Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-22
CHORUS GIRLS.
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE BELLIES OF
COMIC OPERA.
How the Chorus is Recruited-L:se or
the Road and in HoteIs-What the
Girl Has to Hope For.

Is the most popular form of stage perform
ance. Its era of popularity began with
the advent of Gilbert & Sullivan's "Pin-
atore." 1t was opera within the compre-
hension and thorough enjoyment of those
who liked music, but never knew of it as
a science. 1t was pre-eminently amusing.
1t may be safely said that vast majority
of lovers of comic opera in its present
popular form had their introduction to so
pleasant friend through "Pinafore.7
The sudden advent and popularity of
this form of entertainment created a great
demand for singers and actors suitable to
produce it. They were recruited from all
quarters. The standard English opera
companies" supplied many of the princi-
pals, and it was the salvation of many
singers engaged in that class of opera.
But the chief source Of supply came
whence the demand was created by "Pin-
afore." Its simplicity made it possible for
amateurs TO give very creditable perform
ances of it, and many a church-choir
singer caught the stage fever. a large
proportion of the comic-opera singers of
to-day were of that class, the chorUses
especially.
There are no less than two thousand
people now singing and acting in comic
| opera The large companies which are
| known throughout the country will easily
comprise fifteen hundred people, and the
| permanent companies in cities and the
smaller ones in the country make up the
remainder. The life of the comic-opera
! singer is but little known to the public
generally. As to a principal singer or a
comedian the public reads some things
| which are true and many more which are
not true concerning their professional ieal-
ousies and private affairs. The great file
of the army, the chorus, is rarely heard
from, save as the object of some Jest as to
their age, or in some other equally silly
allusion TO their tiirtations with the dudes.
Perhaps majority began singing in the
village choir and since "Pinafore," their
friends secure Tor them hearing from
some manager Of travelling company
Every town and village has its prima
donna, who is believed by her neighbors
to be an incipient Patti. The manager
hears her, and if she combines a knowl-
edge of music with strong features and
a good figure, he compliments her, hold
ing out the glittering bauble of public
applause-but his company is already full |
he might find room for her in the chorus |
at chorus girls salary. She accepts, and |
there she stays, or else works out by slow
degrees. If she appeals to the manager Of
a small company, or what is commonly |
called ''ten-cent" opera company, little |
less voice and little more figure suffices. |
The chorus girl receives a salary varying
with the character of the company in |
which she is engaged.
The frst-class companies pay their !
chorus girls from SIS to S25 week while |
'on the road" and about SO less when they |
are stationed in one city for four weeks or
more. The girl has to buy out of it is her |
board and clothes and occasional medicines |
and laxuries. 1t is a common thing for |
three or four girls to club together for the !
season. When they reach city in which |
they stay week or more they rent flrl |
nished room, containing two beds, and !
with their portable oil stove and cooking
utensils they prepare their own meals. In |
this way they sometimes live for 81 80 or |
s. week. When playing in towns less !
than week they go to cheap hotels, rarely
paying more than 81 80 per day, and more |
frequently paying 81. If they have a long
trip to make they usually take possession |
of an ordinary coach and dextrously trans
form it into sort of sleeping car. They |
inure themselves to the discomforts of |
travelling, cheap boarding houses and the |
like for the sake of comparatively small |
salary. Almost without exception there |
is some one at home awaiting the saw
ings effected.
The one feature of the work of the chorus |
girl that seems to be the hardest is the put |
ting on and taking off Of costumes. They |
are frequently obliged to dress in small, |
hot rooms, and how they can emerge from |
them in glow of heat in bare arms and neck |
and the thin covering of tights, and rush |
upon the stage, where there is invariably |
a draught of air from some direction, and
then sing and march and stand, ard do so
without contracting pneumonia, is past I'M
Outstanding.
Rehearsals of the chorus are frequent.
1t is only by constant rehearsals that the
chorus girl can be disciplined. Nearly
every comic opera company introduces
march. The precision OF movement shown
by the chorus girls in accomplishing the
intricate march movements is only OBJ
tanned By incessanl rehearsals and rigid
| discipline The stage manager will detect
the slightest deviation from proper align
ment, and usually that means another re-
! hearsal, and the rehearsal means an hour
| or more and miles of travel in cold, dark
| theater in the morning hours, when a coD.-
| Portable bed is very wooing. Each girl is
| thus made to hold all the others response
! bic.
"On the road" she arises when located
| fo- more than day, about in the morn
| ing. An hour is consumed in dressing and
! breakfast Then she goes to see if she has
any mail. At 10 o'clock there is rehearsal.
She is expected to be prepared, if a new
opera is to be produced, to sing at least
part OF the choruses. When the words
and music are learned the positions and
business must be acquired. According to
size or good looks she is assigned her posi-
ton in the ranks, and which she maintains
throughout the season. no matter what
movements may be gone through. At l
o'clock a recess is taken for dinner. If
there is no rehearsal in the afternoon she
can devote her time to study, shopping,
sightseeing or as she pleases. A few min
utes after O'clock finds her in her dress
ing-rooms Then follows the performance.
1t is impossible to give the details of the
business she has with the costumer and
mistress of the wardrobe. The perform
auce over she must return her wardrobe
and properties and report any damage done
to either. Attiring for the street she
leaves the theater, first stopping to look at
the bulletin-board to see if rehearsals are
called for on the morrow, and to have a
last look at the mail box.
d, 1t,r i +aI 70