New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-25
BROADWAY WONDERLAND
New York Theatre Converted
Into Layers of Surprises.
AN INDOOR C0NEY ISLAND
with a Pike, a Busy Dance Hall,
q Novel Crazy Town and a
Voc. de vii The ay-ter.

,roadvav has needed it for long time.
an ,iS shows need side show And
,,., &c why Wonderland in the New
vorr Theatre fills what has been an
aching gap.
The grand opening takes place tonight
los, night was only for the playful critics
"a for the comrades and playmates o;
~. MANAGEMENT. But ii was no DOUBT
- omen of future success the way Lew
r,elds danced before the low comedy mir
rors and laughed at the Punch and Judy
how and the way other people known up
md down Broadway performed the tur-
,.o,. hon and other barnyard fantasies on
~. noished floor Of the new ballroom.
amusement is arranged in layers in the
x.w York Theatre now. Varieties and
,.,namacolor movies" are in the theatre
downstairs. One flight up is the ballroom,
,hsre a husky group of musicians, who
,oor ss though they would not tire easily,
a, IN the balcony and pour down tunes
With unstinted energy on the trotting ana
Gliding couples below. Folks can sit In
,h. balcony. too. 1t surrounds the hall
sns there are tables and chairs ranged
,usrestively along the railing. In other
words. the traditional dancing thirst has
not been forgotten.
few fights higher (there are ele-
va,ors) in part Of the building not be-
fore open to the public there is a some
rhat uncanny little place called Crazy
Town. The central feature here is
punch and Judy show-the genuine an
,ioue-no shoddy, modern imitation. All
along the walls are peekholes. glance
into which answers the questions painted
., the outside Among other features the
cave ~ the Winds is warranted TO blow
,o,,r brains out and even to loosen your
hat If you are wearing it la Leyeh-
decker.
To save the best for the last is the sign
OF the epicurean in pleasure. To DO '1s
In the new Wonderland is TO see every
thing before going up to the Pike on the
roof The long months when Coney is
cold and gray and deserted won't seem so
long now that Broadway has It's own
pike. Only this one is more unsophlsu-
Gated than Coney's pixies and plaisances.
Old New Workers can go TO Wonderland
NUNS Museum days and the days OF other
museums and show places of this kind.
But there are a few modern improve
ments
The Pike is the new name for the ola
roof garden The first thing to hit you
in the eye as YOU get off the elevator -
a merry-go-round that is whirling with
the regardless mirth for which 1T is IA
nous Right and left of it are innumer-
able things, even including wild man
and two varieties OF fat ladies-ordinary
size and liliputian. A lliputian fat lady
seems like the irony OF fate gone maudlin,
hui There she is. and perhaps the Joiliest
nerson in the show. She is not there just
10 be gaped at. oh. no. There's more
to being a lliputian fat lady than that.
She takes the crowd in her commence
pokes fun at them, gets them laughnS'
makes goats of them. Those VINO come
10 laugh remain TO be laughed at. 1t Is
a very good game. Perhaps that is now
she got so fat--laughing. If she stays
long on this job she has now there won
i've chance of getting her out any OF
the theatre doors soon. Sitting up on
pedestal as a freak TO be laughed at gives
her frghtful opportunity of laughing
herself and she's not missing IT.
Beneath a roof arched with lights ana
hung with balloons, flags ana coioied
umbersols the shouts Of delight are con-
tinuops. In addition to the Kind OF sac
shows where you pay a nickel to see II
YOU can break open niger skull WIN
baseball and thereby win solid metal
watch there are enclosed places where
maryels NAV be seen. In one OF these
mystery rooms group Of desert dancers
are warranted to get you going high
priest gives the muczzin's call to prayer,
ana after that a desert marriage cere-
nony Is shown, following which, appro-
priately, comes a dance such as MI
Hichens once saw--or says he saW-in
the street Of the Ouled Nails.
In another we'll yelled Enclosure last
night William A. Brady bet Grace George
any kind Of a hat she wanted that on the
ranasra miniature stage they were not
wAl figures dancing. He lost. Go see
for yourselves how life-sized people can
be only three inches high and dance on
stage that Is about foot and a haif
vide and a foot deep. This Tanagra
stage IL called the latest novelty from
Paris. Oh, well. be that as ii may
Wonderland is gay. various. in
measure devious, quite barbaric spot,
wholly true TO it's convictions ana not al
all out OF harmony with It's surround
ings. Let us call IL the heart OF New