Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-07
Busby Bros. Determine on Elk
tensive Improvement For
This City Next Summer
WILL NOT KNOW PLAYHOUSE
Patrons Familiar With Present Inter-
Tor Will Not Be Able to Recognize
Theater When Next Season Opens
Will 30 up-to-Date City House in
Its Entirety.

Hardly q day passes but what some
new Improvement is announced fo
IMarshalltown for the coming summer
The latest, which was announced to.
day by Mr.. A. j. Busby. Of BusbA
Brothers, is the expenditure of $4,000
in completely remodeling and modern.
izing the Odeon theater.
The patrons of this popular play.
| house, who are familiar with the ap.
! pearance of the interior Of the theater
1 will not be able to recognize the house
when the next season opens in August
The building, in every way, will he
up date and modern, and the tota
Investment represented will be fal
above the average put into the theaters
of the country.
| No theater in Iowa will be more
modern or rich in its appointments
than the new Odeon.
! Iron Canopy; Electric Sign.
To begin with the entrance, large
iron suspension canopy will cover the
sidewalk in front of the theater. SC
| that on stormy nights patrons will have
shelter in finding their carriages
Above this canopy will be placed a
large changeable electric sign, which
will show to the public the name OF
the attraction booked for the night or
in progress.
Instead of the four big doors now
forming the first entrance to the the
alter, will be substituted six smaller
doors of glass. The four inside en-
trance doors will also be smaller, and
| will be made into six doors, three pairs
of two, which can be opened as the
entrance and exit demand.
Marble Lobby; Tile Floor.
The lobby of the remodeled theater
will be entirely rebuilt, and white blue
vein marble wainscoating will extend
to good height thruout. The wooden
floor will come out, and a pretty tile
floor be laid. The box office will also
be rearranged and improved, giving
more rooms for patrons at the windows.
Seating to Be Rearranged.
in entering the theater proper the
first improvement will be the enlarge
ment of the foyer, by taking out some
of the rear seats. The seating of the
lower floor will be entirely rearranged
Instead of the one ailse in the center.
there will be two, one to either side Vi
the present main aisle. This will
give large number of seats in the
best part of the house. The front ct
the lower floor will be dropped, and
the back part raised, making fall OF
three feet from back to front
While there will be fewer SEGA IS
down stairs under the new arrange
MT be lessened. More seats are to be
placed in the balcony, by rearranging
and doing away with the upper boxes
on either side.
New opera chairs are to be placed
turnout the building, and on the lower
floor the seats will be of red leather
upholstering, larger and more com
Portable than the present seats.
In the gallery the chairs are all to
come out, and stationery seats put in.
This will avoid much noise in the
moving about Of chairs.
Interior All Redecorated.
The entire interior of the house is TO
be redecorated, in old ivory and gold.
Art stucco will also enter into The
makeup Of the decorations. New lights
will be added, and the lighting rear
ranged. The lower boxes will be re-
built, and instead of setting in, will
stand out, and have much of the APP
pearance Of the present party stalls.
There will be three boxes on either
side, each to hold eight persons New
carpets and draperies will be, added
thruOllt the house ~
Stage Also Improved.
The stage is also to be improved. The
scenery will be new turnout, the con-
tract having already been let to How
ard futile, of Milwaukee. A new drop
curtain will be hung, and will be in
keeping with the other improvements.
The dressing rooms will all be rebuilt,
and hot and cold water Installed in all
of them.
Another improvement contemplated
Us the building of a gentlemen's smok-
ing and lounging parlor in the base
ment, with an entrance under the bal
cony stairs. This will do away with
the lobby being used by smokers be-
tween acts.
Work to Begin in June.
AS soon as the school entertainments
are over in June, the work of remodel
ing and improving will begin. The
building will be ready by the middle of
August, or for the opening Of the pre-
liminary 1909-10 season.
The Messrs. Busby have now owned
the Odeon eight years. They began i'm
proving it the season following the
purchase, and have already spent sew
eral thousand dollars on the prop
erty. They now believe that the time
is ripe for the more extensive i'm
They recognize the rapid
strides in the way of general improve
ment being made in Marshalltown, and
ing pace with the times.
Moments Club Social Day.
HT11-.- 81 -.