New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-01
H|PPODR0ME OPENS
Scenes This Year Based on
Story of Universal Peace.
GORGEOUS EFFECTS SHOWN
Arthur Voegtlin Scores Another
Triumph as Originator of
Splendid Spectacle.


The New York Hippodrome, which ga
tile first public performance of it's 19l2-'lS
season last night. has won another tri
umph in its unique record OF success.
The spectacle part Of the programme has
this year been given the title Of Under
Mary Flags" while the ballet is called
Flowers of the Nations"
A new idea is worked out In the spec
tacle by giving II story which is based
on a single theme. The theme is the az
taihment OF international peace, and the
means OF bringing this about IL made
into q story, which gives n reason for the
varied scenes of the spectacle. A yourg
captain I'm the United States navy invents
an airship which can be used to such
good effect as a war engine that. If uni
versally adopted, it can act only as
preventive of war \ party of Americans
sails around the world I'm this sample
airship, Offering TO build a fleet OF them
and present one TO each nation. Every
nation visited accepts, and the finale
shows the silver palace Of universal peace
which Ii erected In some unreal land as
q tribute 10 the spiritual calm and en-
lightenment which have come over the
world.
The first scene shows the exterior OF the
White House at Washington, on the lawn
before which the peace plot is Matched.
This scene Is carried out with decided
Is pleasant national favor. and arords
one Of the few really American effects
I'm larger sense which are ct present 10
be found on the local stage.
Following are scenes on the parade
ground at Annapolis. fishing village on
the coast OF Brittany, and the passage
Of tho peace airship over a city az night
which IS an extremely effective and well
conceived scene. Berlin summer gar
den has a surprise In the background In
tho form OF an ocean view. But this -
the very thing that Berlin needs the most
and for which the Kaiser has fought and
prayed, so why not realize this need at
the Hppodrome?
Other scenes are laid in Holland, in
Moscow. In the Scotch Highlands, In Pc
king, IN Arizona and in Teheran, Persia.
The Scotch Highlands. with the assem-
! bling Of the clans az dawn, Is the kind OF
scene TO cause a popular demonstration, II
the audience were Scotch, as q national
feeling Of considerable depth and tender
ness IL reused. This is one Of the mellow
est and best things that has yet been done
! at the HIppodrome.
The two scenic sensations Of the enter
/ tainment are the tornado and forest fire
/ In Arizona. whole town ~ ripped apart
before the astonished eyes by the first OF
these horrid feGts OF nature. and the
I Sreckagc is next wholly consumed by the
rayages Of the fire.
! The final spectacle-that Of the silver
temple of universal peace--in which scene
the great tank is used. Is a better scene
| than ever before achieved at the big
PLAYHOUSE. Bizarre colors have been used
! in previous final scenes but this time the
/ silver tone of scenery and costuming, al
though brilliant, is not crude.
: The ballet. in which the flowers OF the
/ eight principal nations Of the Western
/ world dance in separate groups and finally
all together Is we'll arranged In color and
mellower i'm tone than In previous ballets
al the Hippodrome. In fact. this greater
| softness of color pervades the whole OF
this years Offering at the Hippodrome
, and improves II UNNECESSARILY
There IS also an absence OF the per-
petual motion on the part OF the chorus
folk which is 50 dlstractlng a feature OF
! the musical comedy stage here now.
There is no lack Of viyacity however
| one Of the prettiest Of the chorus features
has been devised for the scene in the
| l~r - chorus
walks between the tulip rows
Manuel Klein has. az heretofore. writ
ten the music FOR the new production. IL
has his accustomed swing, and several OF
the songs will no doubt have their usual
vogue among the orchestras about toWh'
| The musical novelty of the evening was
provided by number OF large gongs OF
different musical tones which were hung
around the walls OF the auditorium ana
for which clappers were worked ny eIec-
,rlcity. The chorus Of two of the songs
wa. taken up by these great echoing re-
neotcrs and the notes sounding from va
rious parts OF the auditorium, accom-
panied by the orchestra, appealed 10 inc
enthusiasm OF the audience and hteral'y
brought down the house.
Circus numbers are introduced here ana
there in the various scenes OF the spec
tacle. There are clowns. too, but Marco
line vino is no longer at the Hippodrome.
was missed.
The credit for this big gathering TO-
eether OF color music, harmony ana IN
teres,ing entertainment is due TO Arthur
yoegtlin for his originating OF the scenic
effects and his preparation OF the seen
cry. 10 william J. Wilson for his stage
grouping and arrangement OF musical
numbers. 20 Carroll Fleming for the writ
ing and staging OF the dramatic elements
NJ the spectacle, and 10 Manuel Klein for
Tho composition and dictatorship Of the