The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-08
WHAT PUN COSTS.
Theatrical Receipts and Expenses Details
md Figures.

Thirty thousand dollars, Mt low esti- |
mate. are nightly paid IN New York city for dra-
matte and musical entertainment. In other
words. with matinee receipts thrown In. over
two hundred thousand dollars week are spent
for excitement, novelty, and change OF scene by
citizens and strangers in this great metropolis.
This ia a large sum Of money. and In single
month OF good business il mounts up to a mill
lion.
Where does II all 0o2 VINO gets itt
The FIRST thought is that managers must he
rapidly accumulatng fortunes; but investiga-
tion shows that theatre, like newspaper. Is
not always aud necessarily gold mine, al
though, as a rule, it Is either that or grave
yard.
Take. for example. mammoth establishment
like Booth's or Nihos, where small township
might find population. and there the running
expenses greater than those Of a German
principal y. Jarrett & Palmer during the run
OF a spectacle, give constant employment to so
people. ranging In pay from twenty 1--WE cents
night to $500 week fhey have paid as literal
salary ms much as 500 week to individual ac-
tors. At Niblo's Mr.. Arnold gives. during the
run OF Baba.' constant employment to B1
PEOPLE, including children. at from thirty. seven
cents n night up to az 0 a week was curious
to learn ia VIII & departments these people work,
fortIs obvious they do not all appear ON the
stage.
There are 25 in the orchestra. receiving from
sl1 to S2j week Soloists and specialists are
pad the highest. There are IT, in the ballet,
WHO are paid from 81 to as a week. and II ever
poor creatures earned thor salt, ballet girls do.
Here and elsewhere they Lave to practice, drill,
ninumuvre, and exercise hours and hours, daY
In and dav out. sometimes they are treated
with consideration, but generally the average
l.k0.Hf lst..k Nta
ballet mas or at Nlblo's, but the gentle Youth
at Booths has temper such as could never
have been born outside Of sunny I'nly. Origin
ally II was a screamcr; now It il screAmor in
tensined, ex lggeratcd, and cultivated by careful
culture. He Is also subject to nervous head
aches; altogether Just the Kind OF party to
dun and control and manage two hundred
thourhtless, needless ballet people In new
piece. However, ar. Palmer literally man1ges
! hi- business. and is always present well or ILL.,
| 80 that when the cheerful Italian brandishes his
/ long wooden clue over the tauntinz face OF
some particularly s,ucy danseuse, and threatens
/ to brain her, while she pulls faces at him - and
| stands with arms akimbo. the managerial edict
/ OF Fine that girl - lrancs,' or " Here, here,
stop that Internal caterwaulng or I'll lock YOU
both up" doubtless spares the District Attor-
ney much professional labor.
Well these girls or BOYS, from ten to sixty. are
paid by the week. and although they glitter and
shine az they prance In gorgeous attire. their
! hearts are often heavy and their heads weak
| with aching. Both at NiblO's AMI Booths II Is
| necess ~ to have physicians constantly on duty.
| The girls are 50 nerytd up. 50 excited mat the
least thing sends them INTO ITS II tue most
violent type. Fragil, girls. who can scarcely
stand with fatigue. banie the united Strength OF
half dozen carpenters when In thcse uts. IhcN
bits their tongues and cheeksi te9r tneir clothes
aud raise what may well be called the very old
Harry" while tneir cOmpanions dance TO the
tine 81 the merry music. and smile at the plau-
dts Of the crowded house.
Fourteen dressers are hired to arrange the
costumes OF the ballet, at an expense 81 S3J
tiers. averaging IS week. The duties done 10y
these useful men ate most arduous. Mr.. Bensen
Sherwood the director at Niblo's, Is an rti-t in
mechanical carpentry, and men ike Charles Cal
vert. jarrett X Palmer. aud Manager
Arnold An 90 mot all ne'iIs'e to pe efSS
in in" the ' dramatic profession and welt worth !
paragraph. RE had none al the conspicuous
way. Laura Keenc's. waIlsck's old theatre. and
thsn at Niblo's, which was at that time under the
the m management of N liam Wheatley Harry Jar
rett. and l.. l.; Davenport. Then came me " Hlack
| Crook novelty. which introduced 20 Americ
tho mysteries and mi eies 81 the inammo. Il
ballet - garland about exquisite spe,t1cie
and subsequently tho White Faun and Kin
dred pieces. In this Bahia sherwood needs
work the great " ship scene" which transforms
a ship under il on IN open se1 TO be 'utlfu
garden view, with verandah. a hight of broad
steps and tue appointments OF lowered ter
race.
60 week. Is choristers At Sl2 n week. 20 super
| VINO receive IS ana 81 cents anlght,the "uiggets
getting 80 cents. These supers are harmless
ss,n',.,r IN mo st,ga On II thev mr., narca war
riors. with boards aud shields and all that zoe
10 make men war,ike on the STAGE they ar
poor miseraOiCs Who seek for worl they canno
hnd. anu are glad, indeed TO take the pittanc
offered.
takers, and a special policeman at - wee,
In the dramatic COMPANY Pr per there are 81
ranging from $l0 week 10 800
Al the risk Of Intrusion | ascertaned IN
weekly EXPENSE, all told. 10 be as follows:
Dramatic company ana orchestra e. 00
Mechanical department ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~
Advertising printing 6e..........,.......,..... D.
Z,
H Rant C az Nee tr posters q
Total a. mi
In other words the expenses average SLIGO fo
each performance To meet this the pubic IN
10 be liberal. Thus lar Mr.. Arnold has average
g. 200 nightly the lowest being tl.s0j' except d
one matinee, when 1t WAS but 500
Taking this with other dat. and not gvn
the exact figures, r. Is \ fair Inference that IN
public pay aoout rs follows every Light;
Fifh Avenue sis0
Tiii,a souare. ~
OR nj Opera II. 2ol
imrd avenue fncaife... 80
BoRery luI
olympic Theatre. l2U
Tony h
san Francisco MINI trels ........... 81
Olcia, Nctuuis conc n saloons. Harry HlI's,
luiisau varieties, 10 N
l"flsis'ts.ft s@'-'
II viii be understood that while in many III
Stances these hsurcs are exact. III other, they ar
AZ, itraIy, bni the average is perfectly far, in
Of the theatres have -, Others 100 Others L.
people engaged and all ranging from a. wee
to S3lO Tor Individual salarie-. Ihus, while tn
managers receive ! rye sums, they $50 ga
thom out In some Instances fortunes are made
"a 4 rule the managers deem 4 best to kee
down expenses and shorten every possible sail-
except the sale VI seats.
4 ROYnl FnmiIv'- Fate.
Paris cortssp9utsrce NJ he \. nc Oiieru Pc1gime
The 22l Of February la Leon. Prime
Of Iu-isnan and King Of Armcdia. died in Mia
uf starvation. The Sci of August his widow, Al
tuulA Lulzi, died equally poor. leaving -iA "i
phau. without so much a. bread Tor their SUI
per. She, ike her husband, was buried In III
Potter's Field. Three of the children were ad
mitted into the orphan Asylum. The tire
Others were taken 'hy poor neighhor, IA IN,
chanic, who. toucned hy their utter dc-tltutiol
gave thom a home. II J., believed the Wuuicipi
authorities of Milan VIII give asylum to tho-
three descendants of twelve emperors and IN RI
, kings. The tIhr Nicholas allowed Leon, Primo
de Lusignhn, Sl,-nu year until the trimeh
war, when the latter forfeited Russian favor b
openly e,pouslng the French cause.