Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-01
SCENERY STRUCK
FOR LAST Time AT
BOYD THEATER
Touch Of Deep Regret Min
gled With Memories Of Other
Days as Last Perform
ance Is Staged.
BY EDWARD BLACK.

a close without ceremony when Lee
and ]. ]. Shubert's "Maytime'
concluded a weeks engagement.
A. few comments were heard be-
tween acts, ancnt the closing OF the
thea,er. Mr.. and Mrs. r. J. Fitz-
morris, parquet occupants last night,
attended the opening play nearly
so years ago. They referred to the
opening as an auspicious occasion
i'll the theatrical history of Omaha.
Manager w. J. Burgess of the
house referred to the opening which
he attended as a guest, being man.
ager of the Farnam street theater,
formerly the old Boyd, at Fifteenth
and Farnam streets.
At the conclusion of "Maytime"
last. night, the\ stage manager
shouted "Strike!" the stage vernac-
rlar for taking down The scenery.
The company gathered up its seen
cry and paraphernalia, the lights
were extinguished and that was the
last of the Boyd.
Sell Seats and Fixtures.
Workmen are ready to begin the
work OF dismantling the building
The seats and fixtures have bee.
advertised for sale.
The building will be torn down to
make way for a modern mercantile
structure to provide additional space
for the Burgess-Nash Co. Art must
make way for business, but Omaha
will never forget the Boyd theater.
mingled with the memories of other
There was touch of deep regret,
days, when the curtain of Boyd
theater was rung down last night,
marking the formal closing of this
historic playhouse, with its wealth
6f dramatic lore and sentimental
associations.
Thousands OF pilgrims have wor-
SHIPPED at its srine, and thousands
OF heavy hearts have been lightened
by the merry testers; thousands have.
listened to the words OF the masters,
spoken by the worlds dramatic
stars.
An army of chorus girls has
trooped across this svenerated stage.
Many Hamlets have soliloquized
and as many Richards have prof.
fered their Kingdoms for q horse.
A legion OF coryphecs has passed
in review and several of the "origi-
nal Floradora sextet" have sung and
danced themselves into popular ia
yor.
Cockrell Ate Peanuts.
Harry Cockrell, treasurer at the
Boyd, was in a reminiscent mood
last night as he went into the old
gallery and harked back to the eve
ming Of September 3, 1891, when he
was firstnighter, eating peanuts
and proudly occupying front seat.
He remembered the days when Kelly
presided over these sacred pre-
cincts and Of how he shouted "Hats
offl" when the orchestra struck up
the. overture.
Other gallery patrons of the
good old days" were at the closing
performance of "Maytime.' They
recalled the days when they raced
up the winding stairs in youthful
competition to get the first rows.
They remembered some of the old
songs, long consigned to the limbo
of discarded things. In fancy they
heard echoes of 1.-TWO Little Girls
in Blue" Maggie Murphy's Home"
Comrades" "After the Bal" "Just
as the Sun Went Down" "My
,Sweetheart's the Man in the Moon"
and others. Some remembered
Lottie Collins famous song hit,
"Ta-ra-ra-B Boom-de-ay," and they
will never forget DeWolf Hopper's
recitation Of Casey at the Bat"
In the heyday of the Boyd the
ater the attractions covered the
whole field of travelling amusements,
from tragedy to light farce. There
was a time when the gallery gods
hissed the old-time villain whose
perfidty was emphasized for stage
effects. In another class of plays,
"Old Homestead" Peaceful Val
ley" and "Trip Van Winkle," remain
as tender memories.
Alabama" Was First Play.
Boyd theater was opened Septem-
Der 3, 1891, by A. M. Palmer's
company in Augustus Thomas
American play, Alabama" The
first performance was witnessed by
a distinguished gathering of men
and women who made the opening
public occasion. Through the en-
terprise of the late Governor James
E. Boyd. Omaha was given
theater which at that time was the
finest in this part of the country.
The first-night audience was all
expression of public appreciation
for this beautiful playhouse. Among
the Box occupants were Governor
and Mrs. Boyd, Thomas Boyd,
brother OF the governor and mana
ger of the theater, and the late ].
NJ. Thurston. The governor and
Mr.. Thurston spoke briefly to the
audience. Burt Butler was leader
OF the orchestra. In the cast Of
Alabama" were ]. H. Stoddart,
E. NJ. Holland, Maurice Barrymore,
May Brooklyn, Charles L. Harris,
Edward Abeles and others who
have gained prominence in their
profession.
Other present-day Omahans who
attended the opening of this
theater are: Luther Drake, C. r.
Sherman, c. S. Elgutter, F. T. Fitz-
morris, Harry Lawrie, C. n.
Dietz, w. ]. Connell, c. w. Hull,
Ed. z. Peck. A. c. Wakeley, N. p.
Fell, ]. B. Haynes, Glenn Chase, c.
Z. Yost, and Lucien Stephens.
Among others who were at the
opening performance were repre-
sentativcs OF nearly every pioneer
family of Omaha, including these
names: Poppleton, Wyman, Man.
derson, Thurston, Rosewater, Col.
PETER, Patrick fitzpatrick, Nash,
Squires, Bennett, Doane, Lininger,
n