The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-03-15
WELL-PAID ARTISTS.
What Patti, Nilsson, Modjeska and Lang
try Are Earning.

There are four ladies to-day in the
United States, all foreigners, who are
making large sums of money. They are
Patti, Nilsson, Modjeska and Langtry.
Madame Patti, as is already well known,
receives S4,40O a night. Of this she
pays S400 a night to NJ. Franchi, her
agent. This gives her $4,000 week.
Sometimes she sang in New York three
times week, and her pay then was
$4,000. She will, during her stay here,
sing altogether thirty times under the
management of Mapleson, for which she
will receive net, $4,000. She will,
therefore, carry away with her about
100000. Signor Nicolini in addition
gets Sc, 400 month, or $500 each time
he sings On basis of thirty times, he
will take away with him $4,000. We
do not know precisely what Madame
Nilsson gets for her services, but it
amounts, on the average, to $4,000 3
week for two concerts. She has no ex-
pense whatever, as Mr.. Abbey pays
everything. On basis of fifty concerts
she will make, therefore, about $780,
600, not much less than Patti, though
the latter sings fewer times. Mime.
Modjeska is doing exceedingly well this
season. Her terms with Mr.. Stetson
are to reserve for her individual services
80 per cent of the gross receipts nightly.
Surprising her to play nightly to 81 900,
this would give her $500, or S1,10O
weekly. But this is small average,
because the receipts often exceed that.
During her recent engagement at
Booths, at regular prices, she did
much better. Her last week came up
to 81, 200. very nearly. Say $4,000,
and her individual share would be So, 900.
She is to play thirty weeks, and on an
average of $4,000 a week she would
make 100000 Allowing the extra
profit for expenses, that is about the
net sum she will make in the season.
But Mr.. Stetson is doing very well, too.
He pays on an average of % per cent.
to play in theaters outside of New York.
This would leave him, after paying
Modjeska 45 per cent. on the gross, or
say on business of $1,000, which is not
an exaggerated one, $3.50. He can
run the business for 81, $50 easily, which
would leave him a profit on the grand
average of $1,000 week, or for thirty
weeks, 100000. From this must be de-
Quoted the $4,000 it cost to get Sar-
gents contracts, SO that, all things being
equal, he will come out $780, ahead,
besides which is the added profit of
playing some twelve weeks of the season
in his own theaters in New York and
Boston, for Modieska returns in the
spring to the Fifth Avenue Theater.
Mrs. Langtry's contract with Mr.. Henry
E. Abbey is to receive SO per cent. of
the gross receipts each night. Mr.. Alb
hey pays the company and all other ex-
penses. Surprising business of 81, $50
a highland thus far the receipts have
exceeded that, as Mrs. Langtry plays to
higher prices than other dramatic stars
she would be receiving So, 800 a week.
Whether the business will be kept up
when curiosity is satiated is questionable,
but even thus far Mrs. Langtry has re-
ceived for her share in New York, Bos-
ton, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Chi
cago some $4,000. That sum will prob
ably be trebled before she leaves here.
Mr.. Abbey, on the other hand, has 81
per cent. left to him. Surprising he
pays an average of q per cent. for
theaters, this would leave him 40 per
cent, or $4,000 per week He can run
the company and his other expenses
easily on 81, 200, which would give him
a profit of $4,000 a week But there
are large cities where he has to pay
more, say so and 80 per cent. of the
gross for theaters. Even then, on a
season of thirty weeks, supposing bust
ness to fall off, he can come off winner
of from fifty to sixty thousand dollars at
the end of the season, on his contract.
These are large sums. 1t is interesting
to note that four stars will carry with
them out of the country S350,000 by the
time this season ends.-Byrne's ORA
matte Times.