Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-09-21

million dollars. Divide the net receiDte
OF the play TO date among the few per-
sons interested and each has fortune.
1t surpasses the record of any play that
has ever been presented, not only in this
country, but. the whole world.
The Importance of the drama in the
daily existence of the New Workers is
well illustrated in the number of col
umnS devoted to things theatrical by
the metropolitan dailies. Each paper
makes special feature of theatrical
/ gossip and the sayings and doings in
and about the playhOuSeS are eagerly
sought for and printed and as eagerly
read. InaSmuch as the average New
Yorker finds the most of his recreation
within the walls of the theatre the
prominence given theatrical items by
the press Of the great city is not at all
surprising.
A singular fact in connection with
current thcatricalS in New York is that
more than half of the attractions of the
various theatres are either in themselves
purely vaudeville entertainments or par
take largely of the nature of such eXhi-
billions. Moreover, this character of
performance is at present highly pOpu-
/ lar Seeing the large audiences which
nightly assemble in a theatre with an
offering of this character, the conclusion
would be immediate that the profit must
be enormous. Not so. The expenses Of
staging a high class vaudeville exhibit
ton are far greater than generally sup
posed. The weekly expenses Of such
-. n
bigger sum than the cost OF
putting ona glittering spectacular ex-
travaganza. Take, for instance, the
Hanlon-Volter and Martinetti Panto-
mime and Novelty Company at the
Academy Leaving out the cost Of
bringing the entire organization Of fifty
people from Europe with their acceSSo-
rieS. the weekly expenses for salaries
alone amount TO $1,000 each week.
This figure may sound like an eXaggera-
ton, but when il is known that the
three HanlonS receive in the neighbor-
hood of $500 for their joint weekly ser
vices, the distribution of the balance
among the remaining forty-Seven mem
berS of the organization leaves only an
average of a tri1e over 500 for each.
Not by any means a fancy salary as
such things go.
f. G.. Gilmore and Eugene TompkinS
control and own the most valuable the
atrical properties in America. They
are Joint owners of the big Academy in
New York; Mr.. TOmpkins is the owner
of the Boston Theatre in Boston, and
Mr.. Gilmore owns and controls Niblo'S
Garden, New York.
Jerome X. jerome has been declared
by the metropolitan press the coming
playwright. His "MaiSter of Woodbar-
row" is crowding the Lyceum Theatre
at each performance. Prior to the pro-
duction of the play at the Lyceum Mr..
Jerome was almost unknown. his dra-
matte efforts having been confined to
writing onc-act curtain-raiSerS. In
these he has been highly successful in
London. Managers f. q. Gilmore and
Alex. ComStock of the Academy, New
York, have just closed a contract with
Mr.. Jerome whereby they will control
the rights i'm America of all the One-act
works Of the young author for the next
three years
The minstrel organization controlled
bv w. :. Cleveland this season is better
than ever before. This is due first TO
the presence in the company OF Billy
Emerson, conceded the best general
minstrel performer now before the pub
lie. and secondly to the very attractive
clement contained i'm the spectacular
marches. exquisite songs and dances
originated, conceived, designed ana
executed by Barney Pagan, one of the
very brightest lights of modern min
Strelsy.
The season of the Howard Athen1um
Star Speciality Company of MeSSrS.
Rich and Harris has just been augura-
tep. The company is rich i'm taking
specialties brought from the other side.
Among the mirth producers OF the or
canization, however, our own whimsl-
cally humorous Bob Slavin is easily the
central figure
The LiliputianS have come. have been
seen and have conquered. The big city
has been taken by storm. Such pecu-
Iliarlv bewildering display of scenic eX-
/ travagance and splendor. introducing a
company of principals, the oldest ever
seen. has never before been presented
at a public exhibition in America. Not
withStanding that the prices AT Nlblo' 5
have been almost doubled, the advance
sale for the LiliputianS' engagement is
startling. All hail to the wee TheS-
plans,
An idea of the magnitude of the pro-
duction which MessrS. Locke " Davis
are TO give their spectacular drama,
"ClaudiuS Nero. at Niblo's. in October.
may be CLEANED from the fact that the
stages of three city theatres are now
being used i'm preparing for the preSen-
tation: one for rehearSing the 400 aux
/ iliaries, another for the rehearSalS OF
the caste proper, and third for the use
/ of carpenters. scene painters and prop
erty men. I'm addition to this the pro-
iectors of Nero" have secured a build
/ ing to be given over to the manufacture
of costumes and other incidental access
oricS 10 the elaborate production.