ABBOTT'S OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12066, 9 September 1902, Page 3

ABBOTT'S OPERA HOUSE.

A RENOVATED THEATRE. DESCRIPTION OF TOE ALTERATIONS. A. visit to Abbott's Opera House. in Wei-leslcy-strcet. as it now stands, fresh from the active hands of the builder, and temporarily consigned to the d corator and the painter, strikes the visitor with pleasurable surprise. In the two month* which have elapsed since the theatre, in its old familiar guise. was closed it has been transformed out of all knowledge, the whole of the old interior having vanished completely, and given place to one which forms as cosy and w handsome a play hoi as could well he wished. Play peers and frequenters of the Opera House will see 110 more the limited accommodation which two months ago was the most it, had to offer. Now the ground floor h.soaring room for some So!) person*, (!»•!*> being live vows of orchestral stalls (entered by the top door in Welleeley-street), behind Which the ordinary stalls (entered by the middle door in Welledey-street) stretch right hack to the nether wall. The pit has been abolished, and from where if used 1-;) be stall-holders will have a view of some 20 ft al-ovo the footlights, the dress circle flooring unavoidably coming dovn to that point. Even so they will lie able tc see everybody on the stage. The dress circle has been entirely i-emouei-led, and now contains seven tiers of seats. The entrance is at the l>acl:, leaning on to tne centre aisle as formerly, and on the, same level as the old one, l>ut a vast improvement.has been effected by lowering the front portion some 18in, and thus making a steep i fall, which has had the effect, of improving the view of the stage to such an extent that even from the seats at the extreme end ot either side the full stage is commanded. The tilled alible will al-o enable those in the back seats to see over the head* of the persons in front. The new dress circle will seat about 230 people. 1" will be fitted up with the old seau-s, the metal work of which is now being painted in apple-green and cream, presenting a. hand some appearance. Here and throughout the house new carpeting is to be laid. The staircase from the entrance (the same as that for the- oiehestral stalls), abuts a little* cri the circle, and is wide and easy of ascent. Glass swing doors give on to the crush room and to the ladies' otoakroom, which has been enlarged and redecorated. There are six private boxes, three on either side of toe house. Those on the ground floor are entered from the ore!) al 'stalls, whilst the four upper Irjxc.s (on the dress circle and amphitheatre levels* are ail approached by stairs leading out of the dress circle. Occupies <.f the top tier boxes, therefore, will avoid 1- ha\ing to pass through the amphitheatre to their seats. The amphitheatre, or upper circle, is a complete innovation. It, is constructed on the same principle as the dress circle, it.s front row being some 13ft below the roof, which has been raised 10ft, and is fitted with approved ventilators. The dip of the amphitheatre i? also considerable, thus ensuring an uninterrupted view, the back row being well nigh a.* good as the front. Only the seats at the extreme ends can be said to have the least disadvantage in this respect. There is seating accommodation here for fully 500 people. There will he no chairs, but wide benches constitute the seven tiers of seat-?, and aisles are formed by steps leading down the centre and ends. An iron rail runs j round the top of the balustrade, and is raised i about a foot above it. At the rear of the amphitheatre there is a promenade from whence also a good view of the stage is obtained for some feet back.. The entrance to the amphitheatre is by the lowest door in, Wellesley-streer, and up an independent staircase provided with a scries of landings to break the ascent and descent. On the stage about 6ft has been gained in depth by bringing forward the proscenium (which has boon enlarged and made square instead of eliptieal), and removing sundry obstructions formerly against the back wall, such as the bridge for the flics, which has been placed in the space above the curtain. All the dressingrootns have, been cleaned and repainted, and fitted with ventilators. In the cellar below the back of the stalls an engine room and a dynamoroom. with pugged ceilings to deaden all sound, have been prepared for the electric lighting plant, which will be to hand in October. In the meantime the. installation of the electric light has be-on carried out in readiness. There will be numerous lights 'hrmtghou •- the auditorium, and 27 in. the dome (each of 32-' candle power), whilst on the stage three circuits will provide 400 lights in, all, of red, white, and bine. The plant will also drive a | number of electric fans in the dress circle. The decorative taste displayed in the renovation of the theatre is bound to be the subject of admiring comment. The main scheme of decoration is carried out in fibrous plaster by Messrs. Wardrop and Scurry, modellers and decorators of Melbourne, from I their own designs, which are in the French ' Renaissance style. Prominent oyer the proscenium is an eiiptical centre panel with the figures of a group of children in high relief, and finished with designs of drapery and musical instruments. On either side are panels decorated with fleurs-de-lys, and above runs a highly ornatcd cove, the proscenium | sides being in the same coved style. The j private boxes are enriched with columns, pilasters, panels, and projecting balconies in the fibrous plaster work, and above the top box on either side is a circular lunette for ventilating purposes. The fronts of the dress circle and amphitheatre are covered in with tho fibrous piaster, highly enriched with cartouches and festoons with ornamental ; friezes below. The whole of the plaster de- ; coration will he painted in a- general colour i scheme, having for its predominant tint a | strikingly effective apple-green, relieved with 1 Team eoloui and picked out with gold. Even i now, in its first stage of pure whiteness, the i decoration shows handsomely, and when j painted the effect will be exceedingly chaste I and refined. The dome has been painted in j apple-green, cream, gold, and red, with great J taste, the remainder of the roof being in ; the predominating green suitably relieved. | The walls of the theatre, dressingrooms, etc., I will be papered in handsome designs, thus j completing the scheme of decoration. The i painting, much of which is already finished, j is in the hands of Mr. M. J. Bennett. ! The question of fire escapes and exits has i been carefully attended to. In the amphi- | theatre, in addition to the entrance doorway, j two others, each 4ft. 6iu wide, .have been cut , in the left-hand wall, each leading out to I iron staircases, which descend to a spacious i verandah below. There are thus three exit s j from liere in case of fire, giving a. total width ■ j of lift. The dress circle is provided with a i • 47) 6 m doorway, also leading on to the veran- ! dali, as well as the entrance stairway, which I is an independent_ouo, thus giving a total - , space of lift for exit,. There is also an extra , I means of egress to Welle.sley-street for the . | stalls only, available in case of need. I Outside, the theatre also shows changes. ■ j The raising of the roof has been nearly car- • . ried out and finished off. The fine" new ! j verandah runs above the three entrances, and , j has a. length of 54ft and a width of 15th, , | available for a. promenade for dress circle i | and private, box occupants, besides affording l. I a means of escape in case of lire, and a I i shelter from bad weather. The verandah is ! t j roofod in corrugated iron, and has an orna- : ; mental railing and balustrade along the sides and front. The outside lighting will be by s two 2000-candle power arc. lights beneath the - verandah, and one of 2500-candle power , above. There will be a fourth arc light in , Elliott-street. These will he installed, to- . gather with the rest of the electric lighting, - gas being utilised in the meantime. i The whole of the work has been tarried ■ out under t.he supervision of Mr. Arthur P Wilson, architect, from original sketches Ijv the Hon. W. Pitt, which Mr. Wilson altered and adapted to suit- requirements. His difficulties have been considerable, and the re- . I sult of his labours is therefore the more satis- , factory. The contractor foi the building e operations, Mr. W. E. Hutchison, has done , wonders in completing his work so well in *!>« short time at- his disposal. The contract time expiree next Saturday week, and all •, that remains to be done is to give the finishing touches, erect the seats," complete the '. painting (the decorations will' be finished by to-morrow), and hand the renovated "lavhouse over to the proprietors.