The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-27
IN Us EM EMS.
Hard Times aud the Theatres Mnnnacrs Pa
ticntly Waiting for Better Times.


Holiday week is generally regarded, by
people who know nothing about the ma ter. as
a profitable season with theatrical managers.
The contrary IL the fact. On Christmas Day
crowded houses attend both afternoon aud
evening, but all tho rest OF the week is as dun
as dish water, and burdonsome well. There
are many lrst-rate attractions In Now York
now, and the list ~ varied too. but very little
money is spent IN their support, and "a rulo
managers are losing money. One leading thea
tire, with an attraction OF surprising merit, mas
fallen on $1,000 night-mOre than 5000 a week
within the past fortnight. Another party, who
az a star not long since was offered $l0O a night
f.. 0ne hundred nights, In this city, has been
PLAYING to an average Of $3.50 performance. If
the manager pays tins star certainty his losses
must ne immense. II the star shares after eN-
penses. his share Is decidedly not the Hons
share. Otner theatres are also badly on. ono
closed doors for week. Another has begun to
reheafse new attr ctions. one will Ds COM
PEELED soon to succumD. Another wall shortly
change its character entirely. Cheap variety
theatres are injuring the regular houses whore
large sums are paid to artists, particularly to
specialists. some places are kept open because
the company have TO be paid, open or shut, and
every SlOJ heus 10 IN up the gdu. With ono or
two cNrepttuu4, negro miu=trclsy doesn't pay.
The uld-time negro Ministries are guae OIt OF
fashion. In their place we have little sing. and
a vast quantity OF rubbishN acung. On the
minstrel boards are gwen su-cnllcd acts, whicn
are about as cntcrtnining IA Nouck 5 skull. ana
bear tue Same relation 10 pure ana Undecided
hi-tttOutc venture that the oleat Of tender
hetfer docs 90 the rotund roar Of "A believing
bull. No wonder they fal
sun. III spite Of the hdrd times, managers arc
dealing very hDer lily with the public. Tue
columns Of HE Sun show that the oest players
are doing al they can 10 draw, ma "A q ncs at
the mountngs in tue several theatres reveals
wealth Of expeuditute which, IN other days,
would have been regarded as waste. Look at
the names now regularly announced IN our
principal theatres: Edwin Booth, VINO never
plAyed better III his NE J; IL. McNlcher one oi
the ATTEST Of the best; Mr.. Coghlan, for ye4rs
an AlDlonistic iayOriie, rs ter head Of Montague
IN English estimation as Montague Is ant al OF
"A Datcur riggs. the blonde u VI di9on avenue
Miss Fanny Dav, npOrt. Miss JenreSs Lewis, Miss
X ltuetlno Rogers Mrs. Marie Wiihius. Miss
Fanny Mufant, Miss cara Morris, who fairly
make sued shook weep. ana draws -I-hs from
the beating breast 81 hi' Honor the Mayor
Miss Ada Dyas, Nine. Ppni.l, Ms. SEXTON, and
Mrs. Gilbert James Lewis, Charles x. lnorne,
Hcrtr run outf-Cnarlts Fisher, John parsele,
the Frcucnicst artist IN ire country James
ONcll, Lawrence IL rrttt VINO -lmust wal MISS
Hangs Ia po-suon- Fred. H. " drdv, BiJ0
Heron, Lotta, the enulIent crerye.cence OF the
prudent PARK; Heller nrd Miss Heller, wonder OF
wondtrs; Dion B0uctc tuIt, the eEoist dram ltst
mNtuicl Tntter-; ali these, with rony Pastor,
Mont que Harugan, Aruot John Gilbert. Hart,
kitN O'Neil-the best clogsIst III the round
wurrd-J Is. studley, T. ste's"n, lhlly Birch
laccni. VINO, though premiere ddHstUse, queered
he. own entraucu last night bV volunteering
duty ~ place Of an absent bdlktrutt; Sam De-
we're, John Hogan, Emcr-un anu q fk-Ncll,
tnis list Is long list, tut q doesn't teen 10 tel
the tale OF the sea lion, the tender tuts OF tho
| hippopotamus, nor the perlous pugiiisns OI the
PLAYERS OF polo.
| Besides these names all known to the q neral
| public. there ae suniry nd divers specialists,
~Ao have ,ncir own particular circles 10 whlch
| to dizpurt aud mako tucir = IL. There's tue
| whale Tor instance. The " M"s-ilh' IA pos uar
| this week. 1t has been sung evert night thus
| flr ana Is advertised twice again. Ihcfc are lat
| women ON the BOwcrN VINO deserve cNthih
| ton. Also "A twin salmon, several hundred JUDI
| Ice singer, aud "A complete ret OF liqusitiOn
tools sufficient to put whole city fun OF Cnris-
! tians to uutlmely death. These arc the hacy ON
| days for church choir concerts, when the estln-
! able soprano, Miss Hididdle squeak eOh throws
! herself cUnndingiy on thc bosom OF the congre-
! CATION, aud begs to sell - Few tickets Tor her
select s0its. Kecital-, elucuuonAry displays,
| magic ntVfn-. and panuram. JOIN the uutie
| army 81 martyrs, ana swell tine auNertisiuI
| columns ma lafgs ana smaller u lc. A. a rule
| trIst iAcm not, Tor there j, no wealth IN them.
IL vial be seen. then, O. Al 10 Is not for tcN Of
| attraction OF novelty, nor because tucre are NOT
uuted names teture tue puolie, that the theatres
| Atr doing less business.
It. TOE times.
| Iuat's what the matter. It's the times and
! TIE further fact tuat Wna,cycr surplus cash neu
] have Be- devoted o. present masking tIl ward
| rnHe rrulru -utug. After tho 1T Of January,
! lc,1-luUss odd, doesu' 20, aui II Is cdd-m N
| a-gts hope hA-iues, Will PICK upt Il 90. thel d
| lick up the dollars, aud round viii - the wheel
| ustiu.
for to nj shi's aniuscmon,s see fourth PAGE.