Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-11
LANGTRY'S BIC PROFITS.
Owe. 100000 Thus Far Received
From Her Eastern e.
gag6mtnt.
Successful Stars Financially
Contrasted-- Bernherdt
Popularity.

New York Star.
Americans are, and always have
been, a theatre going people. Even
when the nation was in the throes of
A great civil war the theatres were
crowded. Indeed, the foundations Of
many theatrical fortunes we're laid dur
,ng Gnose troublous times, and 1t was
hen that the prices of admission to
places of amusement were advanced
and he reserved seat principle tnsti-
tuted. 1t was In 1864 that Edwin
Booth appeared in "Hamlet" for one
auudred consecutive performances at
the Winter Garden, and on almott
every occasion to large and paying
n uses. Spectacle, burlesque and do.
nestle drama were to BIO seen at the
olner theatres. The people seemed
to wish to drown all thought of the
horrors through which the country
wac passing In the light and glitter of
the playhouse. Not only this, but
large fortunes were being made,
money was plentiful, and, in the ex,
t%ravsgsnce OF the hour, the theatres
came IN for a full share Of the wealth
that was being so loosely scattered
~b,oadcast. 1t was OF this time,
too, thai actors began to receive
the high salaries that have since con-
tinued, and, altogether, tho war
brought In q new era for the player
and the playhouse. But it must not
be thought chat there had not been
large receipts at the theaters before
this. SO far back az the time when
Edwin Forrest returned from his sec
ond trip to England he played to
81, 500 and $4,000 houses--and prices
were lower then than they are now
and his tour through the country was
like q grand triumphal progress, in
which he won artistic o and
financial recognition. He died a rich
man, and would have died much richer
had he not frittered away the later
years ''of his life. Charlotte Cushmar
also alnassed a fortune by her protes
sion, even although sho had many de
pendents upon her bounty,
The author and the managers Of
"The Black Crook" all became ricl
through the production Of that specta
Gle, and although II. G. Jarrett, thu
only surviving partner, may have los
money In other sp%eculations, he i
winning It all back In the absurdit!
called Fun on the Bristol" "Fritz'
bought in over 800, 0O0 each for j. X
Emmett, the actor, and Charles Gay
Ter, the author, in a little over a year
NJ. b. Curtis might retire from busi
ness very comfortably on the profit
of "Ssm'l of Posen," and the sam
can be said of Denman Thompson an,
"Jostua Whitcomb." When 9Th
Two Orphans" was first produced q
the Union Square theater 1t ran fo
l79 peri FINANCES, and the gross re
ceipts we're $l96, 500. so. At the frs
revival forty. eight performances wer
given, and the receipts were $37,
936. 90. The second revival cor
sisted of twenty.one perform
%auces, and the receipts wer
eI0%so CO. making q gran
total at the Union Square Theate
alone of $3.50. 926 %, and the receip,
in other places and at other theatei
must foot up an even larger amount
The receipts for THE Lights O Lor
% doo," which was performed az tn
. same house 1874 times, were $l23,
. 1892 % These facts and figures ar
o. c~onyiuoing indices that a vast UNI c
money is spent every year in theatr
cal amusement, and there Ia not niue
Y wonder that foreign actors look
. America as a sort of now Golcond
' where they will reap a golden harvest
The latest importation is MrG
Langtry, and although the critics have
in the majority of instances, handle
her without gloves and her indiscree
escspades have brought her into ia
from agreeable notoriety, neither sh
nor her manager has reason to CON
plain of the substantial patronage tha
has been accorded her. Mr.. Able
sppears to have secured the monopol
of foreign artists, and 1t is estimate
that when he comes TO balance h
9 books at the end Of the season he wi
find himself with a clear profit
$3.50, COO 10 HIS credit. For the pul
Pose Of ascertaining the receipts c
some of the notable foreign artist
who have come to this country, a Sta
reporter called at the Grand oper
! house, where w. w. Tillotson, tn
r acting manager, was found. Mr.. III
lotson commenced his theatrical caret
/, as otfice boy for Jarrett & Palmei
and, by Flooding industry, has attain
cd the position of, manager and til
possession OF q diamond scarf-pil
! What "Till" does not know about I'll
q box-ofice working of theater Ia hsrl
ly worth knowing. On being eske
for the gross receipts OF the Lsngtr
engagement up to the present tim
r. MIR, Tillotson toyed gently wishh
left whisker-he has an abiding con-
Of dence in and love for his whiskers
aud turning lsnguidly to a sheet
paper containing q mass Of figure
said:
"Up to this morning, Thursds.
,es the receipts have been $l04, 258 Z
oy Not bad, Ia 1t You see when NJ
- Abbey engaged the Jersey Lily it vi
a toss up whether che would be
great success or a great failure.
VI" vas taking big chances, but the ~
came up right, and We have no reag
10 be dissatisfied, l can assure you
And has the engagement Of Mn
Nilsson been equally successful2'
"Yes, indeed, Our latest adyic
from San Francisco place the gre
receipts at Sl04, PAP 10. She h
created u genuine fnrora wherever g
has gone. She seems to have frien
aud admirers in all parts of the cou
} try, and they never tire in doing hon
B. TO her, She has fairly taken the |
," cidc slopers by storm, and her press
engagement is the Inost success