, 1876-10-14
How the Business Has Improved
in This County.
The Pretty.Waiter.Girl Excrcscence
sloughed 0fF:-.The Actors and
Their Salaries.
DON tleol,y aud iIases1y Paught for Bob Rart...
= The "pis Ring" Amsng ths Managers.
Fine Character Actors in tho Dnsincss-..
Cool Work Done by n Few
Managers.

years tho vartcty.show business has grown to
immense proportions. Not only l'ns its growth
been very tnuch extended, but II has grown up-
ward as 1i,-out OF tho snb-cellars and "prct-
ty-wattcr-EIri" snfouns fnto the atmosphere OF
fine art. Ten or fifteen years ago, tllo variety
show was synonym far coarscncss, vu)garlty,
and positive Indcccncy. Totlay It takes funk
with our tirst4clnss nlnuscments, is patronfzcd
by tho best OF nnltsetncnt-tuScrs, and llnds
recognition In the eyes Of otir scvcrcst critics.
In New York md Brooklyn there arc dozen
or more theatres dcvolcd, wholly or In part, 10
what Is known as tho variety business. Having
been at some trouble to get some facts relating
to this class ot alnusctnenis, here place them
on record.
Tnn VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT II OF EN0Llsn
ORIGIN.
In London, and other large cities tn Great
Britain, singers and brief aclineatorA Of charnc-
ter have long been used ns au1iliary to the ro-
tail liquor business. They ltavo FORMED atsrac-
tfons III ale-house and lit tap-roonla,
to Induce patrons to come In, spend tho
evening. and drink their ll9tor between tho
acts. These acts wcro long drawn nut for tho
purpose Of holding customers as long Us pos
stblc, while here tue acts are performed in rapid
succession md as quickly US posablc. The first
variety entertainments IN tlis country were
ElfcH III CGllHEEtlDll WILL pluCCs 4llEy
wcrc found to be profitable, anil competition hG
came lively. FROM these sprAflg the "pEctty-
wattcr-girl aaloonH,n where, III addition tn.
cheap variety show, 6cantily dressed females
cIgars to tho guests. 1T one time these wero
very popular, nnl there was scarcely block IN
tho busiusss portion Of the ctty that did not
have It's prctty-w4Tter-girl !" snloon,- ,-anothcr
impnrtapcc bcea,nec afflicted i With tiiem, md md
they wcro found to abound lii immortality. The
police made frequent raids On them In Now
Yprk, md finally substantially abolished
tcrtainments had atlf but little talent, ' md no no
morals to speak Of. Occasionally u good nlu:.
stefan, fl nlrcennlnus circumstances, wue found
starving, but the artorF ind singers werc Eener-
n11y more noted for their cnArFcncss und intc-
cency than ability to act or sing.
But out Of this tiisrcpntahlo and contarnlnHt-
not only entirely rtspec.ablc, but wlic. requires
talent 1T high order to make It suuressfu1, md
from which have graduated actors anu singers,
OF both scxrs, whom tho world delights to hon.
years, under the han nj respectable people, nnd
nrtore were prescribed by law As migrants"
who might BE- arrested nnd thrown into prison
,n. on S iy inHt s4yy, St 4y Sy 9nr ,1 But s a
il Is w euti.1ed. IT, Tic Tic variety business
hH6 bern under cloud for innny
ysars, aud ts ouly int emsrrng nto ths lig.1
dunctto.se. People require to be amusrti, nnd
they n.ust he amused within t1iu scope VI their
intelligence. An liRcducated lnDorcr OF inc.
ehanlc, whose !ntcIltgcnee IS mt e!nl. to Just
mich entitled Ii his amusement rs tbs most
learned Shakspcarean scholar Of The ugc. Fur
the amusement nf the sholar anil the crItIrt fnr
the educated and hfghly-c,ttnrrd, VIC hive tllc
al f1yy.
for the laborer, the mechanic, the MHeducatct,
VIC have the variety shows and minstrel per-
formances. II MI these can be kept free from
that which is f'nplire, anu r'ade to convey in
dtructfon as we'll US amusement, Il great gD1d IL
accomplished.
-, III THE VARIETY THEATRES or TO-DAY
there Is quito US much Of good rs In tlie ten,-
s ut t5sfe ss'eu nre % different iii Saaetcs of' W.
claiming to DO Legitimate. While thcre
arn several In Now York and Brooklyn whiei,
these tie @ majority, where the performances; @ orc
rs free from anything offensive as B0ottl's nr
Wallack'a. They cater to fun and lolltty-Mo-
mus Ia their patron saint-and vulgnrity nn III
Ioccncy form no part Of true fun, fact tno Of
ten overlooked by even popular dra,natistH.
but evcn the variety business Is striving to bet-
Ter Itself, and nj Bolne Of tho thcatEca devoted
to It short drnmas aTc tnterspcrscd in the "a
1tety programme; Up 10 1881, tho variety Ius,,
Baloons. In TINT ycur Col. ". i. Sim OPENED
Canterbury Hall III Washington, resolved to
conduct pleasing and entertaining variety pr;
fornancc without the Objectionable wnter-Efrf
feature. The enterprise wuh grcat success,
md crowds assembled nightly 10 ltstcu to tho
singing. Of good singers, to SEQ good dancers,
and to laugh over tile abort, qulsk aets Of ccccn-
tMde WAS at first permitted to tho audience,
which, owing to tho war times, was mainly ram
posed Of n.en. Smoking WINS allowed, and beer
was served to thosc wanting II In their scats
performances for the Amusement Of the ladies,
aud matincca Wcrc Introduced. These we're
crowded Two days In the week by ladtes and
children. Then eaulo "ladles. ntghta'" when,
smoking and drinking were prohibited, and ex'
erIcut entertainments were provided. Othc,
managers took up the idea, and soon, In ever
Ivy of any rrol,!lnsnss there wa yaIiei!
'.water girls" Tho performances at thest
places Of nmuse1nent consist Of singing BY malt
snd 'mn,s sngsTa aane1ng n
s9 ers aaa sa4,ee1 nass aeto2s sna t
hustle exercises, acrobatic performances
short hurlrs}ucs, extra7aganzas, farces, etc.
etc. The acts arc required to be autckly per
dent, while the songs must be we'll as'ng, and
the deltncAtnrs VI character must make tlctl
points " clear and welt-defned: Everything
must 20 OF with \ snap-s'on down, another
t1luE w -LaltEl AIC ND QclA{ep HU 1QuE
~watts" between acts, with notliing but dts
NAL drot-tuata!n 70 stare At. The stage mns
be alive Tor tho full tern, Ut three hours, which
is the Averages length Of the variety entertain
rlcnt. programme which llav6 befure inc
anuounccs ten distinct yurIety acts, after whiel
10 promised legitimate twu.aet drama, wlicl
isptrtoElned bya dramatic company which Il
entirely distinct from tho variety company
There is something. in the bill to pleas
everybody. aud nalhIng to offend uny one
All Enrlishnaan, familiar with tho vartct,
J.. shows of Luulun, recently visited one Of Iii
variety theatres Q! this st!y. Icing asked ho.
aut ,;.l, lad to 20 second tins to sso T. TIL
kEuw, didn't sec harf Of 1t, aud J fal 10 e
sgalnn;; They don't gtsc ehap Tins to satch ii
becathhetwren acts-scfare olc gets fairly oil at
Other coilscs on. But ~ mighty good-beat
our variety shows, aud I always thought tho
were bang-up."
NOVELTY THEATRES.
ou. Of the variety business la
which Is designated as the Novel;
! business. This Is d combination of the yarlet
SLOW And tho Legitimate. Tho Park Theatre, {
Brooklyn, Is, perlaps, the beat illustration