"ALADDINS" BONES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 911, 2 September 1910, Page 2

"ALADDINS" BONES.

:PBEPA^ T G ;; :I , OE.-. ; THBvPJLNTOMniB.-v-: ':'.'■■ ■■■■ V'Aladdin ami"Co.":came to-'towii ,: yes- ■■}(.' .:* terday, just a" little: bit.weary'iand.frayed i- '"':. out with the':, wild' rush••: they ' have-had V -: ■. across countryV;>and are/-to/'commence -;; ;■• business, in-,a big:way '.atV'-the.;'Opera ',;■ " House this;, evening." "It is only; on peering vfi\... into; the , that-yconstitute;"; the iv' "skeleton' of" a" pantomimethat.;.one":. , can"£ .'■. gain , an: impression ;of! tlie'-size 'of .V.the.:?■..'.;• pantomime, business,;arid: what it 'means j ; to convey'from town to' tdivn tile small v ''■.:■ ariny of :betweeri->'l2o ,:an[l'. J39 1 . people. ; /5 i'■ :■■' There are thoi trucks' ''tb 1 pack.'."with-.."; ■flimßy,'.»-a)ls, I flf,l;eaily,-f»loiire(l';vscenery, -£. ' stage '."furniture;:; some ..tvrenty-fiye. huge ~ ..• baskets 'of ■ wardrobe, the' mechanical con- /, v .■: trivancesj' electrical -gear, properties,, etc.,'.;;..;; etcSThis lakesj-'roughly,'-fronr-the time '■■/.: . the 1 curtain :fajls-'uritjl' ! about-;.6-''aim.,-::*■'• when the..train'is.T.e£dy r to L :leave'. "Arriv- .% .. irigiin'the' next.town, ,th'e"whole .; :haSvtß-\T)^vg6iieVoyer ! 'in>Hlie?reverM' I bfdeif :■>';■.• * —the scenery : set, : the , ''borders" ,'■ hung,•':.': .■'..' > the furniture arranged, k: some ■s6rt-.to£'-<. Older,; a : nd. 'thai.'niinqr : :'fo';:i;be■ ,'. .; laid "out' in'- such "a'-fashion:.as Aα jjrevenfc'i-y ; .'chaos at .night.. Chaos comes; Eometimes; ■?■■:. but'these slaves of- :the"".'lamp;;-are .-/'folV; ' i, ingenious that the: audience\- are -never;"; •-.■, aware .of it.- -Then the'-Trardrobe 'lady;.; ~ ■'. and'her assistants } ''have ■ to' Jay: out.the.r-; ■■.<', dresses, ;so: ; /thiitCeach;;.girl;jHinbe :ableA; v ; ; :j to' dress" in a. mimmum-^ : pf' ,time—they"";;,';.:!: have nine changes myajl/ik "Aladdin"—;*.;,.; ',i, and 'arrive in'.'the. entrance' at'least half.;;. " ~i a' dozen'.bars v (of, music) More they face ; ;; jj! ■ the audience.,;' '..'•:' '"• ~ ■■■•■.'-.,.'- ■"■■•.-/ .-iv-.v'.■.,'[; . Tlie'.'mechanicians have tp. secure: great..;;£.; ■!: ■ cases of .blocks: and lines,';and "hang", : -v. : ;f the cloths and sky borders; the electr,i : ' v ".'?.; ■cians 1 have, to :fa the. hundred and one , 'connections^ which 'comprise..the lighting-y:..; -.-; effects, and'-local, assistants have/to .be' V.- ■ ilistructed in..the-. details" of ■ their .'work.'. : .'.. V *' And'So by working-h'ard..':throughou't':the.: .. . : , day, the show is made-ready for . .the-0 , -; night; when the bold Aladdin [strolls pic-';,':" .••": .turesquelj- throughrglqwing^soeMs^f-Tare'r:'>■/■:.! enchantmsnti , ' ':' '"'.; : J'- ■'■; : '.".^'-*'';Sf":';;■ Such :has'ibeen ' the.iexperience-., of';the ; ;;>: \; compunj", ..through. the provincial • touivp'fC;'£,■■ •■ the.■Nori",';lslarid.\ i that-: : .the,:management:..;. "'<• ■ decided '< that- have'as;.', ■■'/: day off in ''; Wellington in order to allpiv":: ;- .'. :the, staff;to;;suffer/a recovery.. ■The'.re-' i.. .-' spite was' well -y: '■■'S/"':',\?i.??':'-il\' ■■ : ' ; 'Was it a' respite, though? .-•■ A IDojinnoir'••;'..■ .■>' representative was. invited;.-to- .inspect v.5 : "Aladdin's"- bones last night during .the >'.;'-. progress of what is' call?d;:a : 'scenery?and■ • , ; . lighting rehearsal. The,ele_ctri6iansj ; me-" • ! ','-.-■ chanicians, and'.wardrobe.staff were hard,■'.".-. ; '■' at it until a.:!ate,hour. J A l f; the back'-of;.," ■■■'■■"', the."flies", (the.gallery:thaWruns arounda".V-.'''■■•' the stage-about.2oft. above : .the"nd6r):was ;. • " a staff of .women busily-cleaning 'up'lthe '- ■. -I dresses,-which, had become a little soiled ;■-• .;-.' in'ithe; rush.of '■ "one-night 'stands." ..A: this purpose: the management.had ordered : vi'-• ;: : twelve: gallons', of , benzine. ; Goreeously.:'-; ■• ':.- ; spangled dresses; lay, about, m.vp'ro--'.'."'. ,:- fusion—costumes, 'lnosV.beautifully: nia'de,' :/.'- V. for: the Flower and-Fire Ballets assaulted ; ' ;V 'i tho eye l with; thejr ■ kaleidoscopic Ng'vj ing. The dresses for- the : -"Chantecler";; ■;.:■ ; ! i ballet were.'"made in Germany,"- : and,'.••''v-.' '•;; curiously enough,, have tp'.bo returned ; -: , when finished ■ with. ■ The : Flower - Ballet; '('■■'' ; -' ■dresses,.' , wondrous symbols' of : the. iris, ■}& •;;■ poppy, .pansy, etc.y were' made in r tbndon' N : ' i i —all the rest-were made : in.- thei firm's- .'..= . wardrobe in Sydney." : .;. : ~:'<';''{': ■' V. '■■, . The rigging of .'.a.ship'-is-a. simple busi-. ■'.• ■ V ness'. compared with: the. multiplicity';' of V : i! 1 ropes (there aro : ninety, pairs of ropes and ; - ; - •".'- blocks) by which the. cloths are- raised: :-.. ,; nnd • lowered. . These are all. made' fast >;■ to one side.ofJ&e,"flies," .and;are worked- .•."■■ manually . .eight. , ;or,-.ten:"men, , .;!./. who are' guided by the 'tinkle, of. ;an; ,,; \ electric bell, manipulated by .the. stage : 0 :; mnnager, Jlr.'.Whitfield,; in- the' prompt ; ; : ':'• entrance. The various'. arrangements, ; .;■. only a few;of which hpjre been|; touched: ,-' on;in this,' brief .summary; will ; c'ulmin- ',;:-.; ate this evening, when '"the aged story ' • from '.the ■'■ 'Arabian Nights,'" will once ■-..; ~ ' more-lift the theatre-going public from •:. ' ■'-- ■ the affairs-df tliiswork-a-day, world." ,f. >: