The herald., 1893-10-23
LIFE BACK OF THE SCENES
Girls Who Fill the ..anks in
Opera and Burlesque.
About Young Women Who Sing in
the Chorus.
Pretty Figures Take Precedence OF Tai
ent-The Objection to Tights by
Some of the Gentle Sex
Shape the First Thing.


conservative and highly respectable
people.
An actress, no matter how high her
position or exemplary her character, was
nevertheless regarded as woman out
side the recognized pale Of society. She
was admired behind the footlights, but
there ended all sympathy for her. This
was the idea that permested all classes
of society from uppertendom down, A
girl who made distinct avowal that
che would choose the stage as a m cans
of livelihood was put under ban by her
Mortified parents, and If she pursued
her own wilful way it was st the
cost Of losing her home and the protec-
tion OF her family. Things are differ
ent today. The march of intellect
makes rapid strides, and instead OF rear
ing girlhood to look timidly across the
footlights. There is almost an army Of
self-reliant young women, who are to
play or sing anything from Lady Mac
beth to Marguerite at the shortest notice
If required. The three classes of chorus
singers. ballet dancers and extras in full
force, said q well-known theatrical
Annh cntcfuars uuHlOoE ab iohet lVsOVU
in the eastern states, incredible as it
may seem. The chorus girls are almost
entirely of American parentage, and
their ranks are made up of young sspir-
ants who consider the chorus the initial
Htep to future fame" a.a
"Are these girls as q rule single ?" in.
quired the scribe.
"Many of them are married." replied
the manager, "their husbands being on
the road, while others are church sing
ere. A large percentage take positions
in the chorus in order to enable them
to pay for vocal tuition with the pro-
ceeds of their salaries. hoping to fit
themselves for positions as vacancies
occur; but for the most part they reckon
vainly, as it is very seldom that q cho-
rus girl rises to the position OF first
singer. 1t is curious fact that after a
year or two in the ranks of the chorus
the once ambitious son2stress settles
down in a humdrum, apathetic way to
her work, losing all ambition for future
greatness, but sticking religiously for
! distinction in her own line.
Sometimes girl with good voice or
fine appearance is singled out to lead a
march, stand in front or sing one or two
lines of minor part. Then the whole
body of girls, after the fashion of their
sex, are down upon her like sledge
hammer, and 30 the front row is pretty
we'll hated by those who are in the rear.
The older they grow in the profession
the more tenaciously do they fight for
their rights, forgetting that it is to the
managers interest to put the best look
ing girls in the advance guard"
"What salaries do these people re-
ceive ?'' asked the HERALD reporter.
'The salaries of these hard workers.
continued the theatrical man, "are paid
not with an eye to the talent, but ac-
cording to their physical development,
and they range from $40 TO $1S per week.
If Mary Ann has got lovely voice and
reedy looking figure, she gets $l0,
whereas Violetta having a splendid bust
and corresponding symmetrical limbs
takes $l8. The shape draws and is ap-
preciated by the first row in front, when
voice has no show"
Thus it appears that in this subetan-
tial era, intelligence and talent must
ever give place to anatomy. The work
OF the chorus is very ls5orious. The
members are expected to rehearee every
day until the representation is perfect.
Sometimes the rehearesls last until late
In the afternoon, when they go home to
dinner and back to the theater. AS
soon as one opera is in running order
another ia put into rehearsal, therefore
the chorus girl may be said TO sell her
very life for the small sums of $40 and
$l8 per week. These sums are, however,
augmented on the road, the price paid
being $1S to $22 for very we'll formed
| girl. In case OF sickness first. class man
ayers continue the salary, but in second
class companies the sick chorus girl is
obliged to pay her whole. salary for a
substitute or lose her place. Some
years ago there was so poor supply OF
choiristers that to have given two
operas at the same time in city like
San Francisco was a simple impossible
ity. At the present time the supply ia
largely in excess of the demand in most
of good looking girls with good voices
has led to the plan of introducing chorua
singing into every play where they can
be used.
"The best-voiced girls are made un-
derstudies for the principal roles. For
this they have no advance in salary, but
such occasions as they sing are paid the
salary of the singer they personate.
! The small sglaries paid are not required
for dress, which is found by the man
agement, with the exception Of clippers
and tights, and since cotton tights are
moatly used now, this outlay is not very
great"
A we'll known dressmaker OF this city,
who was a chorus girl back in the seven
ties, said to HERALD reporter laat
evening: "You know they fined US
sometimes, and are awfully particular" !"
"What are the tines?' asked the
newspaper man.
"Well, for being late, from 10 to 25
cents; for laughing or taking notice oi
anyone in front, 25 cents to 81 and il
we spoiled our costumes, or, they cay,
misuse them, we paid from 81 to s5,
according to the damage done. The
good singers don't go in the front row
| the ones thet can't sing little bit form
the front row on account OF their good
FORMS"
"Do the girls object to tights ?" con-
tinued the pencil pusher.
"Oh, no, not as a rule; but
| lots OF them dc, and leave after
playing a couple OF nights. Even
girls who have good figures dc
not like tights, they even cry
when they first put them on, but then
of course, they want the money if they
have no home, and by and by get used
to them. / remem Der one incident in
| 1876, in Cincinnati. There were 1874
voices tried for the forthcoming repre-
eentation OF a spectacle, out of which 7s
were chosen After TWO rebearsals the