New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-26
SELECTING THE CHORUSES.
TEDIOUS PREPARATIONS FOR AN OPERA.

TEDIOUS PREPARATIONS Fun AN OrLfsAs
EVERY ONE GETS TIRED OF 1T LONG BEPoRH
THE OPENING NIGnr-A LITTLE AMUsE.
xENT NOW AND THEN
Most people think It an easy thing to get . gooa
comic opera company together but to get clever actors
and chorus ready at moments notice is not en- easy
task In fact IL is extremely difficult to secure .
really hrstclass chorus Good voices shspcy forms,
intelligence and good looks all necessary TO make
o female chorus
After manager has secured an opera his first step
IA TO get . good stage manager. This accomplished.
the two put their heads together and agree TO the
singers necessary to all each part. These people
generally be found at the musical agencies Tho
musical director Is next secured, and last but not
least comes the "bappy chorus II tights are b
he worn the work Of getting the chorus Is all the
harder for the figure Is to be considered above all
other qualities.
generally reads:
WANTED one hundred handsome chorus ladies.
Must have good voices and figures. Apply at stage
door Monday morning. 10 .. m St.
| Instead OF 100, there are usually about 400. not
4. the Pour Hundred, however, but they all wear q
| happy confident smile, as much as TO say "Well. II
don't get this engagement, can get one somewhere
else, so don't care.'
The manager. stage manager and musical director
are all IN the sufy little grecnroOm while the anxious
people are waiting on the stage, TO be called one BY
one to have their voices tried There is invariably
dispute to who shall be the first one 10 beard tho
lion In his dem the stage manager sticks his head
out Of the door and calls Now, ladies' We have
no time to spare. Number l. please step forward
new recruit is generally pushed up to the door.
for an old hand will walt until two three applicants
have been tried to see what they have to say about
| the ordeal When Number l finally steps into the
grcenrOom she Is critically examined by Pill three and
mental note is taken Of her looks. She IS then asked
to sing. Possibly she may have brought piece OF
music with her. II so. she Is asked to sing It, or II
not the scales will do. II she Is very nervous her
! singing sounds like the wall OF banshee than
happy chorus voice. After her voice has been tried
she is asked:
"IIave you ever been on the stage beforci'
with what company"
"IIavc you ever worn tights bcforeV
"Wlat kind OF a figure have yOu!'
When these questions have been answered II sfs
suits she is told to come rehearsal the following day.
II she Is not satisfactory, she Is told that she VIII
| receive a postal card when she Is wanted With
| bright good morning she whsks through the door
glad to escape. Once outside she Is seized by the mob
and a hundred questions asked as To how did he
manager treat your
"Did you have to sing much for OH dora faf
Was the stage manager crOss!' etc.
| Often number Of girls will leave tho theatre
with number one being too nervous TO through the
| examination.
Number two is next called in and the same routns
is gone through with. And so on until the 400 arc
exhausted for who knows but the 300th girl may
| be a perfect jewel.
Ont OF the 400, about twenty-five selected. an
being as nearly perfect as be obtained regarding
voices and looks. The figures are doubtful until
| tho dress rehearsal There Is one welknown bur
| lesque manager who insists upon knowing In ad'
| vance whether the chorus girls have good figures.
When young woman applies to him he Will direct
| her to a drcssing-room where costume Is found.
| tights trunks and q basque. When she has dressed
| herself in these clothes she goes to the manager
for inspection. II she is satisfactory she gets an en-.
| gagemcnt. II not, she goes back to the Gilbert and
Sullivan operas again. with the cry, "When VIII
ever get chance TO get out Of these long clotcs''
| After tho female chorus has been selected, at
tention Is turned to the male chorus. This Is cons
paratively easy Excellent voices are ALL or yearly
ALL that IS required OF them, but what motle- crew
| they are--Germans, Frcnchmen, Italians, ENGLISH,
almost every nationality under the sun. Of course
drawing the line at the Chinese
Chorus engaged everything is ready for business;
! Rehearsal IS called for Monday mornng"1O O'Clock
sharp After all are assembled on the stage. tho
manager introduces the stage manager and musical
director The musical director places the altos and
bassOs side OF the stage and the sopranos and
tcnOrS the opposite side, that the voices VIII nos
clash. The sopranos start in first the director play
Ing the first chorus the piano two or three times to
give an idea Of the music. Then the singers are ex.
peced TO sing 1t nearly correctly possible. Tho
altos treated in the same way, and after two or
three trials the two bodies combine and sing together
Thus 1t and at the end Of two or three weeks
| the musical drill Of the opera is complete
1t is aughable to hear the foreign element In tho
chorus try to master English words. One Italian was
asked to repeat the sentence. Climb tho garden walls
| lie answered "Eella cana say ect and doa'n you
forgeta' So he repeated 1t like this Clm re gowden
VOLTA A howl of laughter went into the flies that
nearly shook the theatre.
While the chorus have their relearsas in the morn
Ing the leading characters are called In the afternoon
When both are perfect general rehearsal Is called and
all the music from beginning to end is sung-choru'es
solos, duets and quarcsall gone over to the salts
| faction Of the musical director.
Now everything is ready for the stage manager
| Here again the chorus are taken apart from tho
principals and taught separately. During the musical
rehearsals the costumer boomaker and wgmaker are In
constant communication with the chorus, as each men,
Der has certain color and costume which are ex'
tremey important the stage manager Is particular N
group his colOrs that all will blend In harmony.
The bootmaker and wigmaker at the Joy and
terror of a female chorus II the shoes and wigs no
| nicely everything Is lovely II not then woe be-
tide Them for few things moro distressing than 70
be Obliged to wear a wig that Is too small Speaking
| of tight wigs recalls incident involving u we'll
| known buresque comedian who appeared one nighe
on the stage before his company. Everybody noticed
| that there was something queer about his makeup.
His wig sat on ono side Of his hesd. his eyes were all
swollen and his had perfect Roman hump on H.
Every one in the company smiled out loud. ana the
cause was soon discovered. The comedian had oeeh
out the night before with Jolly friend, and - they
were returning home In the "wec. sms'' hours OF tho
| morning. they discovered milk wagon in front OF
restaurant Tho driver busily engaged delivering
| the milk and the two merry men " prod the
horse with their walking sticks One OF tile employees
| Of the restaurant, q small man, demonstrated VIVA
| them abont It, They both turned the poor little
fellow when suddenly he Jumped at OF them. VINO