Year: 1871

Is one OF the pretlest and c0sest In the city. This
house IL not large, anu probably Will not seat moro
than fifteen hundred people, but 1t possesses the ad.
vantage OF allowing every one an excellent view OF
the stage. Owing to the smallness OF the plot upon
which the theatre has been erected the house Is
built very high. and the appearance OF the family
circle, which rises tier above tier, Is exceedingly
stilfbacked. But, in spite Of this the house has
compact, comfortable look abo1t IL that I'M
presses one rather favoraby. In point Of ar.
rangement and decoration there is nothing to
complain OF. Not to hurt the susceptibittles
OF the upper ten thousand, as well as for sake OF
convenience and safety, thele is distinct entrance
to the family circle on Fourth avenue. The house
IS divided into parquet dress and family circles.
The seats in the latter resemble the wooden pews OF
church arranged IN tiers; out when occupied their
baroness and somewhat rough appearance Is not
visible. In the other parts OF the house tho au-
dience Is accommodated with iron chairs painted
white, the seats being covered with maro0ncOlored
leather. With view TO afford pleasant, easy view
OF the stage to those seated In the back OF the dress
circle the morse shoe curve OF the rail has bcel made
TO descend towards the edge with graceful sweep.
Six light and elegant cast iron pillars. with monde
script caps, the whole painted white and decorated
with circular gold huting support the dress circle,
and are SO arranged as to offer very lit





support the family circle The rails OF the circles
and Of the lower stage boxes are covered with Grim.
son velvet which gives very rich effect On either
side OF the stage boxes are pillars which have been
painted very faint sky blue and decorated with
gold. In front the boxes are Ornamented with
curious Intricate work In the byzantino STYLE and
delicate blues and p1nks are made to harmonze
agreeabIy with the lustrous gliding. Art, too has
been called in to aid In making the Union Theatre
fit temple for the muses.. We cannot say that the
art Of very high quality but In view Of the very


low state OF decorative painting In America 1t s not
perhaps fair to be fastidlous. We must there
FORE accept the will for the dee1 and shutting our
eyes to the defects Of the rrescoes from an
art point OF view, applaud the taste
that imagined this form OF decoration, while
rcgretting our want Of power to produce something
more worthy Of the great republic. Notwthstand.
ing the bad figure drawing the effect OF the decora-
ton Of the ceiling Is very pleasant. Immediately
over the stage there are two large female figures
painted over life size. One, In the act OF removing
mask from her face, represents Drama, and the
other, with harp, typides Music. Two other figures
representing Tragedy and Comedy, are painted on
the right and LETT OF the dome, but are not visible
from the lower part Of the house. A number Of
little Cupids are scattered above the DOME bearing
WreathS vi laurel, ready TO shower them down on
the successful actors. Inerspersed from distance
to distance are number OF curious dragons with
the head OF bird rising from salts of Roman armor
painted IN black and white. The .Jond OF the ceiling
ispanted in very ight distemper and is artlscaly
relieved by the tasteful Introduction or (ancllul, IN
tricate work, or the Byzantine order, painted in
delicate rose PINK and relieved by gold. This part
OF the decorative work has been exceenty done,
and displays correct feeling for harmonious color.
feso0n5 OF howcrS are painted round the large
light which occupies me centre OF the dome. These
siringy Instead OF increasing the beauty OF the
decoration Gley interfere With Its effect. large
sunlight in the DOME supplemented by . number Of
chandeliers fixed in the walls and In front OF the
dress CIRCLE sheds soft aud brilliant light over
the house. Each chandelier mas three Jets and Is
enamel. Immediately over the stage there
o re s Roans in s III Apoa e 9e
The composition is spirited, but not original; otner-
wise the execution Is poor enough. Four horses are
yoKed TO the Chariot and Apollo stands up nobly,
like child OF genus and drives his snor;ing steeis
through space He Is coming out In the direction Of
create any alarm. The prosccnium Is painted to re-
present mass of maroon-colored drapery with deep
drop, and the arts, selected Tor his subject an INA
gnative Italian scene; but the result does speak
Imagination. In deep valley we see strange,
tumbled up structure which 1t Is charitable TO be-
lleye was meant for castle but OF what style Of
decide. On the right dark mountains loom up in
the background, but with as little pretension to hill
form n as "a mountain may have. In the foreground.
on the left, some trees occupy sloping ground,
and are somewhat more naturally painted. Owing
the dome, and even those over the prOscenium ere
scarcely visible from the parquet
..;t', For the opening piece burlesque entitled
"UlySSeS or the Return OF s. Co." was selected. As
the title seemed to suggest the piece proved to nave
OF a political character, and there was
the Chief or the republic In q ridicu.
l0us light with Homer's Greek hero. Whatever
the point OF the play and the moral conveyed. II
any. were lost, completely lost, On us. The stage
has before now been made an elcIent political ay,
but 1t was by mel who knew how To wrlte We
forgive the cOarseness of Swift IN view OF the pun
gency OF his SATIRE but IN "Ulysses have ali the
indeicacy without even an effort at wit.


we do not ever remember TO have seen worse
burlesque IL lails IN all the essential qualities of
ana the AGING noo
There Is neither lun nor point, and the announce
ment that the piece has come TO an emu IS kin d
oil pleasuraOle SURPRISE In tine course Of thesper.
forinance we are treated to q selection or stale
Cockney ballads whose vulgarity condemned them
evidently, very bad rerash from some English
piece THIS peeps out through every line In the first
and fall llat and unpr0i!abie on the ears OF Aew
York audience. What, for instance do the majority
Gown the Burlington arcadeG 1t required only 4
might have been understood. The second
taDieau Is almost entirely abandoned to the
disguised Ulysses, who sings, In doleful manner,
"Vlhklns and HIS Dinah' anu dances something In
the nature of jig, which was the only creditaDle
performance OF the evening. Inns tableau Is dis
figured BY piece OF coarseness guile unpardon-
able. Ulysses has appeared upon the scene an
SOD. .ect uncouth man Of miseries'-Ideed, not at
all bad specimen OF an English prig-and desiring
10 make himself known to MS wires servant, Men,
don, actually undresses before the audience. The
from the prg to the president
which was no doubt intended 10 be the point OF tue
buresque, Is done so bunglingly that nOtning but
the coarseness OF the means employed strikes the
observer. II the Joke 10 he perpelrated requires
publicity cannot the managers consult some circus
clown as to how instantaneous changes OF cos.
tune may be effected without offending against
proprtetyl In the third scene we are pre-.
sented with banquetlng scene, In which the
chaste Penelope INDUCES in rather questionable
dalance with her lover EurYmachus to the anger
OF her lord, who Is concealed in the room. Tne
antics cut by Ulysses on this occasion belong rather
70 the domain OF pantonme tnan OF burlcsque, and
the Introduction or very badly conducted chorus
who sing O So refrain HE Wants Klss' in q
drunken Kind OF way, drags US across the verge OF
decency. bed has Deen introduced into the scene,
for no visible purpose eXcept to heighten the navOr
0rs some OF ihe illusions, and tor It's general sug
gestiveness an0rds an opportunity Tor some sense
less bu1O0nery between one Of the chorus and
Ulysses, who Tor some uniathomabe reason mas