Evening star., 1933-07-02

n qucuc VI tlCkct buyers IldIBS liOLl
the Sixth avenue entrance of the Hip
podrome from early morn onward. and
the sight. both outside and inside the
had little of lately, except in the case
Of political conventions and prize fights
The crowd itself Is fair cross section
Of the seven millions. There are Latins
of the sort who fill the top gallery and
the standee places at the Metropolitan.
and there are Park avenue Nordics in
dinner coats: there are men in straw
hats and men with no hats at all; old
ladies and school children and young
couples who have momentarily deserted
the movies" The spectacle as the
singers themselves see 1.-THE huge or
chestra. balcony and top gallery above
that. and all solid full of people-ought
to, and does. inspire their most re-
doubtable efforts. Marcelline, the IA
nous clown; German acrobats, bathing
beauties in tanks of real water and
troops Of performing elephants used to
enjoy that sight, and now it is rel
ished by Enricos. Giuseppis, Luigis, An
nunciatas and their brother and sister
songbirds from overseas, with a sprink-
ling Of such native names as Charlotte
Ryan, Dorothy Chapman and Lawrence
Power.
MAESTRO SALMAGGTS artists are
1 all old hands at their work, in any
case-old in experience, that is to say.
They know their operas SO well that re-
hearSalS ar6 scarcely needed. and the
performances. both from the point of
view of singing and of the orchestra. are
thoroughly capable. II there should be
loose edges here and there. there Is al
ways the comforting thought that you
are paying no more than you would for
the less nourishing products Of Holly
wood.
This reassuring thought is not to be
sneezed at in times like these. and it
helps to produce that genuine holiday
air which pervades the Hippodrome and
the streets Immediately adjacent. Be
tween the acts the crowd mills about
}ll the lobby or on the sidewalk or
troops across the street to one of the
neighboring refectories. where pretty
nearly real beer is dispensed across real
bars by what look to be real bartenders
For those who stick to their seats there
are candy and ice cream and orangeade
butchers" hawking their wares up and
down the long aisles and in the foyers
III short, something like the atmosphere
of real volksfest has been achieved
right in the center Of Manhattan, and
anybody who can create such a phe-
nomenon in this 1880 year of grace de-
serves the title of public benefactor.
Trif1ing scratches on the smooth sur
face Of Maestro Salmaggi's enterprise
have been made by horny handed proc
ess servers. alleging that the Sunday
evening performances violate section
something or other of the penal code
touching On the vexed subject of Sab
bath entertainments. The answer to
these summonses has been that the
Sunday evening shows have been "bene-
fits" In any case. they went merrily
on. The experiment has been so tre-
mendously successful that, after this
early Summer fling has been completed
Maestro Salmaggi promises an Autumn
season at the same prices. Moreover
there are to be German as we'll as Ital-
ian operas. with real dragons. Rhine
maidens and other fauna, doubtless. as
there was a real bull for Carmen"
MEANWHILE the regular" theater
- shows have been gradually folding
UP and calling it a Broadway day. -Four
entertainments closed week age
yesterday. five more closed yester-
day. bringing the available number
down to five. Goodbye Again" fin
isned a 27-week run last evening and
Biography the longest run of any
play of the 1928 season. 1t is a
cheering fact that the play which