The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-25
NEW lORK'S MUSIC HALLS.
THEY IRE DRiUISG FROM PiRTS
and NOT IHON LONDON.
They Are Compared to tae London Music
rai~. hni Arr Like 1hemin Few Respects
They Grow Mure nnd More French.

city has led some OF it. admirers 20 conclude
that. At last. the London music hall system, or
a germ Of it. has been trans planted III America.
The managers OF tho newest hall foster this
idea bS publishing comparisons. favorable to
their establishment. between it and the En-
pirc and Ahambra halls in London. II would
be an important matter. amounting to the in.
PRODUCTION uI II now era in tho airuseMonts OF
the country. were ut true. but unluckily tits not
\ discussion of the subject in London n year
ago brought out some interesting facts about
the music halls over there. The music hall
managers desired permission TO bring out
short plays il connection with all tho other
forms of entertainment they now supply. and
tho managers OF tho regular theatres viGor-
oU,iy opposed their application 1t was shown
then that from II pecuniary point OF view the
music hail Is an exceedingly important insti.
tuition. Very .reGt sums OF money arc invested
In these places which III several cases rank
with The largest and best theatres. and large
profits are returned from them to the in
vcetors. Tao great and famous music halls are
al riosperous. ard this t. ~ NO means the
case with all the better class theatres. Tic
capacity and roominrss OF tho larger halls has
much to 10 with thor attractivencss. In nd-
clifton 10 tn, lobby and the auditorium proper.
they AFFORD room and opportunity for n prom
enadc behind, and often beside. the space
given UP to tho chairs OF those who view the
performance from their seats. The bars.
which are an important source Of income. are
in TIL halls, and some halls contain several
such counters. Tho dri!lks are served by bar
maids. whom many americans and most
l.uslshmen look uuon a. comedy and in all
ways attractive women. In some of
these places pretty waiter girls OF
the same type are humorous: and
the women whose business il is to frequent
such places in the best n.:i,c they are abio to
obtain are also present in force and may TO
met there Tor an evenings compaaionship by
those Who wish their company. Yet. ut the
same time. IN" halls are SO managed t1Ut n
man ora rarty Of respectable men and women
may spend IT such halls precisely such night
IA thev would put III at IL regular theatre with
out the need Of drinking or in any way con-
rcrnins themselves with any women except
those whom thoy bring there. Nothing that
.Mey SEQ on the STAGES of tho leading music
halls will shock any Ia, a suueamsh tnste.
The performances there arc TO describe
them so that {, New Yorker will understand
the description. exactly Ike the ,erforMances
at Tony Pastors. with the addition oi at least
one aud usually tWn .;:e&t hiUo, spectacies.
the baiiots are not performances by a COM
runy OF III e re dancers. They otGer illustrate
n patriotic idea or follow the plot OF II slender
story enacted 10y pantum!me and enriched Ivy
gOre vols scenery Such balet-drnnlas have
te"n shown here in perfection At the Manhat-
tan Opera .,ousr. but not anywhere else within
recent year NJ lea Z. Nr-, .ar-e corps Il" brkCt
with more han on" lrCnitre danseusp 3nd
lie 81 th.ir class. are lnnoysd Tor thsse spec.
tacic,. The rest o. the performance makes UP
what we would rail variety Programme, and
includes octs by Iu.Ei crs. athletes. traIeze
aud horizontal bar performers. comic and
scntiner ballad singers. song and dnnee
formers who receive The largest salaries. are
III" women who sing the comic ballads women
''S Cur so ala" music " hTl ARE ar" ct"nt The
patience -! those who wait fo1 the introduce
;i"n ii 'mG insl!sh ym, Of "niitt t
nation IS NOS yet r-arh:,'. The experiment ut
IL. Casino in this city early this winter was
Lac n vt ee p11at, in N. " " "t It h 'n nat
inc!n!" harwaid, because We have a Jaw on
ln"n,. This law j. / he result Of the OPPOSITION
Of III" icul!etoa class OF saloons that were
m . w he vis san nn nn" Of thes
uia"es wsr" in rriiaS along Eroadway be-
tween Canal and li"-cker streets at the tinn
town. Waliack's Theatre was at i'roome street
and nronhway:ih ne Winter Garden. whore Id
at Anti -trret and Eroaiwny: Nihlo's was
what it w0uit lie now II it were up town. and
ior&. an, other IeAdin. hotels We're all in that
nrit.nh !rhOu !. Lager beer began to 10 IL pop
,;'ar drink at that :ims and was served in
these cellar. H!ong With the older ftvoritcs.
the mixed drinks. The Dew Drop Inn was
Ia" mosi brilliant and famous OF these dives.
In al of them the mattresses were pretty cour-
tr~ans. In some they wore dresses that were
short at tho top OF at the hott u. and in others
the ,lr"..e- w.r- short at both ends. These
places grcwtr Ice more and more evil and con-
spiruous and were destroyed by the Govern
mont since then no w.,er girls have Leen
pcr.nifrd il amusement hnils.
The Casino experiment Of "A few months 60
inc!aded Il tyr inter ~ modification OF tn" Lon
1t was enclose. ike a I,,x in g!ass. and. though
u great many persons looked In at the bar and
Il end sit down hsi"'c the sazc Of tho rest.
The Casino j. large enough and hue enough to
romInr- Win some OF the best English music
l"tment that It was Guirk ) aSanionei. This
ayers to lralyza the reason Tor It, and they
ihrS they can explain why we are not
q ra ott 10 rnnsr"St his ""ney eTu
form ut English ont erirs" to this side They
'"sIe ;n,' N" great hnk OF, English womci.
over der" women stand in the gin mills and
drunk side by IL" With the men; while here
Mre ever known o stand NJ Il tnr and drink.
They argue, that Iutt AS the drinking habit
higher IT,. and th"y assert that there is no
such fee !u;: against it among reputable peo-
pie rs there, is here. where. even if women
drink. they do so in private and reprobate the
custom in public.
Very similar indeed. are the arguments OF
those managers with regard to loose women.
Without usrersIn. the morals OF the well bred
mass OF En.i sh men and women. they assert
tina, the social evil has always been more pub
lie AMI constantly in evidence over there.
where the street walkers are never interfered
win Nv the police. and where the notod lead
ers Of the dem-monde have at least n dcmi-
standing "a leaders Of fashion and fast life.
In a word. it is argued that the mere presence
OF such women in the snme building with the
cthors is not resent ed abroad as it Ia here,
The cry in New York for an informal enter
tainmnnt in IL free easy manner. within
hrge hail or garden, where one mead not he
corp"d UP in y chair for several hours. Is
truly unal ating, but there is strong evidence
that the cry does not issue from u sufficient
number OF throats 90 warrant u hope that such
lace can be maintained without extrsordi-
nary attractions Of II kind not offorr, else
where, rom tho days when Throlor" Thomas
gave his concerts In u wrst-sidc garden. near
t"ntrni Park. until kostcr \ Bal sta,teI II
high c,nsS concert hall for tho purveying Of
good music. and even until the nom profitable
venture in tho Madison Square Garden last
winter. not one OF these ventures has paid or
been kept IN,
this winter '.hpv are Tony lastnr,s kost-r
4 Bal and q" lmreril Music HAIL Mr..
Pastors j. NOT K" he other two. lie draws
his lent from londoi. and Il il. as has been
.t,,h .tt