"PoPdJUXR PAPER ' F- A?PERM TIMES
3C "
s
Vol. Q No. Gl Lincoln, Nkbhaska,
,..,,. M I ' ' - II - II I II
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THE NEW LANSING THEATRE.
LOCAL REMINISCENSES.
T is now twenty vcnrs
ngo since the first play
wns presented In Lin
coln, thanks to the en
terprise of Mr. Ed A.
Church, then ns now, n
master In theatrical
inanngctnent. Lincoln
was a little Ullage In
WTH
1871 ; it had no tlicatrc.tcnni.il.
for performances, but
the representative hall
In the old capltol build ,
ng was secured for the
purpose, nnd n stage nnd
scenery improvised. Mr. Chns. 1 lum
kctt's company placed "Alone In London,"
to n packed bouse. There also nppenred
Sol Smith Russell nnd the llcrger family,
the bell ringers.
The next play s were produced In a hall
cnllcd the Academy of Music In Walsh
nnd Putnam's building on O street, under
Mr. Church's management.
Hut the capital city was growing fast
and Mr. Hallo taking Ids clue from the
large nudlences that attended Mr. Church's
!:. .u
plays, decided to build an opera house,
and he at once set to work. It was locat
ed at the same place where the Funkc
tands today, nnd very much on the same
lines with the exception that it did not ex
tend to the alley ns it does now. It was
called the Hallo Opera House, and It was
opened In 1873 by Mrs. Anna Bishop in a
concert. Of course Mr. Church was man
ager and his management proved n grand
success. Lincoln was then being adver
tised all oer the country ns the new
capitnl of Nebraska, and It proved an easy
task to secure the very best companies In
the land, the respective stars of which
were anxious to see the magle city. Bar
rett, Booth, Keene, McCullough,all bowed
nnd charmed Lincoln audiences; so nlso
did the best dramatic companies of the
land, Mary Andeison, Julia IJnvcnpoit
and Clnrn Morris nmong lhe number. To
be true te Hallo was good enough for the
Lincoln of 1873, so at lenst the people of
the city thought, and so It wns: but the
great sars of the country after they had
once been here could only be Induced to
return provided Increased percentage of
receipts were granted; and Mr. Church
frequently consented to give percentages
which hardly left him enough to pay his
own expenses; but he was bound to give his
patrons "the best in the shop." The rea
son why the stars were not anxious to re
jure after they had been here once, wns
due to the fact that the stage accommoda
tions were Inferior, cry inferior.
In 1875 the Hallo was destroyed by fire
while the Two Orphans was being placed;
completely destroyed. The people of the
city deplored the loss cry much and at
once raised nine thousand dollars as n
bonus for Mr. Hallo to rebuild; nnd so he
did, In company with Judge Palmer. The
ncwbulldlngwnsnotniiicho. nn improve
ment on the former; it was opened In 1876
with Richard the Third by the Kendall
company, with Mr. Church as manager.
This same building, pooi as It was, had to
answer the pur uses of our people until
the spring ol 1835. Mr. Funke had mean
while bought Hie Hallo from the original
owners, and fbi several cars with Mr.
Church a manager, excellent plajb were
furnished. Those who lived In Lincoln
In the early das will remember with
pleasure the Emmn Lelaud company; they
were here frequently nnd hnd become
great favorites nnd deservedly so too, for
Miss Leland with Clias. Degroct and Jack
Turner were most excellent actors: Indeed
as a stock company, the Leland was hard
to cxccll.
The theatre had now become the Cen
Mr. Church frequently urged Mr. Punkc
to remodel nnd enlarge the home, and he
finally consented.
Thcspiingof 1885 the old Centennial was
torn down nnd rebuilt on its present lines
at nn expense of twenty thousand dollars,
and It then became "The Funkc" and was
opened in October 1885 with the spectacu
lar play of the Pavements of Paris, with
Mr. Church as manager.
However by this time Lincoln hnd be
come a city of importance, wealth and
great refinement.
The manager of n theatre Is of course
expected to make money but he owes It
to his patrons as well as to himself to give
them satisfaction, nnd not impose upon
. l
them because he happens to be In control
of a theatre in the town.
Mr. Church has the last two cars been
elaborating plans for n new opcrn house;
but times were hard, and he could not
bring capitalists to realise the needs of the
time, until the very best elements of the
city were obliged to admit that present
facilities were Inadequate.
All this has brought forth the Lansing,
a theatre without superior in the State,
and v cry few equals in the country ; a place
of amusement that will be the pride of
Lincoln, and which will answer all the
purposes for the next decade.
Mr, Church has brought all this forth
through the enterprise of his friend, J. F.
Lansing, that prince of real estate agents,
who Induced Mr. II. Oliver, a capitalist of
Georgia, to join with him In the enterprise.
The pluck and push of the people of
Lincoln Is well illustiated in the theatri
cal history of the place. It was quite a
fent for Mr. Hallo to undertake early In
the Seventies, when he built his opera
house. Then the theatre burned down In
the midst of the grasshopper devas
tation nnd It wns nt once rebuilt. Then
again when Mr. Funkc expended several
thousands in the improvement of the old
house, times were far from being plethoric;
finally, the splendid theatre which now Is
the leading house has been erected In the
Cjda hardest ) ear of Lincolns exlstence.ow
Ing to the failure of crop last )var nnd the
general depression nil over the country, nt
n cost of not less than one hundred nnd
fifty thousand dollars In cold cash. Noth
ing has or will advertise the confidence
of our people In their beautiful city more
than this feat of Messrs. Lansing and
Oliver, and our tity will always have to
thank Mr. Ed Chinch for having Inspired
them with the confidence necessary for
the investment of such n large sum of
money, In this 3 enr of our Lord, 1891.
But under his management It will prove
a paying InvestiuLUt after all.
The stage Is the one great educator for
the masses; the best and worst of passions
nre put .before the people, In such n way
as to lead them to ndmhe the good, and
despite the bad, At the same time it Is a
rfii ft gsg -,
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place of amusement. But to be so It
Is required that the manager be ac
quainted with the companies that he en
gages, and the plays that are to be pro
duced ; for If a good piny Is n good edu
cator, so far ns moral nnd patriotism arc
concerned, there arc other plays quite
demoralizing In their tendencies, and
there arc too many like this.
Under the management of Mr. Church
the Lansing will become nn nthencum
where n husband can take his wife and
daughter, the brother his sister, without
fear of bringing a blush upon the checks
of those whose modesty Is of priceless
value to them and to the community of
which they arc the ornaments and the
pride
THE LANSING.
The Lansing Is of style Romanesque:
It Is n structure one hundred and three
by one hundred and forty -two feet In size
and four stories high. It Is situated In
the central part of the tity nnd accessible
to nil the means of locomotion in the
place, the very tracks of which nre nt Its
very doors. It has a double frontage; has
two grand entrances besides a special en
trance for the gallery. Each of the main
entrances Is situated under the cupolas
which send their spires some twenty feet
above the roof, and Is reached through
forla (ochrrcs extending ov cr a flagged
sidewalk up to the very curb line, thus
enabling the patrons to enter the building
from their carriages without being exposed
to the inclemencies of the weather.
The building Is constructed of the very
best of brick with partly projecting colon
ades composite In design and material,
yet harmonious In nil their parts, with re
llefs and blocks of Lake Superior stones;
nil of which In n general appearance Is
best adapted for the use to which the build
ing is devoted.
From the rough granite below up to the
Iron nnd teri.i cotta work to the loof
above, the Interior in the strength, ele
gance, nnd dignity of its beauty, is only
nsmall index to the grandeur of the theatre
proper after having entered its portals.
The foundation upon which the outer
and Inner walls of this building restart
unequalled for strength nnd durability ;
they nre from eighteen inches to two feet
in thickness, resting upon beds of Port
land cement varying from one foot to
two feet in depth, while the auditorium It
self, that is to say the parquet nnd dres
circle, nre laid on tement upon the ground
luelf.
THE AUDITORIUM.
The dimensions nre seventy -two feet by
seventy -four, nnd seventy feet In height,
immediately next to the footlights is the
orchestra; then "the parquet, and in the
rear and Hanks the drtss th cle. The stage
is flanked with three tiers of boxes on each
Satuwday, Novkmhicw iiH, ISOl.
side, with five boxes In each, and they
In turn arc Hanked with six loges, one on
each tier. The seating capacity of this
part Of the tbeatie is 60O, exclusive of the
boxes and loges, Above this dress circle
is the balcony which promises to be the
fabhlonable part of the theatre; It is u
complete counterpart of the dress circle
below, with n capacity of 400 seats, exclu
sive of the boxes and loges: and yet above
this balcony is n gallery that will scat some
eight hundred people and width with the
standing room In the rear, and the aisles
on the Hanks, can if netcssary hold one
thousand people. The two boxes, one on
ench side of the gallery nre very large and
have clntcr tops. In most theatres there
nre places In the auditorium nt the Hanks
from whence the stage can only partly be
seen; but the Lansing Is so constructed
that from each nnd every seat In the audi
torium, the stage can be seen entire nnd ns
well ns If one wns sitting direct in front.
There Is not n poor place In the house.
The chairs for parquet, dress circle nnd
balcony nre automatic folding chairs, rich
ly upholstered, with arm rests, lint racks
and tatt rods; special care has nlso been
taken to avoid overcrowding sons to as
sure ease and comfort The accoustlc of
the auditorium nre perfect in every res
pect; every note or every s liable pro
nounced upon the stage can distinctly be
heard In every part of the house. It Is
safetosaytbat with the standing room,
fully twenty -five hundred people can be
accommodated. This should be ample re
commodntlon for any occasion.
,THE PROSCENIUM.
This part of the theatre Is of a most
happy design and makes a grand frame to
the stage. Itscolumnt extend fiom the
very bottom to the sounding Ixmd alove.
'lhey are richly carved and covered with
heavy relief work. Adding to this, the
elegance of tl.c boxes with their 1 it'll
draperies and magnllkent furniture, the
proscenium is surely a thing of beauty
that the eye will not tire to look upon;
indeed, when the one thousand electric
jets of the auditorium will shed their
mellow light nil ovtr the place, the pros
cenium will dazzle with splendor. Right
over the orchestra, and fiom one side to
the other of the celling connecting the
right with the left pioCLnlum, U the
sounding boaul, sixty fett long and fif
teen feet wide '1 he painting upon it iep
cscnts Thalia, the Muse of Comuly nnd
Idyllic poetry, holding n mask in ore hand
and a wreath of Ivy in the other, while
Cupids .lie looking upon ner in dismay
and with undisguised revcrmtc. 'llii.
painting, as well as all others uKn the
celling ami walls, ,ue hi perfect haruuMi)
with the whole of the decorations, the
tone of whith in the prn(esian.d lexicon
Is called ".uhi's of roses" and blends
most agreeably with the color and paint
ing of the curtain, which Is thirty-six feet
square nnd upon which Is 11 court scene of
the time of Louis XV, nt the cnstln of
Marly.
The Jhentri', exclusive of the singe, hn
line exits, tneiuurlng eighty feci, nnd will
permit the theatre nt Its fullest capacity to
lie emptied In the spare of two minutes or
less. Certainly with such ixccllcnt pto
tectlou theie Is nbsolutc safety,
THE FOYER.
This attractive loom has Its main en
trance nt the very tenter, back of the dress
circle, nnd Immediately opposite to the
center of the singe; It affords a spacious
and Inviting promenade, The walls nre
covered with minors; the floor with the
richest of enrpets; and tmplcnl ns well as
domestic plants lend enchantment to the
place. The foyer has two large doors
on the street and In Itself offers it better
exit fiom the lower auditorium than most
theatres do. .Settees and divans are found
here and there for the weary, The dra
peries nbout It nnd around nre heavy nnd of
rich fabrics arranged In graceful folds nnd
removnhle at a moments notice.
THE STAGE.
The Lnnslng has a perfect singe, eighty
feet wide nnd forfyllve feet deep; from
the floor to the gridiron nbove the dis
tance is seventy feet, and can furnish
the very amplest nctommodntlons for any
play or spectacle extant. Mr. Nicholas
Lawrence, of New York, whose reputa
tion as n stage carpenter is without equal,
was here himself during four weeks, nnd
he has guaranteed this stage ns complete
in Its lutrlcnte details and mysteries as
any In the laud. A herd of elephants can
parade over the floor without danger oi
breaking a joist or cracking n boaid.
It has two doors opening immediately
on the alley ; n small one nnd n very large
one through which a team can enter with
any Imaginable load, the floor of the stage
being nlmost on a level with the street.
It has n third exit through the dressing
rooms, which nre situated outside the the
atre proper, but In Immediate connection
with the right of the stnge. Like every
thing else about the theatre these dressing
rooms nre first class and furnished with
all modern appliances: they arc on n level
with the stnge floor and nretwclvetn num
ber, two of them being extra large Tor the
stars.
Among the mysteries of the stage Is the
"electric table" situated on the right and
front of the stage near the curtain; it wll
be in charge of a first class electrician nnd
he will In reality be the sovereign ruling
over the place since by the simple touch
of the keys on his table hi can manlpu-
late all the Illumination of stage and audi
torium. THE LOBBY.
Commencing at the curb stone of the
street, the entrances are shielded with
oies rv; resting upon massive
Iron pillars surmounted with cornices of
ornamental corrugated Iron and covered
with bevelled glass on the top. Under
theft one pases through solid oaken doors
and enters Into the lobby, item lie said
without hesitation, that the lobby of the
Lansing has no equal for convenience or
beauty A coach and foui can easily
enter on the east side and tuin out on the
noith.
At . 1 glance the eye takes In the super
bly tess.ilatcd paviment of Bohemian tile
and the richlv dcscocd walls and archc
v X. (Si j-TS itf1 " ",',M. i'r rs
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F'KICIC FiVIC OlCNTS
celllng,ns well as the bevelled nnd bejcwcl
cd ornamental nnd tolorcd glass pnrtltlous
which enclose the box office nnd managers
room, The vestibules, two spacious en
trances nre nt right angles nnd sixteen feet
wide 1 nt the apex o(lt,lsthe main entrance
to the parquet, dress circle nnd balcony,
This entrance is sixteen feet wide.
In dctlgn nnd decoration the vestibules
of the lobby mu miggcstlvc of Moorish
sty le, most admirable in design ns well ns
In the blending of Its mullldtmous colors,
On the west side of the north vestibule Is
the foyer.
The gallery cutraucu Is located nt the
nmlhwest corner of the building; steps
lend direct from there to the upper part of
the theatre and the box oll'ice, (or Hint part
of the house Is nt the foot of this stntrwny,
which Is large, solid nnd commodious,
THE SCENERY.
There nre thirty six complete sets or
shifts for the scenery of the Lansing, with
11 complete assortment of the very finest
furniture; nnd the stnge hns one Hnmlct
trap and two vnmpire traps or bridges;
there nre nlso three set of adjustable
grooves, so that In the matter of scenery
us well as in nil other particulars, nothing
Is wanting to answer tlic requirements of
a first class theatre. The height of the
first fly gallery Is 25 feet; the second, 50;
and from the latter to the rigging loft the
distance Is 18 feet: this rigging loft Is a
regular forest of ropes nnd reminds one
very much of n good old fashioned sailing
vessel ready to be put under full snll.
PIRE PROTECTION.
If more attention has been given tonuy
one department, which Is hardly possible,,
the lire department of the Lansing has re
ceived It. Mr. Church very wisely placed
this under the special supervision of Mr.
Ncvvbery, the well known chief of Lin
coin's fire department, nn expert In such
inntters whose reputation as a fireman and
chief Is national. So fnr ns the theatre
proper Is concerned there Is not the least
bit of danger for fire since there Is no fire
nt all and cannot be nny within its walls;
but to make assurance doubly sure, there
where the plaster Is not directly over brick
walls, It is placed over wire netting and the
plaster used In such case is as near fire
proof as stone Itself. Moreover there nre
thirteen lines of hose In the building; Hint
Is to say, thirteen different stations where
hose with nozzles nre In readiness for ac
tion; thee thirteen lines enrry nn aggre
gate of five hundred feet of hose and arc
ample for all emergencies. In addition
there nre nlso six Babcock fire extinguish
crs on hand,
The one great thing forthepations of n
CURTAIN
theatre Is to know that they arc safe from
the terrible dangers of lire; and very few
theatres offer such .1 security as the Lan
sing docs.
HEATING AND VENTILATION.
Much thought has been given to the
subjects of heating and ventilation. The
latter is made perfect by the aid of a large
power fan by means of which the air,
drawn from the outside at the top of the
building where it is pure, passes over
steam colls, and after becoming heated, It
driven into the theatre through neaily two
hundred concealed apertures, and at the
same time the foul air is di awn out through
other ducts Into a ventilating shaft provid
ed for tha' purpose. In the same manner
by passing the air over cooling coils or
Continual on pat;o Six.
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