"P!0oe -,
diamonds and jewels known unoer eiecIIic 4i7A'
bu+ the Waldorf, with It's French coioiihs a4'
eighteenth century swagger OF oecoralloH' ~
ises IN rival It as resort for lovers Oh iiuS'
and emotional drama Mr.. Henry ESuSse4i mas
b-o,,+S,t rom Italy an orchestra OF over sixty
-nusicians under Signor Cont. and ralieu
chorus nearly as strong; and he is starting ms
ssson at he new theatre with scenery ana
,-o,e-tias which have been used in the opera
ho.,s=s of Milan Rome and Naples The staging
Will be as new 10 London audiences as the ~nea-
tre Itself and many of the voices and WORKS wa
BE- srexh Nine. Calve will appear IN l. Alilio'
Fritz" and "Adrienne Lecouvreur, as wen 20
in "CavalleTia Rustlcana-' Mile inez Maria
Ferraris will sing in Paers II Maestro IL
Capella" and Pergolssis La Serva Paoroha-
There * a new Polish singer, Mile. Irene de
Bohugs. for "Pagliacci,' and Miss Mary GaFoeh
IS to sing IN ''Traviata." young Spanish ar
re. .5il,a pAnita SAM has never before appeared
in London and there are many fresh oarS-
tones tenors and basses-Bonci, Corsi, AncoIla'
Fernando al Lucia and others. AS Nine Duse
& to appear on alternate nights in such plays as
The Second Mrs Tanqueray," "Magda' He'd
da Gabler" and La Dame aux Camelias' the
new opera house and theatre will be opened with
,aost varied programmes and with the promise o.
continuous entertainment for the public
After the close Of the opera season the theatre
IS to be devoted TO Continental and American
attractions of the highest class That was MI
shuher+'s intention when he took long lease
of The waldorf. and there are no intimatlons
that his business associates VIII alter the pro-
eramnae in consequence of his sudden death IN
America from railway accident There are
now TWO repertore theatres here-one conducted
by the Mermaid Society for the production OF
old English plays, and the other for the cuItl-
walton of public interest in the WORKS OF MI
George Bernard Shaw The WaldorI VIII pe Il
third repertoire playhouse, managed 1or the oeii
eft of foreign composers ana play"rls"'s anu
also Of music lovers and playgoers VINO want the
he's. work Of the Continental theatres without
being put to the trouble Of crossing Ihe chdii-
nc, and going as far afeld as Vienna, Milan or
Naples The motive of the new lhea'le Is aS
rorsI as the decorative architecture The
...,.z 4o- +,,,o centuries has been the centre of
English drama. and the great figures OF the
1,n6o, s+aea have known and loved every cor
ner Of IT. 1t has been the scene of their tri-
,,,,,bs and failures their romances and their
ceronsals their comedies and tragedies of as
well as on the stage, and ii has been the one
street. which the English actor could call his
own. The foreign composers, actors and play
vvrights are now to have corner OF II Tor then-
selves in the new Aldwych; and the Walcorf IN
the revolutionized area is where Samuel Pepys
halted in front of a Maypole one joyous morning
70 admire the miIkmaids and saw Nell GyWnns
at the door of her lodging-a pnighty pretty