Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-04

HOTCHKISS-"Bra VS.. Money"
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
GRAND-"Chinatown Charlie"
SCHER'S-"Running for Mayor"
CHUTES-Outdoor attractions.
THE notable feature of this week,
theatrically, of course, is the formal
opening of the Auditorium, with
the grand opera season. This is really
an event to give pause and consider.
The Auditorium in itself is wonder
full building. 1t is the largest and fin
est concrete structure in the world. 1t
is absolutely unburna ble-not only is it
fireproof, lin the sense that a fire can
make no headway in it, but it literally
can't be burnt. 1t is so constructed
that it is in effect one huge stone block.
1t wasn't built, properly speaking; it
was cast, poured into moldS when in a
liquid state, and allowed to solidify.
Thus it is one great stone. and stone
won't burn.
The structure itself is ornate and a
decided addition to the city's architect
ural beauty. The office portion facing
Fifth street is building that any me-
tropolis may be proud of. The audito-
rum proper faces Olive, and is not far
exteriorly. Interiorly, it is all that
the most superb theater in the west
should be. Only in size does the Chi
cago Auditorium compare with it. Such
affairs as the Madison Square garden,
in New York, the Coliseum in Chicago,
the convention hall in Kansas City, are
shacks compared to it, in that they are
only great barnlike Enclosures, without
the finish and equipment that make a
G1rfs ;r
theater in every detail; a perfect, fin
ished playhouse, of gigantic size, but
supreme beauty. 1t will surprise and
please everyone who beholds it when, a
blaze of light and decoration, it is
thrown open for the first time Thursday
night.
OF the company which will inaugu-
rate this fine theater much is promised.
Some of the singers we know; others
come with fine regulations established
among music lovers of other lands. In
detail more will be said of the indivtd-
uals when the critic hears their opening
performance
The selection of operas is in the main
excellent. One could wish that the in
augural night might have given us some
other one than aida" Not that Ver-
dis great work is not splendid; but it
is not quite of the sort that makes for
PpPhieti elPplONdls ne llISl TWO dCIS
of Aida" are magnificent, in both seen
ic and stage effects, and the triumphal
procession in the second is one of the
finest and most enhancing spectaces
that can be put on any stage. But the
last two acts are wholly caviare to the
general, being strictly for the music
lover Now if we might have had LA
Boheme," for instance, or "L'Africaine, -
ii would have been better. But
we will get those soon enough, and
why quarrel with the goods the gods
send us?
So we may look for a superb turn
out, brilliant house socially and sar.
torially, grand performance, and alto
gether most auspicious start for the
new playhouse and the new company.
The seat sale has been heavy, and ev-
erything points to a delightful epoch
in the city's history.
At the other houses much will he
found of interest for the early part OF
the week. The Mason will really have
genuine company of players, 1t is as
serted, for the first time; its offerings
OF scrubs and amateurs have been piti-
able so far. The Belasco will probabl
outdo itself with The Prisoner of Zen.
da," and the Burbank will continue rs
fine offering of IF l Were King" The
other houses all have good bills. and
really this ought to be a banner week
all around.