The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-28
LYRIC SPENDSA
FORTUNE FOR BIC
IMPROVEMENTS
Charles Olson Puts $780, 600
in RemodeIing His
Theater.

to the same privileges heretofore ac-
corded men only, by the addition OF
q smoking room for their exclusive
use.
Located on the mezanine floor,
the ladies' smoking room is accessi-
BILE from all parts of the theater,
is handsomely furnished and pro
vides an admirable retreat for those
of the fair sex who court the solace
and pleasures of Milady Nicotine.
During the past few months more
than $150000 has been expended In
enlarging the Lyric, constructing a
new main entrance and lobby, one of
the most beautiful and attractive in
the Middle West; charging the ball
room. installing an entirely new ven
tilating system and cooling plant,
adding some 800 seats on the lower
floor, erecting a new projection ma
chine operating booth, Installing a
new master switchboard oh the stage
and redeecorating the entire house.
The new lobby, 120 feet long and
twenty feet wide, is exceptionally
imposing and commodious. Deco
rated in old ivory and gold, the walls
are wainscoted with Italian marble
and lined with handsome French
mirrors The lighting fixtures in
clude six magnificent crystal chan
deliers. The floor is rubber-tiled. In
the center of the lobby is a large
marble stairway leading to the
mezzanine floor and balcony. The
lobby also contains drinking foun-
tains and a smoking room for men.
The Lyrics new ventilating sys-
tenn and cooling plant, known as
the humidifier, is the very latest
thing in the science of theater ven
tilating. A gigantic air fan, fourteen
feet in height and weighing three and
one-half tons, draws fresh air into
the building at the rate Of $1,000
cubic feet per minute. The air first
passes into a washer" where wa
ter from a new we'll 120 feet deep,
passes through the air at the rate
of 500 gallons per minute before the
air is forced into the air ducts
throughout the building.
Good Ventilation
The Humidifier is a re-circulating
system making it possible to main
tain a temperate of from 70 to rs
degrees in the theater when street
temperates range from 80 to 90 de-
grees. Operated by automatic con-
troll, the Humidifier always assures
an even temperature, and completely
abolishes the unpleasantness Of air
drafts. The Lyric is one of but
twenty of the newest theaters
throughout the United States
equipped with this system.
Hailed as the greatest and most
remarkable innovation in facilitating
stage lighting ever conceived, the
major remote control switchboard,
which has just been installed COM
pletely does away with fire hazard
from electricity on the stage. The
switchboard proper is located be-
meath the stage, encased in steel
cabinets in a fire proof room. 1t is
operated from an auxiliary board on
the stage, and any conceivable light
ing effect desired can be obtained by
the simple act Of stouching
button.
The switchboard is so constructed
that the light cues for every act on
the bill can be "set up" in advance
of the performance, making it I'M
necessary for the operator to visit
the switchboard proper at any time
during the show. The Lyric is the
only theater in Indianapolis equipped
with a major remote control switch
board. The special board placed in
the Lyric was designed, and it's in
stallation supervised by Lynn
Parish, house electrician.
What is declared to be the largest
changeable letter electric sign in the
State has been erected above the
main entrance on Illinois st. Ten
feet in height the center section Of
the sign board Is fifty feet long and
the side sections eighteen feet long.
The center section can accommodate
1874 letters and the side sections 1913
letters each.
The Ballroom
The Lyric ballroom, enlarged to
100 feet in length and sixty feet in
width, with a dance floor 100x60 feet
in size, will be opened in the near
future for the fall and winter sea-
son. j. Russell Robinson and his
orchestra, eight all-star dance must
clans, with Eber B. Grub, enter
taiRer, will furnish music. Robin
son, the man who wrote "Margie"
and a hundred other popular sone.
hits, is famous as composer and
has appeared in vaudeville as accom-.
PIANIST for Marion Harris, The ball
room, maintained solely for theater
patrons, is one of the unique fea-
lures that distinguishes the Lyric
among vaudeville theaters through
out the country.
Charles M. Olson Is president
and managing director of the Cen
trail Amusement Company which
owns and operates the Lyric. A
pioneer in the motion picture and
popular vaudeville business in In
dlanapoli,s he is recognized as one
Of the shrewdest showmen in his
chosen field. He also directs the
Apollo, Ohio and Isis photoplay
theaters, and is interested in other
local motion picture houses. Though
his interests are many and varied
Mr.. Olson gives his personal atten-
ton to every detail concerning the
management of the Lyric which is
bis special pride.
The Lyric was erected in 1912
with an original capacity of not
quite 1000 seats. To keep pace
with its over-growing patronage the
theater has since been twice re-
modelled and enlarged, it's original
frontage of 70 feet on Illinois street
having heay incraoca1 30 100 ca