The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-27
HANDS AT The HIP
HOOKED OFF STAGE
They Give a Party and Try to
Act With Real Actors
for Audience.
TOTO FORGETS 4 TRICK

When the biggest body Of theatre en-
Iloyees in the biggcs, playhouse in the
world became. for the time being. per-
formers and sauntercd out upon the
Hippodtoine stage at the Hippodrome's
Christmas party at the beginning OF
yesterday morning. 1t goes without say
ing that cries OF Get the hook :" caused
the longest handled hook In the known
universe.
With the Htppodrome's principals.
chorus and ballet and some of their
friends AS All audience. the usliers. door
men, below stairs horse and elephant
Wallets and ABOUT everybody around the
place with the exception of Biz hess
Charles Dillingham;. Director Dick Burn
side. Manager Harry Askin. House Man
ager J. W. Mathews and Head Publicity
itomancer Mark A. Luescller. came upon
the stage and did stunts up to but not
beyond the instant the worlds longest
hook reached out half n city block and
ranked the amateur artists back to life
among the commonplace.
h mpmen the last ballet skater
had kicked OF her steel. shod hpoties
after the Saturday night audience mad
departed and all the had
primped Itself mp IN h'r--and his--fnest
street fripperies the 10000 performers
MIR. luescher Is spcaking) In the Hip
p"drome troupe piled out into orchestra
and box seats aud settled back to enjoy
the art about TO be provided for them
by the ushers and others.
Hut from the time that the natty lads
calling themselves the Hhppodromc
Quartet'-moining coats. spsts and all
That sort OF thing and Of various heights
that suggested the ups and downs Of II
conscientious nurses fever chart-came
nut to sing Frisco the only persons
who were able TO finish anything they
started was the PLATOON of huskies hand
ling the hook. The platoon never started
a single iah with the hook that it
0 couldn't finish.
Even Toto, ono ~ tho few pro-
4, ~fessionals a, the Ilippodrome who took
a part in The stage proceedings. ouldn
finish what he started out to do. The
announcement was made for Toto that
h. was about to do a trick and would
like to have the assistance II two volun-
teers. Up stepped two brave chorus lads
rom the audience.
Then "A great square NJ canvas was
brought forth for Toto's use. At Toto's
direction the willing chorus men lay
down on the canvas and Toto rolled
them up IN the canvas securely with
many "a turn and fold. And when Toto
had contemplated the bulky package for
some time with sorrow IN his eye he
finally announced loud enough for even
the two thoughtleSS volunteers swelter-
ing under many crisscross folds that he
had forgotten how to do the trick.
Toto strolled away then as the can
vas packag" began To come to life and
throw fits and snarl mutled snarls and
otherwise begin to act up a bit anGrily,
The two disrumplcd volunteers finally
got ort INTO fresh air again. their in
voluntary contributions to- the success
of Toto's trick being vo~uchsafed much
more mcrriment ny the happy audience
OF players and the crowds In the wings
tina by the two chief actors in the roll
tying stunt.
A set of tea table thingamijigs oi
solid silver was presented - Director
Burus.d" by the H.ppOdroine company
T at the e"d Of the stage performance. an
uOuncewrnt being made at the same
tim" that in spite OF the fact. or per.
hdps because Of the fact. that Dick
Bur side Is Il stickler for water wagol
driving around the ~Iiippodrome stage
and dressing rooms the company had
decided to present 20 him also a quart
bottle Of rye. a quart Of Scotch and Il
quart OF brandy. All three bottles gilt.
tered in%vitiugly up near the big Christ.
mas tree back ~ the stage apron.
hen when Tale Teller Luescher had
been presented with "A bronze elephant
which the recipient later was inslsting
was solid gold. the dance music struck
up. Frederic H.. cruger one of the
honored outsiders to be invited to thu
party. started things Off by leading III,
Hippodrone's prima donna, Miss Belle
Storey. from a box. whereupon every.
body piled upon tho block long dancing
stage.
There were salads and sandwiches and
things later and there was "A punch
bow of excellence always, regardless oi
what Dick Burnside might say. MIR
and Mrs. Dillingham; remained almos,
to the bitter end and So did Harry :
Black. Sumue Gerard. Mr.. Cruger, VIII.
lam g. Stewart and many others.