Show DRAMATI AND LYRI I Signor Campobellos Opera Soiree on Tuesday Night I THE NEW THEATRE DECORATIONS I G Herrmanns Vaudevilles Acain Sullivan the I Pugilistic Player Ballet Girls Rnd How They LiveDramatic Gossip Never in tbo history of the Salt Lake theater has there been such enormous business busi-ness done as that of the past four nights of Crystal Slipper With prices of admission ad-mission increased onethird more than the usual rates the houses have simply been packed from pit t dome and one of the remarkable features of the engagement has been that little or no objection to the still prices has been heard so perfectly satisfied satis-fied were the audiences with the show In these days of summer snaps and winter fakes it is a pleasure to be able to record that any production gives such eminent satisfaction as did The Crystal Slipper Of course there are always a class of people peo-ple who are disappointed no matter what sort of a performance they witness I it is Hamlet they would rather it had been something funny and if it is a screaming comedy they go home as blue as indigo because be-cause there was no villain in it to do dark and damning deeds of sin The Crystal Crys-tal Slipper is a specticular extravaganza extrava-ganza and as such has no superior supe-rior on the road at least I people I went expecting a tragedy or to see a heavy villian make trouble they were doubtless disappointed and ought to be but if they went to see a eorgeous succession of magnificent mag-nificent and delighttui spectacles visions of transcendent beauty and scenes of wholesale mirth and revelry they had value received for the price of admission The improvements to the old Salt Lake theatre which have been creeping along at snails pace all summer owing to the many attractions that have kept the house occupied occu-pied and the decorators more or less at bay are now nearing completion There are yet the touches to be imparted here and there which the artist calls finishing the pioture but sufficient progress has been made to warrant a brief description of some of the changes that have metamorphosed metamor-phosed that historic old temple of Thespis into a charming and elegant opera house an honor to the city and a credit to the owners The building and the ground I upon which it stands are the joint property of the Home Fire and Home Life Insurance Insur-ance companies of Utah and the theatre is managed a board of directors selected by the two companies of which board t Mr Charles E Burton is president and Heber J Grant Richard W Young W H Rowe John C Cutler Elias A Smith and Heber M Wells are members More than a year ago a committee of inquiry was appointed by the board to report upon the advisability of erecting upon the theatre site an elegant business block five or six stories in height witn stores in front and a new and elegant theatre in the rear fronting on First East street the motive in uch action lying in the fact that the First South street frontage was entirely too valuable to be used only as a theatre wbei it might command a thrifty business rental Preliminary plans were secured and the subject was under discussion when the Grand opera house in this city was destroyed de-stroyed by fire While no definite conclusions conclu-sions were arrived at as to the new project tLe burning of the opera house and the faLt that this was the only theatre remaining remain-ing in the city changed the aspect of affairs so far at least as t delay the completion oi the plans and it is understood they are held in abeyance Immediately Mr Peter McCourt of Denver who has control of what is known to the theatrical profession I as the silver circuit and which includes the principal play houses throughout Colorado Colo-rado and Utah and a proposition to the Salt Lake management to place this theatre in his circuit After consideration consid-eration terms were agreed upon and a contract con-tract was entered into for a number of years by which it was agreed the circuit attractions should all be played at the theatre With commendable enterprise the local management immediately decided to spare no expense in refurnishing and improving im-proving the old place so that its patrons would take pleasure and pride and a modicum modi-cum of comfort in being there and to say that things are beginning to shape in that I direction is by no means a night of the imagination The new opera chairs which were only placed in position last week are the most comfortable and the handsomest t be found in any theatre in the west It was after the most searching investigation I into the merits of all the various chairs offered for sale by eastern factories that these were decided upon and the taste and discrimination of those who selected them have been applauded at each performance during the week The chairs are from the i Grand Rapids factory and were secured through Air James Dwyer who is I agent for thia territory The frame of the chairs is sixteenth century oak highly polished with metallic oak front set in ornaments of antique brass They upholstered in rich plush of deep amber which under the glare of lights changes to a beautiful orange tint A luxurious lux-urious feature these chairs and one that is appreciated by everybody is that the seats are longer by some two inches than the ordinary opera chairs contributing as I the signs have it in the street cars quiet and ease The ceiling of the auditorium was decorated not a great while ago by that prince of artists the lamented Billy Morris and though the colors will need retracing re-tracing to harmonize them with the new work the management have decided to leave the greater portion of the ceiling already al-ready a work of art undisturbed The proscenium arch is shaded in terra cotta and closely resembles the colors of the new decoratons at McVickers theatre Chicago and is relieved by h cavy plastic of turquoise tur-quoise green Clinging to the center of the arch and flitting in the breeze which always blows when the curtain is suspended sus-pended and the gas is on are flakes of gold leaf which add lustre to the effect The upper proscenium boxes remain in form I the same as bf old but in the lower boxes a great change for the better has taken place The floor of these boxes has been dropped two or three feet and brought out in front so that the occupants may see the entire stage doubtless a new and startling I revelation t them and the drapery upon them is richand heavy and in perfect harmony har-mony with the arch Mention has frequently fre-quently been made of the fact that the stage bas been cut back t the inside line of the arch so that the boxes are now in the audience audi-ence instead of on the stage as formerly The walls surrounding the dress circle are f of plastic finished in old copper effect with I fourfoot dado of Lincrusta Walton I Lincrust harmonious har-monious in tone the ceiling being of the I same general design except that it is neatly trimmed with a border of heavy copper t rope In the panels between boxes and stalls are six plateglass mirrors with beveled edges the panels having mirrors 6 being painted in majolica work on mosaic ground with plastic border The prevail E jug color of the entire auditorium is terra cotta and so harmoniously are the shades blended and so rich yet modest are the decorations de-corations that the very clever gentleman Mr A Sinclair who superintended the work is constantly tho recipient of very I flattering compliments for his delicate taste Midgley Sons of this city who did al I the decorative work are also to be congratulated con-gratulated upon their execution The recent re-cent trip which Manager Burton took to San Francisco when the very handsome and elaborate work in the theatres there was overlooked proved of vast benefit to the decorations here also as many of the most important and beautiful effects which Illumine the house were suggested by him on his return A gang of men were busy yesterday decorating the exterior of the building It is probable its present form End appearance which is somewhat sugges live of an old English lyingin hospital will not be much changed though its gen ral seediness will be repaired until it looks Mean and neat The greatest and costliest iL single improvement of all if the chairs are excepted however will be the introduction of electric lights throughout the entire building Formany years there was a pre judice by managers against electric lights for stage use but the recent perfection in shading aud mellowiqg the lights and the ease with which they may be manipulated to say nothing ot their greater security make the electric lignts altogether the most advantageous for theatrical purposes The Salt Lake theatre and always has ben a favorite with both actors and audience au-dience Its age for one thing makes it venerable and therefore respected It has stood for years as a monument to the enlightenment ightenment and noble impulses of the people peo-ple who built it and the great mind who in hat early day when much of the material had to be imported in wagons a thousand miies or more designed it and superintended ended its construction Its roominess i its characteristic feature Everybody can see everybody else and this imparts an air of sociability to the audience that quickly makes itself felt on the stage and the whole house becomes cn rapport as the French say There are many people in this city who would weep great honest tears if the old theatre were t be torn down in fact there were some who wept at the bare suggestion a few months ago and although Dramatic and Lyric desires to keep abreast of the times and up with the spirit of the age and all that sort of thing it is not quite sure when the word goes forth to destroy the old structure that it will be able to con wi trol its emotions From every indication a rare musical treat is in store for the patrons and lovers of operatic music for Tuesday evening next the occasion of Signor Campobellos opera soiree The programme hero appended append-ed should satisfy the generality of connoisseurs connois-seurs Both Miss Porter and Miss Royle are pupils of the signor and his experience and judgment are perhaps sufficient guarantee guar-antee that they are fully prepared to make a successful appearance Miss Porters attraction lies in the power and clearness les cearness of her high notes Her selections indicate that the professor gives her credit for being be-ing the possessor of endurance for the requisites of grand opera Campobello wi give us Figaro qua and Figaro Lan 1 La-n costume and will also sing md act in the second act of Don Pasquale and avery a-very interesting feature of the evening will be the appearance of E Stephens chorus attired in followers appropriate costume as folow ers of the Comte di Luna The box office opens tomorrow morning at the usual hour for the sale of reserved seats and we hope I the sale will prove a large one i PROGRAMME Overture The Barber of Seville Rossini by the Orchestra 3 Duett Parts siam sol Rgolcto Verdi Miss Grace Porter and Signor Campobello 3 Piano solo Elislr PAmourAuber H S Krouse 4Arla Ah forse lui La Traviata Verdi Miss Grace Porter 5Aria Figaro quaFigaro lauRossini sang in costume by SIgnor Campobello Romance Dost Thou Know Mignon A Thomasu hIss Martha Royle Orchestra selectionou A Granada 9Grand operatic scene from the opera of 1 Trovatore Miss Grace Porter H S Krouse Mr E Stephens and a full band and chorus directed by Prof George Careless Part II The Soldiers Chorus from the opera of II Trovatore sung in costume by a selected and numerous chorus of picked voices under the direction of Prof E Stephens 2The populr duet from the opera of Norma Nor-ma Hear Me Norma sung by Miss Grace Porter and Miss Martha Royle Part III Finale Overture and act 2 of 11 Don Pasquale brilliant and amusing from the pen of Donizetti Doni-zetti Characters Norma Miss Grace Porter Doktor MalatistaSignor Campobello Professor Herrmanns transatlantiquest a vaudeville combination which was seen here last season will occupy the stage of the Salt Lake theatre next Wdnesday Thursday and Friday evenings The company com-pany gives one of those clean highclass specialty performances which have found their way into the leading legitimate theatres the-atres of the country and which are favorably favor-ably received by the patrons of these theatres the-atres when the specialties arc possessed of unquestionable merit There is nothing more entertaining than a good specialty show and few things more tiresome than a fragment of such a show disguised as a comedy or drama Some years ago this form of amusement had become so identi fed with concert halls and theatres in which drinking and smoking were allowed that a large part of the public looked upon a specialty entertainment as something forbidden for-bidden And even after the drinking and smoking were abolished while the theatres devoted particularly to vaudeville vaude-ville wero as well conducted as any others there was still a very considerable con-siderable class of theatregoers who never aw a regular vaudeville performance Etecognizinc this the variety actors invaded the legitimate stage by means of farces and other light pieces written to introduce their specialties They got in also through the comic operas burlesques and spectacles and even melodramas were composed for their benefit In this way one good act occupying half an hour at the most served to crery a three hours entertainment Managers liked the system because it was cheap Instead of paying a dozen specialists special-ists they had only to pay one or two and each successful variety actor became a whole show in himself The programme presented last season by the Herrman company com-pany found favor with local audiences and it is claimed by the management that Mr Herrman has since improved it as a whole The list of people this season contains Miss Flora Moore Americas favorite comedienne come-dienne the Alexander brothers musical clowns from Winter gardens Berlin j Gus Bruno in a monologue performance the famous Glinseretti troupe and others Apropos of the recent gorgeous ballets at the theatre the from the following Now York Horning Journal will be food for reflection re-flection to those who think the ballet girls life one continual round of plersure A few words about the common cory phees the poor unrecognized dancers who aid the queens of the ballet to bring out their grand effects Their leH says a great French writer is one continuous drudgery Their pay is hardly enough upon which tosubsist they have to be drilled to exhaustion in rehearsals before appearing on the stage at night they live in garrets and in the midst of loathsome quarticrs and are worn t death before they have arrived at womanhood These are the massthe indistinguishable indistinguish-able multitude which one sees on the boardswho danco in groups and never hear tho separate applause of the audience for a wellaxecuted JJCM ycul The lives of many of these are daily tragedies of want and shame and disappointment for even these creatures havo ambition to be famous a devouring as Cicsars They are pitiable most pitable for they have not the light of education wickedness wicked-ness was the household god of their in fancy and they are nil in moral darkness deep as Erebus To these is forbidden the I luxury in which their mre eminent sisters I revel unless perchance nature has given them too the ability to win and fortune the chance What becomes of all these gauzy nonentities non-entities ot the ballot Where Iauzy al those who flitted blithely across the stages of Paris i years gone byl We hear ol them here ajr there few and far betweenin hospitals in streets begging or worse in asylums in jails at the solemn little morgue by the banks of the Seine verj rarely that we do not hear of them in places of misery in the sombre realms of wretchedness Their lives are frail and brittle and break often under their burdens A certain countess some years ago a pious Catholic and u noble woman devoted herself to taking these same poor worn out gir s of the ballet put them into comfort able sick rooms sent them to school and herself taught and comforted and tended them and the few thus saved by the ingle hand of a woman directed by God grew up and did well and died good deaths or lived to be witnesses of the goodness ot their benefactress Would that a dragons teeth could be sown whence they might grow such women |